ORGANIC Coconut Oil

Our Naturland Fairtrade coconut oil is of superior quality and delicious taste. It is gently extracted from the flesh of the freshly harvested coconut, including the thin, brown seed coat. Coconut milk can also be made from the flesh of the coconut. Naturland Fair Trade coconut oil differs from the snow-white virgin coconut oil from the peeled coconut in that it has a slightly creamy appearance and a stronger flavour. Our whole nut coconut oil is vegan, unhydrogenated, undeodorised and very versatile.

Coconut oil also scores highly in terms of nutritional value: although coconut oil is high in saturated fat, most of it is made up of medium-chain fatty acids known as MCTs (middle-chain triglycerides). One of these medium-chain fatty acids is lauric acid, which makes up almost half (49.5g per 100g) of the fatty acids in coconut oil. It is valuable for both adults and children and is an important component of breast milk. In combination with a varied diet, coconut oil makes an important contribution to a healthy diet.

The harvested coconut is classified as a highly nutritious food. It is rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals and phenolic compounds. The edible flesh of the coconut contains approximately 45% water, 35% coconut fat, 9% fibre, 5% carbohydrates, 5% protein and 1% vitamins and minerals.

The delicate, typical aroma of fresh coconut is incomparable and characteristic of the delicious national cuisines of the regions where coconuts grow. For the inhabitants of the tropics, this delicious nut is a natural part of every meal. Coconut oil, grated coconut, fine coconut flour, spiced oils and delicious spreads based on coconut oil bring a variety of flavours and tropical joie de vivre to our kitchens.

Coconut oil is an ideal, purely natural vegetable fat with a wide range of uses in the kitchen. Its natural composition makes it long lasting and heat stable, preventing the formation of trans-fatty acids in frying, baking and deep-frying. Coconut oil has a shelf life of up to two years after pressing because it is predominantly saturated and therefore less susceptible to oxidation. Coconut oil has many culinary uses. It can be used in meat and fish dishes, in vegetarian and vegan dishes and, of course, in sweet dishes. Take a look at our recipe collection and get inspired.

With its nutty flavour, it adds a special touch not only to Asian dishes, but also to home cooking. As a spread, coconut oil is delicious on its own or as a butter substitute for cheese, jam and the like.

Ölmühle Solling offers only the best quality, so-called virgin coconut oil. It is mechanically pressed from ripe organic coconuts, carefully bottled to preserve its value and, of course, not bleached or refined. This is why it scores with its fine coconut flavour and inner values.

Coconuts are naturally rich in nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Ölmühle Solling offers a wide range of high quality coconut products, including Virgin Coconut Oil. The abbreviation "VCO" for "Virgin Coconut Oil" has become a synonym for quality throughout the world.

Virgin coconut oil is produced as gently as possible from ripe organic coconuts, mechanically pressed and bottled fresh from the mill. As well as its subtle coconut flavour, it has an inner value: it contains medium-chain fatty acids, known as MCTs (middle-chain triglycerides), such as lauric acid, which makes up almost half of the oil's fatty acids. In combination with a varied, fresh diet, coconut oil makes an important contribution to a balanced diet.

As coconut oil does not contain essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, a balanced diet should include a variety of oils. Vital oils, such as our freshly milled linseed oil and our Omega DHA oils, provide essential omega-3 fatty acids. That is why Ölmühle Solling offers you a wide range of freshly milled organic edible oils to change the oil in your kitchen.

Coconut oil is not only an all-rounder in the kitchen, it is also a rich skin care product. That is why we use coconut oil as a valuable ingredient in the skin balms and soaps in our Solling natural cosmetics range.

This exotic oil not only provides a pleasant fragrance, but also acts as a natural protective coating for unsaturated fatty acids. It is also very well tolerated. It gives our skin balms a pleasant texture and a special nourishing effect that helps dry skin retain moisture for longer. It also provides intensive nourishment and hydration when applied to the skin on its own. Coconut oil contains natural antioxidants, protecting the skin from free radicals and preventing skin ageing.

Coconut oil can also be used to gently remove make-up. Simply moisten a make-up remover pad with warm water, add a little coconut oil and gently wipe over skin, lips or eyelashes. Washable make-up removal pads made from bamboo or organic cotton are reusable and save resources.

Coconut oil for baby care

Our pure, natural coconut oil is ideal for the delicate skin of babies and children. It is 100% free of synthetic additives and very well tolerated. The coconut oil can be used pure as a cream or added to bath water as a nourishing additive.

Virgin coconut oil is an ideal lip conditioner. The exotic oil has a pleasant scent and acts as a natural barrier for the delicate skin of the lips. You can also use coconut oil to make your own lip scrub for soft, nourished lips:

½ tsp coconut oil
½ teaspoon of coconut blossom sugar or cane sugar
½ tsp honey

Mix the ingredients well and apply to the lips, massaging gently for one to two minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry with a soft towel. This will gently exfoliate, revitalise and nourish the skin.

Oil pulling is an important part of Ayurveda, the traditional Indian healing system, and is used to clean the mouth, tongue and teeth. Oil pulling (sometimes called oil chewing or oil sucking) involves moving a small amount of oil, ideally coconut oil, back and forth in the mouth for about 10 minutes. The idea is to improve oral hygiene, but also to remove bacteria and other pathogens from the mouth and therefore from the body.

The best time to do this is in the morning. Before you start, use a tongue scraper to remove plaque from your tongue. This will reduce the number of bacteria that accumulate in the oil. If you do not have a tongue scraper, you can also use an upside-down tablespoon to clean your tongue, gently sweeping it two or three times from back to front. Then rinse the spoon thoroughly. Rinse out your mouth with water. You do not need to brush your teeth before oil pulling - you can do this afterwards.

This is how oil pulling works: Put about a teaspoon of coconut oil in your mouth, let it melt briefly, and then move the oil back and forth as if you were using a mouthwash. Keep pulling the oil between your teeth, moistening your entire mouth. As oil pulling stimulates saliva production, the amount of saliva in the mouth increases. It dissolves and absorbs food particles, bacteria and other micro-organisms from the teeth, tongue and oral mucosa.

At the end of oil pulling, do not swallow the oil, but spit it into a handkerchief and throw it away. Brush your teeth afterwards. After just a few applications, you will probably notice that your gums feel softer and your teeth smoother.

Virgin coconut oil is a tried and trusted hair care product. This exotic oil is nourishing and moisturising for the hair and scalp. A treatment with coconut oil is especially recommended for dry and damaged hair. Virgin organic coconut oil is unadulterated and contains no additives to irritate the hair or skin. Using coconut oil as a hair treatment is simple: depending on the length of your hair, rub one to two teaspoons of coconut oil into the palms of your hands and apply to dry or slightly damp hair, massaging gently. Ideally, the oil should be completely distributed from the scalp to the ends. The next step is to comb longer hair with a wide-tooth comb to help distribute the oil. For best results and to ensure that the coconut oil remains liquid, the hair should be wrapped in a towel (to keep it warm) and left for half an hour to an hour. After the application time, rinse the hair with warm water, then wash thoroughly with a mild, silicone-free shampoo and dry and style as usual.

With its sweet scent, coconut oil is also popular with dogs and cats for coat care and as a food supplement. Ticks and fleas do not like coconut oil, so it is even said to act as a natural insect repellent. Depending on the size and weight of the animal, cats can be fed ¼ to ½ teaspoon of coconut oil several times a week. Large dogs can tolerate a full teaspoon daily. Simply mix the oil into their wet or dry food. The oil can be applied to the coat to repel ticks. To do this, melt a small amount of coconut oil in the palms of your hands and rub gently over the coat, especially the belly.

The path to the best coconut oil begins, of course, with quality control of the nuts. Only nuts of analytical and organoleptic impeccable quality from controlled organic cultivation are used for further processing into oil.

The hard nuts are peeled by hand by trained and experienced workers. Once the coconut is opened, the first step is to collect the coconut water from inside the nut. Once the nut has been opened, further processing must be carried out quickly. The next step is to carefully remove the flesh from the shell by hand.

