Not all coconut oils are created equally.
I believe the process and the quality of the coconuts matter.
There’s a Huge difference in the quality of your naturally fermented organic coconut oil versus that of store-bought coconut oil. I have bought a few brands before. Famous, not so famous. Extra-virgin, not so virgin. From Philippines, India, Thailand, and US. Sadly they have never come close to what I make at home.
My conclusion is there is nothing like your own homemade coconut oil, using the fermentation method.
There are a few ways that I use to judge the quality of a coconut oil quickly.
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Down the throat test : Good quality ones often slip down the throat like silk, bad quality ones could cause a bit of discomfort, worse quality ones could choke you a bit.
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If the skin likes it test : Your largest organ, the skin, knows what is good for it. If it’s good quality, your skin sucks it in really fast. In other words, you won’t feel very oily 5 minutes after applying good quality coconut oil topically on your skin. Bad quality ones often stick around even after 1 hour, your skin basically refuses to absorb it. The homemade coconut oil I use does not make my skin feel oily at all, because within seconds of applying, it gets absorbed just like that. It’s called the moisturizing effect, not the lubricating effect.
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Color : It should be either without color or light colored. Strong yellow color is a big no no. Unless your coconut oil had gotten tinged with turmeric (the chances of that happening….yeah I don’t think so)
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Smell : It should have a strong coconut smell. Deodorized coconut oil is bad for you, as it went through a chemically toxic process to get rid of its smell. The fermented oil I make has a strong but absolutely fragrant coconut smell. If you made yours through the natural fermentation method I advocate, and if the smell stinks, perhaps you left it to ferment for too long, try airing it out for a day or two, the smell should go away. Even if it still stinks to you, it is still of impeccable quality, especially if you used organic homegrown coconuts like me.
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Taste: It should at least taste of coconuts, don’t you think. Coconuts are after all known for their rich distinctive nutty flavour. If you don’t like the strong smell or taste of coconuts, then perhaps it won’t pass your criteria at all 😉
These are just my ways of judging, based on my experience. I’d gladly welcome input to further improve my testing process.
I truly wouldn’t recommend anyone eating or using those store-bought coconut oils I had for health or medical reasons (ie. applying on wounds), some might cause more harm than good. Leave a comment if you want to share your experience of a particular brand so that we could all learn to either stay away or go try it out.
By the way, I have only used organic homegrown coconuts for my small domestic production. I’m not so sure how commercially grown coconuts compare. I’m guessing it will of course be of slightly lower quality. Let me know if you have an idea.
My Coconut Story 