Local palm. Same thing?

[DWinMadison]

Found this at my local grocer on sale. At $5.99 for 1.5 lbs it's less expensive than Bulk Apothecary by the time I pay shipping, plus I can buy in smaller quantities and don't need to wait for shipping in case I get a hankerin' to whip up a batch of soap at 3 a.m. Label says it's 100% palm oil but it is pure white and homogeneous, like Crisco--not cream colored like the palm you order online in bottles. Does anybody use this product? Is it the same thing as regular palm oil? (Sorry, I can't get the hang of rotating pictures).

 

[reinbeau]

I makes lovely soap and yes, it's Palm that has been homogenized finely.

 

[DWinMadison]

Whoot! Whoot!

 

[shunt2011]

Yes, it's hard to find you lucked out.

 

[OliveOil2]

I used to purchase that and love it! I got mine at Whole Foods, and it went on sale all the time for $3.99 with an additional $1.00 or 1.50 coupon. I would buy five or six when they had the sales. Now I purchase 50 lbs from a restaurant supply or Smart & Final. I loved the spectrum, it's organic and sustainable and all of that good stuff.

 

[Susie]

Which store did you find that at, if I might ask?

Nevermind, I just looked it up, and it appears my Kroger has it. Guess I'm going to be trying that.

 

[AMyers]

And it does not need to be melted to use, like the non-homogenized palm, correct?

 

[reinbeau]

Correct, AMyers. You can just use it.

 

[DWinMadison]

Which store did you find that at, if I might ask?

Nevermind, I just looked it up, and it appears my Kroger has it. Guess I'm going to be trying that.

Yep, Mine came from Kroger. IT's in the organic section. I'd love to find a coupon for it. It's regular priced at $6.99 at my local Kroger.

 

[DWinMadison]

Ah...Ask and ye shall receive.

http://www2.wholefoodsmarket.com/coupons/print.php?country=USA

 

[Susie]

Is that coupon only good at Whole Foods?

 

[DWinMadison]

So far as I know, yes, unless you grocer honors competitors' coupon.

 

[DWinMadison]

Here's a link to one from the Spectrum Natural's homepage

http://www.spectrumorganics.com/coupons/

It should be good anywhere that sells this product and accepts coupons.

 

[DWinMadison]

Printed the coupon from the Spectrum Naturals website. Kroger had the palm on sale for $5.99. With the $2 coupon, it was $3.99. That's $.17/ounce. Not bad!

 

[DWinMadison]

I notice the spectrum naturals also has a separate coupon for flax oil. Isn't that good for soaping too....sort of like castor oil or sweet almond?

 

[girlishcharm2004]

This may be an entirely dumb question... but why would presumably pure fat need to be homogenized?

 

[DWinMadison]

Not a dumb question at all. I assume there is a difference between "homogenized" and "hydrogenated" but I don't know what it is. I know it makes it LOOK better, cleaner, whiter and more uniform, so if may be all marketing.

 

[girlishcharm2004]

This is a very non-scientific explanation.

Homogenized is when fat molecules are shoved into protein molecules making a mixture that separates (think milk) into one. The cream is being mixed and forced to stay with the rest of the milk.

Hydrogenated is when hydrogen atoms are attached to a liquid fat -- it makes a liquid oil into a solid at room temperature. Vegetable oil is soybean oil at room temperature; however, margarine is hydrogenated soybean oil.

If it's a pure fat and a solid fat, I don't see why either process would be necessary, unless it's doing something to the structure that makes it desirable for cooking somehow. I was wondering what it possibly does for it.

 

[reinbeau]

Palm separates if melted. Homogenized palm is more stable, I guess - I don't know if it'll separate out again if it's melted and re-solidified.