In the next stage of the process, the fresh coconut meat is shredded into grated coconut using stainless steel cutters. We also offer the white, aromatic flaked coconut in unprocessed form. Before the virgin coconut oil can be pressed, the washed, grated coconut meat must be 'blanched'. The process only takes a few minutes and the temperature of the drying hot air must be at least 80°C and no lower. Blanching is critical to the shelf life of coconut oil. Coconut flesh contains natural enzymes called lipases that can break down fats. If these enzymes are not inactivated by heat, coconut oil, which is rich in lauric acid, would quickly acquire a soapy taste. The water content of the coconut meat is reduced to less than three per cent in the drying plant. Once the firm coconut flesh has been blanched and well dried, virgin coconut oil is gently extracted from the copra, including the thin brown skin.

There is no waste in the processing of the coconut as every part of the valuable foodstuff is used: The press cake left over from the pressing process is ground in our oil mill into a fine coconut flour suitable for baking. After the coconut oil has been bottled, the valuable coconut paste that remains as a sediment in the barrel is also bottled and can be used as a delicious spread.

Monkey Free Statement - monkey-free coconut harvesting

We guarantee that no monkeys are used to harvest the coconuts for our Naturland Fair organic coconut oil. An animal-free coconut harvest is a prerequisite for our choice of supplier. The organic coconuts are harvested by men who are fully trained for this work. The coconuts are harvested with long poles equipped with a sickle. In some cases the palm trees are climbed by trained workers and the fruit is cut off with a knife.

Miles of white beaches, blue skies, the sound of the surf - the tropics attract holidaymakers from all over the world to relax and recharge their batteries. It is a great place to live, the nature is breathtaking, the people are hospitable and the food is delicious. For thousands of years, the inhabitants of southern India, the South Sea Islands and other tropical and subtropical regions have taken for granted the diversity of the coconut palm and its nuts. The palm provides building materials and fuel, the high quality coconut oil nourishes skin and hair, and a meal without a coconut ingredient is unthinkable.

The coconut palm is the only species of its kind. It belongs to the palm family and is native to the South Sea Islands and the Indomalayan region. The palm's distribution along the coasts of the entire tropical belt between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn around the equator is due to its floatable fruit, the coconut. The coconut palm is a versatile resource, with almost every part of the plant being used in some way.

It is also affectionately known as the Tree of Life because it is the most important crop in the tropics and is of enormous economic importance as well as being a fundamental source of nutrients.

Ölmühle Solling sources its organic virgin coconut oil from the Naturland Fairtrade certified Serendipol project in Sri Lanka, as well as an EU organic virgin coconut oil from the Philippines. Only organic coconuts from smallholders are used to produce coconut oil, coconut flavoured oils, coconut flour and coconut spreads.

Many holidaymakers discover clear, liquid coconut oil on their travels to tropical regions such as Thailand, the Philippines or Sri Lanka. Back home, the coconut oil is suddenly no longer liquid but solid.

The condition and name of coconut oil or coconut fat is related to the storage temperature. The oil is extracted from the dried flesh of the coconut and is liquid at temperatures above 24°C. At lower temperatures, below 24°C, the oil becomes solid. At lower temperatures below 24°C, coconut oil solidifies. For this reason, the term coconut oil is correct. However, as the product is almost always called coconut oil in the tropical countries of origin and the term is used worldwide, we at Ölmühle Solling also use this term.

It is often assumed that coconut fat is always solid and coconut oil is always liquid and that they are two different products. However, depending on the outside temperature, only the aggregate state differs. Virgin, untreated coconut oil contains a high proportion of medium-chain fatty acids, also known as MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides), which include caproic, caprylic, capric and lauric acids. These have a melting point below 24°C and change their physical state rapidly as the temperature rises or falls. They are still liquid at room temperature.

A natural, healthy coconut oil is liquid at around 24°C and has a transparent, watery appearance. At temperatures below 24°C, the oil becomes solid. It remains spreadable and takes on a creamy white colour. At very low temperatures, such as in the fridge, the oil becomes extremely solid and loses its spreadability.

