Coconut oil comes from the coconut palm or Cocos nucifera. This oil is concentrated in the kernel and meat of the mature coconut and people can extract it with relative ease through mechanical means. Coconut oil is the primary source of fat for many people in the tropics, especially Southeast Asia. Coconut oil is especially high in saturated fat.
Manufacture
Many people make their own coconut oil at home. Remove the husk from a mature coconut and shred the kernel into pulp. Mix the pulp with water and place it into a mechanical press. Squeeze the pulp with the press and place the extract into a container. The extract will separate into coconut oil and coconut milk with the milk on top. Skim off the milk so that the pure oil remains in the container.
Properties
Coconut oil is highly stable when heated, which is a desirable quality in cooking oil. It melts at 76 degrees Fahrenheit and doesn't begin to smoke until it reaches 360 degrees Fahrenheit. The high saturated fat content in coconut oil gives it a long shelf life, making a useful food additive.
Serving Information
Coconut oil is a natural product, so its nutritional content is not dependent on any particular brand. This information applies equally well to all brands of coconut oil. The serving size is 1 tbsp. of coconut oil weighing about 1/2 oz.
Calories
A serving of coconut oil contains a total of 117 calories, according to Fatsecret. These calories come entirely from fat, as coconut oil contains no protein or carbohydrates. A serving of coconut oil provides about 6 percent of the daily value for calories, assuming a diet of 2,000 calories per day.
Fat and Nutrition
Coconut oil has 13.6 g of fat per serving, including 1.84 g of unsaturated fat and 11.76 g of saturated fats. This provides 21 percent of the daily value for total fat and with 2 percent of the daily value for saturated fat. Coconut oil contains no significant quantities of vitamins or minerals.
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