Homemade Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil
A super simple DIY for homemade extra virgin coconut oil - an unrefined cold-pressed coconut oil made from just one ingredient and far more cost-efficient than store-bought options!
Servings 24 Tablespoons
Calories 53kcal
Ingredients
- 8 mature coconuts
8 coconuts yields about 1.5 cups of oil
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare coconut cream
- Making coconut cream, using one of these two methods - you can use a food processor or a juicer.While a food processor method is more accessible to most, the juicer method will be faster and yield better results.
- Once the coconut cream is ready, pour it into your designated container.
Step 2: Ferment the coconut cream to produce oil
- It's time to 'ferment' the cream in order to get rid of excess water and separate the curd from the oil. You can pour the coconut cream into a bowl or jar, cover it, and keep it in a warm spot for 1-2 days. You can also wrap it with a big towel or a blanket. This is a method similar to when making yogurt - we are looking for a slightly warm environment (35-40ºC/95-105ºF) that will help with fermenting the coconut in order for the oil to separate.
- After a while, curds and oil will become separated. The oil will be on top, the coconut curds will be in the middle (refer to the photos in the blog post). At the bottom of your container, you will have some mirky water which you can discard or use in soups. Keep in mind that the water will have a slightly fermented flavor.
Step 3: Remove/Filter the cold-pressed coconut oil
- You should be able to easily spoon out the oil - though this requires some patience. Make sure to scoop only the oil and none of the curd. You can pour the oil directly into a clean/sterilized airtight container.Alternatively, you can also filter the oil through a sieve/nut milk bag. I find that dripping the coconut oil through a coffee filter works well as well (refer to the images on the blog post). You can place the curds directly into the filter and the oil will drip out into your container. Keep in mind that some oil will remain on the filter.Voila, you have your Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.
Storing & Uses
- Homemade coconut oil is shelf-stable and can be stored at room temperature. Most store-bought options have a long shelf life of around two years. While homemade won't last as long, it should still last a few months when sealed in an airtight jar between uses.If you notice the coconut oil yellowing or starting to look almost 'curdled', often with a bad smell, then your coconut oil has turned rancid. It can also grow mold - which will look like little green or brown dots- so watch out for that. If you find any of these signs then, unfortunately, the whole jar is no longer okay to use.
Notes
- You can also make homemade cold-pressed coconut oil by beginning with homemade coconut milk. You can do this by blending the grated coconut/ coconut meat 1:1 with water and then squeezing out all the milk through a nut milk bag. However, as the aim is to get rid of the water content, I prefer to start with coconut cream.
- You can make organic coconut oil using organic coconuts. However, many studies have shown that coconuts are virtually pesticide-free regardless, so organic may not be necessary.
- Once you have left the coconut cream to ferment for the required time, you can chill it to further separate the layers, before filtering the oil.
- If you live in a very warm, humid climate then the coconut may spoil while fermenting and become sour. If it smells sour then the fermentation has been unsuccessful and the coconut shouldn't be consumed.
- During the fermentation period, you could keep the coconut cream in your microwave or a switched-off oven.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg