Bought some coconut oil. Now what do I do with it?

[Kaypeep]

I recently bought a jar of coconut oil with the intent of using it to make popcorn on the stovetop.  But I'm wondering if anyone has used it for other cooking purposes?  I"ve read online that some people us it in stirfry and stir a spoonful into oatmeal.  I don't really bake though I imagine I can use it to replace regular oil in a cake mix.   Anyone have any tips on how to use it?  (I bought the extra virgin kind, which is supposed to have a light flavor.)  Thanks!

[Zilla]

Not food but heard it's excellent for skin and hair.  Very moisturizing.

[Tai]

I use it for everything.  I use it in stir fry, pan frying, sautees, etc.  I also spreading it on an english muffin with a drizzle of honey in the morning. 

For skin care, I mix it with plain sugar for a scrub- warning, do it in the tub, and make sure you have the tub stickies or non skid things on the floor.  I've also melted some together with beeswax to make lip balm. 

[NyaChan]

Very good for scalp/head massage & moisturizes as well!

[Namárië]

I use it for curry a lot, to fry the veggies and meat. I use it for hot oil hair treatments. I use it for body lotion. I use it for Tai's sugar scrub. The sugar scrub also tastes super good, so sometimes I put it on food.

ETA: I've also heard that it works well in pizza dough and in place of shortening in muffins, pie crusts, and cookies.

[Kaypeep]

Wow, thanks for those tips!  I read some of the beauty tips but I was a bit skeptical.  I have very fine hair and roseacea so I may skip the bath regimens (plus I know I'd be tempted to eat the home-made body scrub!)  I haven't made a curry in awhile so I think I will definitely try using it for that, as well as my popcorn.  Thanks and keep any other tips coming!

[sweetonsno]

You can also put it into cookies in place of some of the butter.

[cicero]

i don't eat it - i massage some in my hair about once a month or so, let it sit for a while, then wash out. keeps the hair healthy.

May i ask why you bought it? I know there is a lot of controversy about this oil, but i thought it isn't the most healthy of oils.

[Namárië]

May i ask why you bought it? I know there is a lot of controversy about this oil, but i thought it isn't the most healthy of oils.

Most of the testing in the past was done with partially hydrogenated coconut oil (which is what the food industry tends to use), which is a lot worse for you than the virgin stuff. (Partial hydrogenation creates trans fats, very bad!) Here's a pretty good article about it: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/dining/02Appe.html?_r=1

[Kaypeep]

i don't eat it - i massage some in my hair about once a month or so, let it sit for a while, then wash out. keeps the hair healthy.

May i ask why you bought it? I know there is a lot of controversy about this oil, but i thought it isn't the most healthy of oils.

I bought it to make popcorn.   I used it last night, making a batch on the stovetop.  I used a dollop of coconut oil and one pat of butter.  The popcorn was fantastic!  Just added some salt afterwards.  Was as tasty as movie theater popcorn but less artificial tasting. 

I don't think I'd use this oil on a regular basis as a replacement for other oils, I was just interested to hear what others used it for so that I could get more use out of it instead of just for popcorn.  I think I may bake some cookies for a party I'm going to on Saturday.  I have a good recipe that calls for shredded coconut, macadamia  nuts and choc chips.  This oil may work well in place of butter to give them an added coconut flavor.

[Miriam]

Yummmm I love Coconut Oil. It tastes amazing in a shrimp saute. I like to switch oils around (pecan, olive, sunflower, grape) and the coconut has the best resulting flavor.

Try a sweet salad. Toast some bread crumbs with salt and pepper in the coconut oil until they are croutons, then make a wild greens salad with balsamic, grapes, and red peppers. The combo is ridiculously yummy.

I also like it in curries that call for coconut milk. Adds that extra hint.

Plus a hair mask: one avocado, tb. oil, one egg and whisk all together until it's creamy. I leave it in about 45 minutes, so I clean until the time is up. It's so shiny and soft when it washes out.

[sparksals]

I recently discovered a favoured oil and vinegar shop and I have made some fabulous salad dressings with them.  Just last night i added honey ginger vinegar to persian lime oil and had a fabulous salad dressing.  I tossed the potatoes in chipotle oil and gavr them a great kick.

[Danika]

I routinely use it for popcorn. Today, I made scones with it. The recipe called for margerine which I don't have. So I used some butter and some coconut oil and they came out great.

[StuffedGrapeLeaves]

I also use them in curries, and they're great for salad dressing if you want something different.  I mix the oil with some vinegar, shallots, salt, and pepper to make the vinagreitte. 

[Shoo]

I warm a small amount of it in my hand and use it as a facial moisturizer.  My skin has never been so soft, and it's so pure it doesn't cause breakouts.  You have to apply it early, though, leaving plenty of time (like 30 minutes) for it to really soak in before putting on makeup.