How to make coconut oil at home and how to use your homemade coconut oil - from food & baking to hair & beauty to household uses, the choices are practically endless!
Crack open the coconuts - you can do that with a hammer or check one of my other methods here.
Extract the coconut meat from the shell. An easy way to do so is to place the coconut halves in the oven for 10 minutes at 325ºF/170ºC. You can then use a coconut tool or a blunt knife to easily remove the meat.
Shred the coconut meat in a high-speed blender or food processor.
Add water and blend for between 1-2 minutes until you get a creamy milk.
Separate the pulp from the liquid. Use a nut milk bag (or cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer) and strain the milk over a large bowl. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
Pour the milk into a large, heavy-based pan and heat it over low temperature - just enough to simmer lightly. Keep simmering for 1-2 hours.
While heating, the water will evaporate from the milk mixture. The coconut will begin to get crumbly in texture and solidify, the color will darken. The oil will begin to separate from the solids.
Once the mixture has completely separated into solids and oil, remove all the solids. Pour the oil through a strainer, into an airtight container or jar, making sure to press down on the solids to release as much oil as possible.
Let it cool down on your countertop, then place it in the refrigerator and use it within 8-10 months.
Video
Notes
Simmer at low temperature! Make sure to simmer the coconut milk at a low, consistent temperature. If you try to use higher temperatures, to cut down the time it takes to make this oil, you run the risk of ruining the oil.Coconut oil will solidify in the fridge. This is completely normal. It remains fairly soft and will melt again at warm temperatures.Use the coconut water. Once you open the coconut shells, you can reserve the coconut water and drink it or add it to smoothies and other beverages. Use the coconut pulp. Once you've made and sieved the milk, you can keep the pulp. Dry it to make coconut flour and/or use it in baked goods and other recipes. Check the blog post for answers to top FAQs and suggestions on how to use your homemade coconut milk!