My wife is from Quezon province, a coconut haven in the Philippines.  She, of course, is not little in knowledge if coconut is the name of the game.  So many ads show where you can buy your “virgin” coconut oil, but my wife makes sure the virgin gets really into the house.  She makes our 100% VCO.

   Here’s how she does it.  First, she extracts the coconut milk out from the coconut meat.  Then she lets the extracted coco milk go through a 24-to-36-hour natural fermentation process.  During this time, the water separates from the oil.  You will notice three layers of substances: the water beneath, the VCO next and the extract residue on top.  After fermenting, she removes the residue on top to obtain the oil.  She runs the oil over a slight stove heating to remove moisture. The last step is oil filtration and when she’s finished with it she has a clear coconut oil that retains the distinct scent and taste of coconuts. This is the traditional method of coconut oil extraction that has been used in the Philippines for hundreds of years. Laboratory tests show that this is a very high quality coconut oil, with the lauric acid content being 50% to 53%.

   Beware of some VCO out there in the market.  There is a refined coconut oil which looks like VCO but is adulterated with chemicals, and it’s suspected to increase serum cholesterol which could trigger heart attack.  One thing you should take note is that VCO retains the distinct taste and aroma of coconut.  And I suggest that you make your own “virgin” out from the coconut just like how my wife does.