When cooking with coconut oil, pay attention to temperatures, experiment with substitution amounts, and match the grade of oil to the recipe. Virgin coconut oil has a strong flavor, while refined has less. Coconut oil is solid below 75°F and can be difficult to measure. High-temperature frying can cause unpleasant smells and tastes.
When cooking with coconut oil, cooks should pay attention to cooking temperatures, experiment with substitution amounts, and match the grade of coconut oil to the type of recipe they wish to prepare. While coconut oil can be an excellent cooking ingredient, particularly for vegetarians and vegans looking for a hearty oil that isn’t derived from animals, it performs differently than some more familiar cooking oils. Also, some types of coconut oil have a strong coconut flavor, which can be a boon in some recipes, but may not be what a cook wants in others.
There are several types of coconut oil on the market today, including refined, expeller-pressed coconut oils, and virgin coconut oils that have undergone minimal processing. Typically, the more refined coconut oils have less coconut scent and taste. On the other hand, virgin coconut oils can have a strong coconut flavor. While many people find the flavor of virgin coconut oil to be very appealing, this flavor may not be what a cook wants in the food he or she prepares. If a cook wishes to work with coconut oil, but doesn’t want its flavor to suffer, he should choose a refined coconut oil that has no residual coconut flavor.
Coconut oil is solid at temperatures below 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius) and at higher temperatures as a liquid oil. This can make cooking with coconut oil difficult, especially if the cook is attempting to replace the coconut oil with another type of shortening or oil. Some chefs experienced in cooking with coconut oil recommend measuring it by weight rather than volume. This can help ensure that the right amount of fat is added to a recipe. If you are trying a substitution for the first time, particularly when using coconut oil in cooking, it may be best for a cook to prepare a small test batch to see how the oil metering works.
Some people who like to cook with coconut oil find that less refined oils can be characterful when used in high-heat cooking. While coconut oil is generally quite stable when used in baked goods or on roasted vegetables, high-temperature frying can sometimes cause virgin coconut oils to give off an unpleasant soapy smell and taste. Again, cooks should experiment with different grades of coconut oil to determine the appropriate temperatures for cooking with it. In many cases, they may find that by ensuring the pan temperature is kept low, even virgin coconut oils can be used in stovetop cooking.
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