Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to try a new fat this month: coconut oil or ghee.
Level of Commitment: Making Strides
Put coconut oil on your mental list, or commit to buying some next time you see it. I can find it in my local Meijer, but it’s even more expensive there than at the health foods store. (I’ve seen people say that Walmart’s brand is gross, so be careful there.)
When I first started getting into traditional nutrition, I read about coconut oil. I was surprised how often I ran into it, and I didn’t even know what it was (was it liquid or solid???), but I was curious to see if I could figure out how to use it and if we would like it. There are two kinds of coconut oil: refined and unrefined. The refined has no flavor or smell of coconuts, and it’s less expensive, so I started with a 16-oz jar of it to see if some recipes calling for coconut oil were winners. I was amazed at how fast I was going through this “test” jar, so I tried the kind with the smell and flavor of coconut (“unrefined”). Again, for someone who doesn’t like coconuts, I was flying through the jar. That was when I bought a bulk order here.
So start small. But if you’re interested in trying a new, versatile, unique fat, accept this Monday Mission, even if you can’t find coconut oil right away this week. Read about coconut oil’s health benefits. Here are some FAQs and how to use coconut oil as well. Be sure to sign up to win a quart (best way to try something new!) at the giveaway post through Friday 11/6.
What is Ghee?
Ghee is another traditional fat, also called “clarified butter”. It is the fat left in butter after the water and milk solids have been removed. It has a much higher smoke point (485 degrees) than butter and thus can be used for high-temp sauteeing and even deep drying. (If you’ve cooked butter too hot, you’ll see little spots of brown in it. Don’t ask me how I know that, I just do. 
That is the milk solids getting burnt. You can avoid that with ghee.) Since it is pure fat (and you thought butter already was, didn’t you?), ghee doesn’t spoil easily and its shelf life is about a year.
My personal Monday Mission for this week is to try my hand at making ghee. My grandmother’s done it (she rocks out in the kitchen!), but I’ve not yet “gotten around to it”. Hopefully I will for real and can post on it for you. You can also buy prepared ghee at Asian markets and health food stores.
UPDATE: Here is How to Make Ghee.
I’m also joining up with Crystal of Money Saving Mom and Fish Mama of Life as MOM for a Baking Day Roundup Tuesday/Wednesday this week. I’m going to attempt to bake apple squares, pumpkin cookies, and zucchini muffins and make 3 pie pumpkins into puree. Maybe sourdough multigrain bread, too. (If you know me, you know I’m famous for biting off more than I can chew. This will probably be a “baking week” in reality.) UPDATE: Here’s the post on baking day bedlam. I’m also sharing my recipe/method this next week for big-batch meatloaf and meatballs, although my freezer is still stocked currently.
I’d love to see more of you! Sign up for an email subscription or grab my reader feed.
If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here.
Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money. If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.
Catch up on a Fat Full Fall here.
Hi Katie,
I’ve been looking into coconut oil… but it seems that all the brands I’ve found are processed in plants that produce nut oils, which is a problem since I am allergic. Do you know of any brands that are not produced with other nuts?
I can’t wait to hear about your ghee making adventures.
Blessings!
.-= SnoWhite´s last blog ..Menu Plan – Nov, 1 =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:07 am
I dashed an email to Soaper’s Choice to check for you! That’s a tough one…I wonder about Tropical Traditions – maybe email them, because I think you might have luck. Their oil is processed in the Philipines, and I think it’s probably the only thing in the building.
Katie
[Reply to this comment]
I just started using coconut oil last month. I started with refined (mostly because I didn’t know the difference btwn refined and unrefined). Last week I bought my first jar of unrefined, and I’ve used it in several recipes so far. Really enjoying cooking and baking with it. So long canola oil!
.-= Cara´s last blog ..Tot School This Week, November 1 =-.
[Reply to this comment]
I’ve been using coconut oil for a good, long while. It is remarkably easy to switch to. Everyone should know about the different “flavors” of it, though.
I keep myself to two of them: The best is organic, hand-made oil often called “virgin” oil. It is healthiest, but/and also tastes like coconut. (Some people won’t like this taste.) I use this like I would butter on toast, smoothies, or just for eating plain.
Then, I also use organic, expeller-pressed coconut oil – this would be for cooking. It’s a bit cheaper than the best stuff, because it’s not hand-processed, but it’s still really good for you.
As for ghee… I’ve tried it for about two months. It’s like honey in that it tastes REALLY good unless you eat a lot of it. Then you might get sick of the taste very fast.
[Reply to this comment]
This is so timely for me! Just bought my first jar of coconut oil. I can’t wait to use it.
.-= Jendeis´s last blog ..Healthy Fat Giveaway =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Had to chuckle at your coconut oil usage history – sounds just like mine. Last time I ordered (from Mountain Rose Herbs – forgot about your source unfortunately) I ordered TWO gallons. Love the stuff!
I’ve never tried ghee. I will have to do so now that you’ve dared, er, challenged me.
[Reply to this comment]
I just picked up some coconut oil this morning at the grocery store! It’s the same brand as in your picture, but it is the refined version. That was the only kind the store offered, so depending on how I like it, I may have to try the unrefined version.
.-= Greta @ Mom Living Healthy´s last blog ..Menu Plan Monday =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:13 am
What an A+ student, so on the ball!
Katie
[Reply to this comment]
Wow! Our Meijer sells it for less than I can get it for at the health food stores. But at $9 & change, it’s still a hefty price tag. Right now I only use it a tablespoon at a time because of the cost.
.-= Liz´s last blog ..Nov. 2, Thankful For My Father =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:14 am
Liz,
I hear you – that’s why I buy it in bulk at $3.90/lb.
Katie
[Reply to this comment]
Liz Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Thanks for pointing that out to me. I had totally missed the link to the bulk source in your post. I’m checking it out now!
.-= Liz´s last blog ..Nov. 3, Thankful for Encouragement =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Liz Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 5:44 pm
I’m looking at that list of choices, and I don’t know which one I need. The only kind I’ve used is the Spectrum Naturals Organic refined. Can you point me to the one I should get? Do I want the extra virgin?
.-= Liz´s last blog ..Nov. 3, Thankful for Encouragement =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
November 4th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Liz,
You’re at Soaper’s Choice? I get Organic Extra Virgin there. The “best” stuff is always unrefined, that will have the coconut flavor and smell. If you don’t want the flavor, get “RDB” which means “refined bleached deodorized”, but it’s not *quite* as healthy.
Katie
[Reply to this comment]
hey just a tip for frugal shoppers- i have price compared all over, including online (ie. Tropical Traditions sales, ect) and the best price, per lb I have found for coconut oil is the organic refined coconutoil from Whole Foods for 5.69/lb (16oz glass jar) here in MN. it’s cheaper and organic and you don’t need to pay for shipping.
however, if you make your own ghee its usually very frugal, as you only lose about 25%of the butter you buy when you skim the ghee. so the cost of ghee is 25% more then whatever you pay for butter.
.-= emily´s last blog ..Real Eggs, Bread and Jam! =-.
[Reply to this comment]
I will be joining you in your mission. I picked up a bottle of coconut oil from whole foods and will be making coconut flour pumpkin cookies with it. Yum!
.-= Hänni´s last blog ..Love Stories =-.
[Reply to this comment]
What is the shelf life of coconut oil?
.-= Melissa´s last blog ..Great way to simplify…ride your bike! =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:16 am
Melissa, great question – two years! It’s very stable.
Katie
[Reply to this comment]
Liz,
I was the same way with coconut oil. I found myself not willing to use much of it because it was so expensive. Someone posted about a sale on a gallon of unrefined online and I checked around and found a coupon and wound up buying a gallon for a little over $40 (shipping included). Now I use it for everything, including using it instead of the neutrogena sesame body oil I have been using for years.
It might be worth jumping into the larger containers…
[Reply to this comment]
I just ordered my second gallon tub of coconut oil through our natural foods buying club. I use to for cooking, as a nutritional supplement, and for body care. It softens the skin quite nicely.
I’m wondering if it would be safe for snow white since she is nut allergic, or are coconuts botanically dissimilar enough to tree nuts that it shouldn’t be an issue?
.-= Laurie N´s last blog ..Autumn Jewels and Musical Fruit =-.
[Reply to this comment]
I am the worlds biggest coconut oil fan, because since i have been using it in my morning smoothie i have lost 18 pounds! I have changed nothing else in my diet or activities. We now use coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil exclusively for all cooking, and bodycare. amazing stuff! We have slowly (quickly for me, slowly for my husband) eliminated all other forms of fat, and my husband is now starting to lose his freshman 10lbs that he’s carried for 10 years
[Reply to this comment]