How To Keep Coconut Oil As Liquid Without It Going Hard / Solidifying

Coconut oil is a great alternative to cook with, as it’s full of healthy fatty acids that can raise good cholesterol in your blood and could help you reduce your risk of heart disease.

It's also great for adding natural moisture to your skin and hair.

However, coconut oil melts at about 78° F, so at normal room temperature, it solidifies.

There’s nothing wrong with the oil in this form, however, it can make it a little harder to cook with, or you may just prefer it in liquid form.

So, how do you keep coconut oil liquid?

The key to keeping your coconut oil liquified is to keep it at a warmer temperature, this will ensure that it doesn’t solidify.

If you want to liquify the oil temporarily, you can heat the pot with warm water.

You'll see it melt pretty quickly, and you should use the oil before it returns to its solid state.

It’s best to use low heat to liquify your oil, as overheating can make the oil lose all of its anti-viral, anti-thrombotic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties.

Therefore, rather than heating your coconut oil on the hob or in the microwave, there is a range of places in your home where you can gently warm it:

The shower is a great place to warm your coconut oil.

You can place your jar of coconut oil on the floor of your shower and let the hot water and steam gradually warm up the container and liquify the oil within minutes.

This is particularly handy if you wish to use your oil for beauty purposes, such as in your hair or as a natural moisturizer.

You can also do this in the bath. Let your jar float in the warm water and the coconut oil will liquefy in just a few minutes.

Similarly, you can put some warm water in a bowl or the sink and then place your jar of coconut oil in the water until it liquifies.

However, while these methods are great for temporarily liquifying your coconut oil, you might be wondering how to keep the oil in this form.

The best way to do this is by adding another oil that doesn’t solidify into the coconut oil to preserve its liquid state.

You may need to experiment with different oil types to figure out the best combination for keeping the coconut oil liquified, and this largely depends on what you intend to use the oil for.

For example, if you use your coconut oil for beauty purposes, you can add Vitamin E oil, jojoba oil, or argan oil, and generally, a ratio of ⅓ coconut oil to ⅔ of a liquid oil should keep it in melted form.

How To Melt Coconut Oil To Cook With

If you’re using the oil to cook with, you could try mixing it with olive oil instead.

Add a couple of drops of high-quality olive oil to the coconut oil.

You’ll need to melt the oil down first before adding another type of oil, and you can do this by following one of the methods mentioned above.

Another way of preserving the liquid coconut oil is by melting it down and transferring it into a thermos flask.

The insulation from the flask will prevent the oil from naturally returning to its solid form.

It will be harder to keep the oil from going hard in the winter months as the colder weather will solidify the coconut oil.

Again, keeping your coconut oil in a warmer place may liquefy it or at least make it easier to use.

You could store it near a heater or fireplace, or even on a windowsill where it will be exposed to the sun.

However, as we mentioned previously, it’s really important not to overheat your oil, as this will destroy a lot of its healing properties and health benefits. 

Is melted or solid coconut oil best? 

It doesn’t matter whether you use your coconut oil in its natural form, or whether you melt it.

As long as you don’t overheat the oil, the benefits will be exactly the same.

The only difference is how you use it, and you may find it more beneficial to use your oil either in its solid form or as a liquid.

For example, you may find it easier to use liquid coconut oil in your cooking as you can simply pour it straight into your pan or recipe.

If you’re using your coconut oil for beauty purposes.

For example, in your hair or as a moisturizer, you can scoop the oil out of the jar and simply rub it between your palms.

Your body heat will naturally melt the oil and you can rub it into your skin or apply it through your hair pretty easily.

Even if you’re using your solid coconut oil for cooking, you should find that once you scoop some of the oil into a pan and heat it gently on the stove, it will melt within moments anyway.

Melting your coconut oil is a quick process and there are many different ways to do this, so even if you melt it every time you use it, this shouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience for you. 

How To Stop Coconut Oil From Going Hard and Keep It Liquid

So let's recap how to keep your coconut oil liquid and stop it solidifying...

• Keep it at a warmer temperature (room temperature is fine) otherwise it will solidify.
  
  
• Don't store your coconut oil in the fridge or anywhere too cold.
  
  
• If the coconut oil has solidified in your container or pot then warm the container in warm water and you'll see it turn back into liquid inside the pot.
  
  
• Or alternatively if you want to cook with it then transfer a small amount into a pan on a low heat and heat it gently until it melts.

This is how you stop your coconut oil from going hard and keep it liquid and how to stop your coconut oil from going bad or expiring.