Coconut oil shelf life

[AAShillito]

I went out this weekend and got oo, avocado oil, vegetable shortening etc to start soapmaking when my BB order ever arrives lol. I did not buy co as I have an almost full 32 oz jar. However I looked at its date this am and it's 8/21. Do I need to go buy more? I'm feeling anxiety now about dos. I smelled it and no odor and tasted it and it tasted like normal.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

C'mon, everything is fine! Coconut is the least oxidation-prone oil that you can buy in a shop. More than with any other oil: as long as you would eat it, you can make soap from it. Even if CO should go rancid, it is a different kind of rancidity than with unsaturated oils. No nasty aldehydes/ketones, no polymerisation, no discolouration. Just free fatty acids that might smell off, but will saponify without issues.

 

[AAShillito]

Thanks! I'm brand new to cp which is why I asked.

 

[Jersey Girl]

You will have that coconut oil used up in a couple weeks if you are like most new soapers. Soaping tends to be addicting and we just can’t get enough!

 

[earlene]

Remember the use-by-date is for the raw oil, and that once the oil is saponified (and no longer a raw oil) that use-by-date no longer has meaning in the finished soap.

If you find that you don't use it up in the next 4 months, you could finish it off making a salt soap (high CO and lots of salt) to try out Salt Soaps. They need a long cure, but a lot of people like them very much. But, I agree with Jersey Girl; if you get the 'soaping bug' you are likely to make a lot of soap in the next 4 months & will probably use up all that CO before the use-by-date arrives.

 

[DeeAnna]

The "use by" or "best by" dates are only suggestions, not absolute requirements. For highly perishable food like milk or meat, the dates serve a useful purpose, but for less perishable foods, they're just a guideline and not necessarily all that practical or useful. Many products, such as your coconut oil, are perfectly fine for many months after the "best by" date. Your nose and common sense are far more important here -- if it smells and looks good, it's fine.

 

[Ford]

The force is strong with this one. That CO will be gone. In a month and a half. WELCOME!

 

[Jersey Girl]

The force is strong with this one. That CO will be gone. In a month and a half. WELCOME!

I predict sooner.

 

[Quanta]

If you'd like an excuse to use it up quickly, 20% superfat pure coconut oil bars are quite nice. Or awful, depending on who you ask. It's one of those "you love it or hate it" things. I really like them though.

 

[AliOop]

If you'd like an excuse to use it up quickly, 20% superfat pure coconut oil bars are quite nice. Or awful, depending on who you ask. It's one of those "you love it or hate it" things. I really like them though.

I like them, as well. Plus you can use the same recipe to make salt bars.

 

[cmzaha]

I have used CO that was 2-4 years out of date that was kept cool which was fine. For that matter, I have even used Cherry Kernal Oil that I know was at least 8 yrs old and it was fine. Granted it was un-opened when I started using it, but I did not expect it to be good. Let your nose be your judge.

 

[AAShillito]

I like them, as well. Plus you can use the same recipe to make salt bars.

I want to make saltbars too! Heck I wanna make everything!

 

[bluebirdwing]

I went out this weekend and got oo, avocado oil, vegetable shortening etc to start soapmaking when my BB order ever arrives lol. I did not buy co as I have an almost full 32 oz jar. However I looked at its date this am and it's 8/21. Do I need to go buy more? I'm feeling anxiety now about dos. I smelled it and no odor and tasted it and it tasted like normal.

Coconut oil wont get bad that fast, when we used to make our own, there will be liters of it in storage enough for 1-2 yrs. Only thing you have to do is keep them away from sunlight and moisture.

 

[AAShillito]

Can someone peek at this salt bar recipe? I was planning on grinding the salt into an extra fine powder so no abrasiveness

 

[AAShillito]

Shoot I should have said this is the one off BB's web page. I just put it in SMF bc easier for me to look at

 

[bluebirdwing]

I am a newbie, still I think you have to reduce the coconut oil in the recipe, it will be too harsh with salt included. Lets see what our veterans say.

 

[Quanta]

Shoot I should have said this is the one off BB's web page. I just put it in SMF bc easier for me to look at

Is it this one? Sea Salt Swirl Soap Project | BrambleBerry

That recipe has a superfat level of 7.6%. A superfat of 20% for a bar made of mixed oils is probably quite a bit too high. The only time I see a superfat that high is in soap made of only coconut oil.

 

[AAShillito]

Is it this one? Sea Salt Swirl Soap Project | BrambleBerry

That recipe has a superfat level of 7.6%. A superfat of 20% for a bar made of mixed oils is probably quite a bit too high. The only time I see a superfat that high is in soap made of only coconut oil.

Thank you! I'll get it lowered in smf

 

[Quanta]

Thank you! I'll get it lowered in smf

If you want to make a soap that is only coconut oil, then the 20% superfat is pretty much required. In other soaps it causes DOS.