Did you know that it is possible to make virgin coconut oil at home in a few easy steps? Before we learn how to make it, it is important to know why we should have coconut oil at all. Simply because coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils available in the market. From aiding weight loss and proper functioning of the nervous system to ensuring bone, heart and dental health, and nourishing hair and hydrating skin, coconut oil is an absolute must have in your kitchen.
Coconut oil is made from well, coconuts. You could buy it at any supermarket but like all other oils, coconut oil too is best when unprocessed. If you need the oil only in small quantities, you should try your hand at making it at home.
Ways To Make Coconut Oil At Home
Now that you are convinced making coconut oil is worth the effort, here are a few simple ways to prepare it. The Internet is abuzz with various ways to make coconut oil at home. We have compiled a few effective methods together for you.
Coconut is a hard nut to crack. Before you start on any of the following methods, remove the white meat from the shell. You can use a sharp knife, wedge it between the shell and the meat and pop the meat off the shell. Once the meat comes off, chop it into small cubes.
Alternatively, you can grate the coconut with a grater or scrape it off with any sharp object. Note: Use a fully matured coconut with a hard brown shell and not tender coconut for oil.
Once the coconut meat is ready for oil extraction process, try any of the four methods below:
Method 1: Press And Leave
1)Put the coconut pieces or the grated coconut into a blender, add 50 percent more water than the coconut content to it and blend the mixture well. If you have one cup of coconut, you need to pour one and a half cups of water.
2)Take the mixture, extract the coconut milk using a cheesecloth or a sieve with fine holes until the liquid is fully separated from the solid part. If you’re using cheesecloth, squeeze the cloth tight or in the case of a sieve like a coffee filter, press the mixture through the sieve with the back of a spoon so every drop of the milk is extracted.
3)Now, close the lid and leave the jar without disturbing it for a minimum of 24 hours. At the end of it, you will find the coconut oil and milk separated from each other.
4)Leave the bottle in the refrigerator or a cool room till the curd thickens. Scoop out the curd and discard it and use the oil below. This oil will be solid and white in color.
Method 2: By Boiling
1)Boil two cups of water. Add the grated meat of one coconut into it. If the meat you have is cubed and not grated, use a food processor to grate it first.
2)Mix the coconut and water well, preferably by hand.
3)Put them in a blender and blend it well.
4)Strain this mixture through a cheesecloth or a sieve to get the coconut milk.
5)Boil the milk in a saucepan stirring the liquid continuously. It will take a while before the oil starts separating from the solids. Be patient. The oil will be in a fluid state.
Method 3: Cold Pressed
1)Get hold of a dehydrated coconut. Grate or chop the meat into cubes.
2)Blend it in a blender or a juicer.
3)Extract the milk and store it in a bottle for about 24 hours for the oil to separate from the rest.
4)Spoon the solidified oil out and use it.
Method 4: Cold Pressed Using Water
1)Grate or chop the dehydrated coconut meat.
2) Pour hot water (avoid boiling water) into the meat. Let it stay for 10 minutes before you collect the water from the mixture using a sieve.
3)Do not throw the meat yet. Pour some more hot water to it and repeat the process so all the oil is extracted well.
4)The water collected will show a thick layer of oil on top. Keep this water in the fridge for a couple of hours till you see oil solidified on top of the jar. Spoon the oil out which is ready for use immediately.
5)If you need to keep this oil for longer, the moisture in it needs to be removed. Cover it well and microwave it for a minute.
Points To Remember While Making Coconut Oil At Home
Before you set out to make coconut oil at home, it helps to have an idea about the tediousness of the process. It takes 10 coconuts to make one liter of oil. To grate 10 coconuts, you need to set at least two hours aside. The extract needs to boil for about two hours if you are using the boiling method.
Also, remember the process of heating takes away certain essential nutrients from the oil. So, method 2 is the least healthy one of the four methods mentioned.