Werner Baensch, founder and product developer of Ölmühle Solling, worked for several years as a food technologist at the Coconut Research Institute in Lunuwila, Sri Lanka. There he developed a simple process technology for the production of a particularly high quality coconut oil. This technology was first presented to the public at the International Coconut Conference in Colombo in 2003. It then spread to all the tropical countries of South East Asia. Since 2006, Ölmühle Solling has been working closely with Serendipol, one of the newly established coconut oil projects in Sri Lanka, on technical design and quality control.

The project was an investment by the well-known US natural soap manufacturer Dr Bronners, who needed a source of fair trade, organically grown coconut oil. This experience made Ölmühle Solling a pioneer in the quality of certified organic coconut oils.

Since its inception in 2006, Serendipol has been working with smallholder farmers in the Kuliapitiya area, advising and supporting them in the organic management of their coconut farms. Over the years, more than 1,300 smallholders and farmers have joined the project, cultivating a total area of more than 8,000 hectares.

In addition to coconut palms, the many organic plantations also grow other crops for their daily needs. This contributes greatly to the fact that organic farming can be sustainable in many areas of life in this tropical climate. For the local people, this means secure jobs in coconut processing and improved living conditions and opportunities for future generations. Now that peace has finally returned to Sri Lanka after the long civil war between the Tamils and the Sinhalese, and the economic situation of the rural population is steadily improving, sustainable organic farming in accordance with Naturland's stricter standards is becoming increasingly important. The prerequisite for Naturland certification is a form of holistic agriculture that relies on environmentally friendly animal husbandry and crop cultivation, while conserving existing agricultural resources and using them in moderation. There are subtle differences to the less demanding EU Organic Regulation.

With more than 1,300 organic farmers, Serendipol is an important development factor in this rural region, providing important impetus for employment and education, medical care and community development. This is where our fair partnership comes in. We voluntarily pay an additional Fair Trade premium for the coconut oils produced at the Serendipol oil mill and, together with Serendipol's other customers, support a growing number of community projects such as hospitals and small rural health centres, school improvements, infrastructure measures and landscape conservation involving farmers and communities.

Ölmühle Solling not only obtains the valuable coconut oil from Serendipol, but there is also a lively exchange on the technology of producing coconut oil and other products from the coconut. In cooperation with universities (HS OWL Lemgo and HS Fulda) and research institutes in Germany, an exchange of knowledge has been initiated which contributes significantly to our ability to offer a wide range of high quality coconut products.

The Ölmühle Solling is also currently involved in a research project at the Ostwestfalen-Lippe/Lemgo University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with the Federal Research Institute for Nutrition and Food/Working Group for Lipid Research in Detmold, which aims to provide information on the content of phytonutrients in coconut oils and to confirm indications that the outer brown skin surrounding the nut kernel contains valuable phytonutrients, vitamins and polyphenolic antioxidants.

The Naturland Fair label identifies products that meet our organic and fair trade standards. In addition to classic fair trade products such as coffee and chocolate, this also includes products such as milk and bread. Fair producer prices and reliable trade relations give producers in the South and in our country the security they need to invest in the future.

Naturland Fair is the test winner

The fact that only the combination of organic and fair trade is truly sustainable was recently confirmed once again by Stiftung Warentest. In the May 2016 issue, the testers evaluated six different sustainability seals and came to the clear conclusion: "The Naturland Fair Seal sets the highest standard".

Botanical name: cocos nucifera L.
Organic coconut oil should be stored in a dark, dry place away from light at temperatures between 10-20°C. Under optimum conditions it will keep for up to 18 months.

Fatty acid composition of virgin coconut oil:
6:0 caproic acid 0.8 %
8:0 caprylic acid 10.1 % Capric, caprylic and capric acids are also known as medium chain triglycerides (MCTs).
10:0 Capric acid 5.9 % Lauric acid is also sometimes present. The total MCT content is approximately 68%.
12:0 Lauric Acid 49.1 %
14:0 Myristic Acid 19.5 %
16:0 Palmitic Acid 7.5 %
18:0 Stearic Acid 2.6 %
18:1 Oleic Acid 4.7 %
18:2 Linoleic Acid 0.7 %

The values given are averages and are subject to natural biological variations as the fat composition depends on climate, soil conditions and degree of ripeness.