Coconut oil is a healthy food product that is used in various fields of human activity. It gained wide popularity in cosmetology and traditional medicine. Coconut oil was first known in the 15th century. It was used to care for skin and hair. In the 16th century, oil was exported from India and began to be distributed in China, as well as around the world. This article will talk about how to make coconut oil at home.
Useful product
There are a number of reasons to learn how to do it yourself. Of course, in stores today you can buy a finished product, but it is not always clean and of high quality. But having prepared it at home, you can be sure of the quality. But this is not the only reason.
- Coconut oil is very nutritious. With it, you can transform your appearance, make your skin radiant, and your hair strong. This makes it possible to take care of yourself without unnecessary financial costs.
- Cosmetics with coconut aroma are not only a way to care for your appearance, but also aromatherapy. Imagine a massage with thick, warm oil that exudes a sweet aroma.
- Substantial savings. Indeed, having bought several coconuts, you can stock up on oil for a long time. Compared with the cost of fruits, the price of a small jar of finished oil will seem to you very high.
To get down to business, you need to know how to make coconut oil at home. It is not as simple as it seems at first glance, but it is quite possible. Try it once and decide for yourself whether this option is suitable for you. There is another reason that may seem most significant. Coconut oil is the lightest of all. It prepares dishes, added to coffee and pastries. Therefore, homemade cosmetics with coconut are quite edible.
From words to deeds
Cooking coconut oil is a rather time-consuming process. For this, only coconut copra is used. The process of pressing it is called cold pressing. There is a hot way to get the product. For this, dried coconut pulp is used. Such oil is very much appreciated in cosmetology.
The main supplier of coconut is Thailand. But many hostesses have already seen that you can cook it yourself. Such a product is more useful than a store one. The finished oil turns dull white, with a viscous consistency. But it is necessary to heat it, as it turns into a fluid transparent mass.
Instructions for beginners
There are several options for cooking oil. This article discusses only the simplest. Best if you find a fresh and ripe nut. In an extreme case, you can try cooking oil using shavings. So, if you are lucky and you got a good, not green nut, then the oil will turn out to be as useful as possible. The first step is to prepare all the ingredients and equipment.
What may be required
Since making coconut oil at home is quite simple, you are guaranteed a good result. To do this, you need coconut itself, an awl, gauze, water, a blender or grater. As you can see, nothing special. Almost every house has everything you need, and in the season to buy tropical nuts is not a big deal.
Raw material preparation
We turn directly to how to make coconut oil at home. If you are doing it for the first time, then it is better to limit yourself to one fruit. When you fill your hand a little, it will be possible to double the portion.
- First you need to drain the milk from the nut. To do this, you need to make several holes in it with an awl. Pour milk, it is very tasty and sweet, you can immediately feast on it. If you feel a grassy flavor, it means that the nut is green, and the oil will not be as fragrant and healthy as it could be.
- After that, coconut can be chopped or sawn into two. Using a knife or spoon, gently separate the flesh from the shell. Collect it in a clean bowl. Try to get rid of the outer shell as well.
- The pulp must be well chopped. This can be done using a blender or grater.
Cracking a nut is not an easy job. Therefore, it is best to attract men for this. This work can also be done with a hammer, after wrapping the nut in a towel. You can skip the stage of peeling coconut shells, especially if it is crumbled during cracking. It is not so easy to clear small fragments of pulp, but it is not particularly necessary. The shell also contains many useful substances.
Work with Coconut Pulp
Now we go directly to how to make coconut oil. To start, the pulp needs to be chopped. You can add some water so that the mass is less sticky. If you took the coconut with the shell, then it is better to use a harvester, because it is very hard.
After this, chopped pulp must be transferred to a suitable pan. It must be poured with hot water, but not boiling water. Too high a temperature can kill all the beneficial properties of coconut. Water should cover the crushed mass by approximately two fingers. Leave to cool at room temperature.
Oil Harvesting Period
After cooling, you need to put the pan in the refrigerator. It is best to leave it overnight, as it takes time for the oil to stand out and collect on the surface. Usually, the first time hostesses are worried about how to make coconut oil at home. But having tested this method, they understand that in practice everything is much simpler. By morning, a dense crust forms on the surface, which can be carefully removed.
Finishing touch
In principle, you can already use it. But one more important point remained - the safety of the product. Therefore, transfer the finished oil to an earthenware or metal container and place in a water bath. It is recommended to keep it exactly as long as it is required for conversion into a liquid. But do not boil, so as not to destroy useful compounds. The resulting oil should be filtered. This process allows you to completely get rid of chips, and is also necessary for pasteurization. Now you know how to make coconut oil yourself.
Storage conditions
This is also an important point that needs special attention. Often, those who complain of an allergic reaction, due to the use of oil, do not even realize that they themselves, not wanting to, violated the storage rules, which entailed such consequences.
Making coconut oil at home is quite simple, so do not try to stock up immediately for a long time. The shelf life is only two weeks, while strictly in the cold. In winter, you can take the container to the balcony, and in summer store it in the refrigerator.
Cooking from Chips
How to make coconut hair oil if you could not find a fresh nut? There is nothing easier, you can buy coconut. The only problem is that you cannot be sure of quality. But in defense of this method, it can be said that shavings are a food product. That is, fears are most likely unnecessary. But choosing a product, you need to pay attention to the fact that the composition does not contain extraneous additives, salt and sugar.
The more chips you take, the more oil you end up with. Do not forget about the shelf life. You need to do as much as you can use.
- Pour water into the chips so that the particles do not float freely.
- Heat in a water bath to a boil and hold for another 15 minutes to swell.
- Remove the mass from the heat and strain through a cotton napkin. Try to squeeze as much as possible.
- Put in the refrigerator overnight.
- The next morning, the oil forms a washer on the surface. Make a hole in the center of it and drain water through it.
How to use shavings
Making coconut oil yourself is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. In any case, a large amount of chips remains in the process. It is quite suitable for eating, but it is better to make a body scrub from it. To do this, the chips must be dried in the oven at low temperature. If necessary, you can mix it with a portion of your favorite cream. This is a great option to pamper your skin, as well as legs before depilation. Coconut provides nutrition and hydration to the skin. It is perfect for softening the heels and elbows. Beauticians use it after performing peelings and pedicures.
Instead of a conclusion
If you have never tried to use coconut oil as a skin care product, then it's time to start. This is a unique product that allows you to maintain beauty and youth. Now you can cook it yourself without wasting money on small jars from the pharmacy.