Coconut oil at Price Smart

[Dottie Atwater]

Today I found 54 fl. ounces of coconut oil at Price Smart for $23.99. Get 'em while they got 'em.

The brand is Carrington Farms. Pure, unrefined, cold pressed, 100% organic extra virgin. This is same brand and size Finca Santa Marta advertises for $43.50. And the Price Smart cost is less expensive than the local coconut oil I recently bought at $8.00 for a pint.

[TwoSailors]

Shhhh!  It will all be gone manana!

[Dottie Atwater]

That's why I bought 3 of them!

[Marcelyn]

On April 6, 2016 at 4:04 PM, Dottie Atwater said:

Today I found 54 fl. ounces of coconut oil at Price Smart for $23.99. Get 'em while they got 'em.

The brand is Carrington Farms. Pure, unrefined, cold pressed, 100% organic extra virgin. This is same brand and size Finca Santa Marta advertises for $43.50. And the Price Smart cost is less expensive than the local coconut oil I recently bought at $8.00 for a pint.

I saw.  I bought.

Thanks.

[David van Harn]

$8 per pint (16oz) for local coconut oil comes to 50 cents per ounce.  That's $27 for 54oz.

Although I like PriceSmart - and many of their items are much, much less expensive than elsewhere in the region - I usually prefer to support local vendors, especially when the price is that close. 

[Dottie Atwater]

6 hours ago, David van Harn said:

$8 per pint (16oz) for local coconut oil comes to 50 cents per ounce.  That's $27 for 54oz.

Although I like PriceSmart - and many of their items are much, much less expensive than elsewhere in the region - I usually prefer to support local vendors, especially when the price is that close. 

I like to support local vendors, too. However, the local coconut oil (not organic, not cold pressed) has become very scarce in the Volcan area. I had been buying 1/2 gallon at a time but with my last purchase I was able to get only a pint. That's another reason I was so glad to find an ample supply at Price Smart.

[Keith Woolford]

Not sure why folks would think that local coconut oil isn't organic. 

Can't imagine that there's much chemical fertilization of coconut palms here.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Keith Woolford

[Bud]

Keith, I have visited a few (granted only a few) agricultural activities. My suggestion is to be careful NOT to assume that anything grown here locally is organic. Candid discussions with management and/or label scrutiny would be advised.

[David van Harn]

2 hours ago, Dottie Atwater said:

I like to support local vendors, too. However, the local coconut oil (not organic, not cold pressed) has become very scarce in the Volcan area. I had been buying 1/2 gallon at a time but with my last purchase I was able to get only a pint. That's another reason I was so glad to find an ample supply at Price Smart.

Point taken, Dottie.  I live in Boquete, and I am at the Tuesday Market every week - so I have good access to local coconut oil.

However, after a recent mild heart attack and a need to lower my cholesterol and blood pressure to reduce plaque and hardening of my arteries, I minimize the use of it in my diet, even though I love the taste of coconut.  Contrary to a lot of popular contemporary health food folklore based on non-comprehensive Polynesian population health studies, virgin cold pressed coconut oil is about 92% saturated fat and therefore not very good for cooking.  I did lots of online research while planning changes in my diet this year, and found out that coconut oil is one of the worst choices for heart-healthy diet.  It turns out that Asian countries with the highest per capita consumption of coconut oil also have very high rates of obesity and related health issues. 

I'm getting ready to switch to lots of baking and roasting and will use a bit of coconut oil occasionally for its flavor.  (And of course, coconut oil has many non-food uses.)   

[Keith Woolford]

Turns out that Pricesmart's product may not be everything they claim it to be.

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/why-buying-coconut-oil-at-costco-is-risky-business/

 

 

[David van Harn]

17 hours ago, Keith Woolford said:

Turns out that Pricesmart's product may not be everything they claim it to be.

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/why-buying-coconut-oil-at-costco-is-risky-business/

The article starts out with b.s and myths, although their points on oil quality may have merit. 

Quote

The popularity of coconut oil has skyrocketed in recent years. It seems as though everyone is starting to realize what traditional South Pacific cultures with virtually no heart disease knew for centuries:  coconut oil is one of the healthiest fats on the planet and is a boon to health when plentiful amounts are present in the diet.

Cold-pressed coconut oil is a big fad these days, and there is not much peer-reviewed research available on it's affect on health in specific diet/lifestyle combinations. There is some indication that fresh coconut and oil not subjected to high temps (cooking and baking) is better for your health than processed versions. 

The lower incidence of heart disease in some South Pacific cultures is likely due to overall lifestyle and diet, not just a single factor such as coconut oil use.  It is not logical to pick one factor out of a complex cultural lifestyle and claim that it controls everything, including heart disease.  Scientists are very much aware that the incidence of heart disease increases significantly when populations move from farms, villages and the countryside to cities, and maintain the same diets.  So it is quite obvious that diet is not the only factor.

In the mean time, I still enjoy an occasional coconut macaroon from Morton's Bakehouse, which is usually also available at the Tuesday Morning BCP Market. 

And one of my very favorite Boquete treats is an occasional dark chocolate-covered coconut bar from Chox - our local Artisan Chocolateria. 

I am acutely aware that it is going to take more than coconut to restore my heart health and maintain it - even here in our tropical mountain paradise. 

 

Edited April 15, 2016 by David van Harn
grammar& spelling

[Hil]