Do you remember the first couple weeks of the Pandemic? When the store shelves went empty and it felt criminal to even be in town? Anyone else think about how to create some long-term storage? My mission to avoid town led me to stock extra of things I use all of the time and consider how to prolong their shelf life.

Some things are impractical to store long term. Butter is one of those things. In Minnesota, during the winter, if you have a plastic tub with a lid and a garage or a porch, your freezer space is limitless; however, spring does come, and butter does need to stay cool. The alternatives for longer storage were Ghee (clarified butter that comes in glass jars), but that is extra costly, and butter flavored coconut oil. Nutiva is the brand I tried. The best deal I found was through Walmart.com. I actually enjoy it more than butter on a lot of things, and I use less than when I eat butter, so that is a plus.

Coconut Oil has a lot of benefits.

• It is a medium chain fatty acid, which is the same as breast milk, so essentially, it’s kind of a perfect food for human digestion.
• It doesn’t require bile to digest, so for those who have had their gallbladder removed and have poor fat digestion, it gets a thumbs up.
• Where some fats make one fatter, coconut oil actually speeds metabolism.
• It’s very Keto friendly!
• It is recommended for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other degenerative brain disorders. The ketones the body produces can cross the blood-brain barrier and provide nourishment that high carbs don’t. The brain requires 600 calories a day on its own, and coconut oil is an excellent choice. You can learn more from Dr. Bruce Fife’s book, The Coconut Oil Miracle.
• It is dairy free, which is better for a singing voice and individuals who do not tolerate dairy well.
• It is heart healthy.
• It’s anti-inflammatory!
• It has a high smoke point, which means it can be used to cook in hotter temps and the oil won’t go rancid, which would not be good to eat. (And lots of other good stuff 😉 )

Well, my affordable source of Nutiva ran out and hasn’t had it in stock for a long time. I started asking myself, why am I buying flavored coconut oil? As in, can’t I just make it for less? The answer is YES!!

So, here you go…

• 1 cup of melted coconut oil (Melt in the oven in a glass dish @ 350 degrees and keep an eye on it.)
• 1/2 – 3/4 tsp of butter flavoring (Use a flavoring you like.)
• A capsule of vitamin A or beta carotene (for color)

I have not found a dairy free butter flavoring that does not contain alcohol or propylene glycol. Propylene glycol is a chemical found in many processed foods and is also in the car’s anti-freeze. It is a potential carcinogen and is not good for the liver, so it is just best avoided. In order to avoid the taste of alcohol in the butter oil, heat the oil enough that the alcohol will evaporate well when stirred in. Stir it well. If you would like for the oil to have a buttery look, rather than be clear, allow it to cool some and then puncture a capsule of vitamin A/beta carotene, squeeze it into the coconut oil, and blend thoroughly. The oil will be a clear yellow until it cools and hardens, and then it will be opaque. 😉

The reason that salt isn’t listed is that when added to melted oil, it just sinks to the bottom! It could be whipped into the butter oil once the oil hardens, but coconut oil has such a low melting point that if it isn’t refrigerated, it will likely melt again and the salt will still end up in the bottom. Just add salt to whatever food the butter oil is meant to flavor.

Fun Fact about Vitamin A? Just like the body needs calcium and vitamin D to build and maintain healthy teeth and bones, vitamin A is another important part of that picture. AND, in order for the body to use vitamin A, it needs fat because vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin. In addition to bone health, vitamin A is important for the eyes. Use of bright lights (like computer screens and night driving) can deplete vitamin A stores, negatively impacting vision and can even contribute to sinus issues. So, go for the gold! 🙂 (color, that is)

Enjoy! What else can we make on our own?

** The information in this post is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease.