Running Head: COCONUT OIL
Coconut Oil
Kerry Nefferdorf
CIV
COCONUT OIL
2
CoconutOil
Overtheyears,manysubstitutesforbutterhavebeenderived,usuallybyhydrogenating
vegetableoils.Recently,however,moreattentionhasbeenpaidtoanvegetableoilthatis
naturallysolidatroomtemperaturecoconutoil.
Somecoconutoilisextractedfromcopra,sundriedcoconutmeat.Thisoilisusually
bleachedanddeodorized,anddoesnothaveanycoconutfragranceorflavor.Ifthemeatis
quicklydriedbyhotair(around80degrees),theoildoesnothavetobechemicallyprocessed
andisknownasvirgincoconutoil.Virgincoconutoilhasadelicatecoconutflavor.
Coconutoilissolidatroomtemperatureandhasameltingpointof78F.Thisislower
thanbuttersmeltingpoint,whichis90F,butcloseenoughthatitisasuitablereplacementin
mostcases.Coconutoilcanreplacebutterata1:1ratiowithlittledifferencetotheendproduct
asidefromflavor.(SeeTable1,AmericanButtercreamwithCoconutOil.)
Coconutoilisabletoperformthesamefunctionsasbutterinarecipeitcanbecreamed
withbuttertoprovideleavening(althoughcaremustbetakentoensurethattheoildoesnot
melt).Itis100%fatcomparedtobutters80%;howeveritisnotnecessarytoadjustthe
moisturecontentaccordinglyasitiswithshortening,ascoconutoildoesmeltataslightlylower
temperaturethanbutter.Coconutoilalsocontributesasimilarmouthfeeltobutter,duetoitslow
meltingpoint.
Thereisdebateastowhethercoconutoilisactuallyhealthyorunhealthy.Itis80%
saturatedfat,whichonthesurfaceseemslikeabadthing.Proponentsofcoconutoil,however,
arguethatthosefatsaremediumchaintriglycerides,whicharedigestedandabsorbeddifferently
fromlongchaintriglycerides.Infact,mostofthefatinhumanbreastmilkismediumchain
COCONUT OIL
triglycerides.Itiscertainlytruethatvirgincoconutoilisfarlessprocessedthanmanybutter
replacements,andisthereforemuchmorelikelytobechosenbythosefollowingavegan,paleo,
orcleandiet.NOWbrand,inparticular,usescoconutmeatthathasbeendriedat7080
degreesandisthereforealsosuitableforthosefollowingarawdiet.
Overall,coconutoilisnotaperfectsubstituteforbuttertheflavorisdifferent(although
pleasantinitsownright),andthemeltingpointisjustdifferentenoughtocausesomeconcern.
However,itisbyfarthemostnatural,unprocessedbuttersubstituteavailable,andthataloneis
enoughtomakeitavaluableingredientinahealthconsciousbakeshop.
Figure1
COCONUT OIL
Bibliography
CoconutOil.(2009).Retrieved0430,2015,fromWebMD:http://www.webmd.com/vitamins
supplements/ingredientmono1092coconut%20oil.aspx?
activeingredientid=1092&activeingredientname=coconut%20oil
CoconutOilFAQs.(n.d.).Retrieved0430,2015,fromNOWFoods:
http://www.nowfoods.com/Products/FAQs/M013397.htm
Daniels,C.(n.d.).HowtoBakewithCoconutOil.Retrieved0430,2015,fromSFGate:
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/bakecoconutoil4665.html
PhysicalandChemicalCharacteristics.(2015).Retrieved0430,2015,fromWisconsinDairy:
http://www.eatwisconsincheese.com/dairy/butter/butterbasics/physicalandchemical
characteristics
PropertiesofCoconutOil.(n.d.).Retrieved0430,2015,fromOrganicFacts:
https://www.organicfacts.net/healthbenefits/oils/propertiesofcoconutoil.html
SubstituteCoconutOilforButter.(2015).Retrieved0430,2015,fromMDhealth:
http://www.mdhealth.com/SubstituteCoconutOilForButter.html
VirginCoconutOil.(n.d.).Retrieved0430,2015,fromOrganicFacts:
https://www.organicfacts.net/healthbenefits/oils/virgincoconutoil.html
COCONUT OIL
Table1
AmericanButtercreamwithCoconutOil
OriginalRecipe
8ozbutter
8ozhiratioshortening
2#powderedsugar
2ozwater
1tspvanillaextract
1/8tspsalt
ModifiedRecipe
8ozvirgincoconutoil
8ozhiratioshortening
2#powderedsugar
2ozwater
1tspvanillaextract
1/8tspsalt
COCONUT OIL
6
Figure Captions
Figure 1. Spectrum brand unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil, http://wellandgood.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/10/coconut-oil-DSC_1718.jpg (Coconut Oil FAQs)
