Natural oils

T

theflyingplatypus

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Oct 13, 2010
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I am a Crohn's patient and have been treating it with a holistic diet. For my cooking I am using something called Expeller Pressed Virgin Coconut oil. It is an organic cooking oil that has incredible medicinal properties and healing attributes. Now has anybody thought of using natural oils for maintaining their blades instead of these overengineered artificial oils? I have been using it on my ESEE 5 without any problems. The reason I am using it is because it is what I have on hand at the moment; I also am looking for an oil I can use camping and all that that will be both a cooking oil as well as a knife maintenance oil among other things. Looking forward to your impute.

Kaleb
 
I think natural oils have the possibility of going rancid after sitting exposed to air after a while (at least a few days or longer). If you are trying to minimize on packing, have you tried using a microfiber cloth dampened with mineral oil in a ziploc bag?
 
I just did some research and it appears that coconut oil has a minimum shelf life of 1.5 years. The virgin stuff supposedly has an indefinite shelf life. Even if 1.5 years is the max it would last that is still plenty enough, for I sure hope you would re-oil the blade at least every six months.
 
Taken from Quality First International Inc.

Coconut oil is one of the most stable oils and is highly resistant to rancidity. It is stable because of its high proportion of saturated fats. (It is the unsaturated fats in the common seed oils that are easily oxidized and susceptible to rancidity.) Coconut oil is mild on the skin and is widely used in the tropics to protect both skin and hair from the harsh effect of the sun. Film forming qualities allow it to act as a skin moisturizer and a protectant against moisture loss. Its natural detergency and lathering capabilities give a double purpose as a cleansing agent for soaps and shampoos.
 
USP Grade mineral oil. It's generally sold as a laxative at just about any grocery/drug store. It's food-safe, completely odorless and cheap (I'm assuming the 'pressed virgin coconut oil' isn't). And it won't spoil.

I don't know of any 'natural', food-based cooking oils that won't eventually go rancid (and probably gum up as well), as previously mentioned. They might be OK in the short term, or if you regularly wash & re-lube your knives, but I think eventually you'll be wishing you used something else for your cutlery. Save the expensive, gourmet stuff for your meals. :)

FMAKNut's suggestion of moistening a microfiber cloth with mineral oil & storing in a zip-loc is a good one. That'd be quite handy for wiping down your blades when camping.
 
Thanks for the info. At the moment all I have is the coconut oil and will keep using it. I will let you guys know how it works out. I was just thinking that instead of bringing two packages with me backpacking I would just bring one, the coconut oil. It would be kind of nice to have a hand moisturizer, sun protectant, insect bite soother, cooking oil, and knife oil all in one package. like I said, I will have to try it and see how it works out. Thanks

Kaleb
 
You forgot that it is an easy way to add fats in meals, is antifungal, and tastes really good with honey... :D
 
theflyingplatypus said:
Thanks for the info. At the moment all I have is the coconut oil and will keep using it. I will let you guys know how it works out. I was just thinking that instead of bringing two packages with me backpacking I would just bring one, the coconut oil. It would be kind of nice to have a hand moisturizer, sun protectant, insect bite soother, cooking oil, and knife oil all in one package. like I said, I will have to try it and see how it works out. Thanks

Kaleb
Click to expand...

Your idea sounds great to me. Coconut oil can last years in an opened jar at room temperature without going rancid. Clarified butter (AKA ghee) will also work well. In Japan they traditionally use Camellia oil on their edge tools with no problems. You will be fine, and I'd rather eat a food oil than a petroleum oil, given the choice.

Bill
 
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