Coconut Oil and Coconut Butter?

[ceeveg]

Is there a difference between the two? Where can I find them or is it possible to make my own? Thanks!

[PlayaMama]

there is a difference. the oil is, well, the oil, removed from the rest of the coconut. i don't know that this could be made at home.

coconut butter is a really smooth blend of coconut. i've made this at home with my vitamix using raw coconut chips.

[ceeveg]

Do you think a food processor could process the coconut enough to make butter? Thank you for your response!

[ceeveg]

Also, could you use the coconut oil as part of a dressing on a salad?

[PlayaMama]

the coconut oil id generally solid at room temp, it melts at body temp but i don't think it would be particularly suited for a dressing unless it was something like mayo?

i'm not sure about the food processor, i don't have one. i really needed to push the coconut pieces together to get them to mix. otherwise they just flew around the container. you could try it i guess?

[germin8]

Someone asked a similar question here: http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1256606

Coconut butter is coconut oil with flesh meat. Artisana makes coconut butter.

I don't think a food processor will "cut it" for making coconut butter. I think you could do it with oil & coconut meat in a blender, though. I don't know what the ratio would be - 1:1?

I don't see why you can't have it as part of a dressing. You can even cook with the coconut oil... or use it as a skin moisturizer. :-) For a dressing, I would probably blend it with something else... not sure what. I see it as a thickener.

[ceeveg]

Ooh! Thank you so much!

[PlayaMama]

if you were going to make coconut butter i'd definitely use much more coconut to oil. i used only coconut and it made a really nice spread, i think 1:1 would be waaayyyy too oily.

i have tried coconut oil in a dressing before, like an asian vinegrette and it solidified. i had chunks of coconut oil floating around and it didn't blend at all. if you warmed it then it would work but not in a regular dressing unless maybe you warmed the dressing to mix it?

[ceeveg]

I may forgo the dressing for now, and just try making the butter. I picked up some unsweetened shredded coconut and coconut oil today at the store, but couldn't find any coconut butter, even after making a special trip to WF. I wonder if they regularly stock it?