Coconut oil is simply oil extracted from the meat of coconuts; it is also one of the most popular oils you can find in so many households due to it’s numerous benefits and uses that are not restricted to just cooking.
Even though coconut oil is edible and can easily be used to replace many other cooking oils in the kitchen, it has grown more and more popular over the years due to how much hype it gets from beauty enthusiasts and lovers of organic body care products. It can be used to add shine and nourish both skin, hair, nails as well as get rid of skin infections.
Uses and benefits of coconut oil
Coconut oil has a lot of uses that makes it a holy grail in the lives of many people, here are some really cool ones
- Cooking delicious meals
- It contains a high level of lauric acid which boosts metabolism, making it a good addition to your smoothies and energy drinks
- Coconut oil is a very good substitute for vegetable oils in home recipes
- It is a great moisturizer for the skin
- It can be used as lipbalm for chapped lips
- Coconut oil adds great shine and lustre to hair
- It can also be used to deep condition hair and treat dandruff
- It works great as baby lotion
- Can be used to aid nail growth by rubbing it into the cuticles
- Coconut oil makes a great and relaxing massage oil, especially when mixed with essential oils like lavender
- It can be used to speed up hair growth and prevent scalp infections
- It can be used as a replacement for hand lotion
- Coconut oil can be used as a natural pesticide and bug repellant
- It can be used in the production of soaps and creams
- Coconut oil helps treat and sooth eczema
- It can be used for ‘oil pulling’ which improves gum health
- Coconut oil has anti inflammatory properties which makes it good for skin infections
- Coconut oil is a great makeup remover
- You can also use coconut oil as a shaving cream
READ ALSO: Does coconut oil lighten the skin?
There are different ways in which coconut oil can be extracted, but they can easily be narrowed down into 2 – with heat or without heat.
The method you choose to employ in extracting your coconut oil is important if you wish to retain all the good nutrients and benefits that come with this amazing gift of nature. Basically, adding heat to the extraction process will result in loss of some nutrients, while taking heat out of your extraction method (cold press method) will retain all the natural goodness and aroma of your coconut oil.
How to make cold pressed coconut oil
Considering all the amazing benefits and uses of coconut oil, it is only wise to learn how to make a good batch of your own right from the comfort of your home. And the good news is, it is actually quite easy to make, you just need a few things you can easily find around the house.
What you will need:
- 3 matured coconuts ( or more depending on how much oil you want to make)
- A blender
- 2 big bowls
- Cheese cloth to seive coconuts
- Clean water (use bottled water if your tap water is not clean enough)
- Knife
- Chopping board
Method
1. First you need to crack open your coconuts and separate the meat from the shell.
2. Chop your coconut meat into tiny pieces to make blending possible
3. Pour the chopped coconuts into a blender, add water and blend to make a pulpy paste. Pour the blended coconut into a bowl and repeat the process until you have blended all your coconuts.
4. Next you need to start squeezing your blended coconut mixture in the bowl with your bare hands, this process really helps in extracting the oil so do not skip it. Keep squeezing the mixture for about 30 minutes.
5. The next step is to sieve your coconut mixture. To do this, carefully spread the cheesecloth over an empty bowl, then scoop the blended coconut mixture onto the cheesecloth and squeeze as hard as you can to drain out all the liquid from the mixture into the bowl. Keep squeezing until there is no liquid remaining in the cheesecloth and you are left with just the dry coconut flakes.
6. Now cover the mixture you squeezed into the bowl and let it sit undisturbed for 24 hours.
7. When you open the bowl after 24 hours has passed, you will notice that the liquid has separated into 3 layers, the top layer is a thick, creamy liquid, the second is your coconut oil and the bottom is just water. Carefully scoop out the top creamy layer and you have your cold pressed coconut oil and remnant water from the process left.
How to get remnant water out of cold pressed coconut oil
There are two very easy ways to get rid of water in your cold pressed coconut oil, and both do not require heating the mixture.
1. With freezer
The first and probably easiest way is to transfer the mixture to a freezer for 2 or 3 hours. Coconut oil coagulates easily in cold environment and does not mix with water, when this happens, simply use a spoon to scoop out the hard portion of your mixture (which is the hardened coconut oil) and discard the other portion which is the water, and there you have it – your very own pure, cold pressed coconut oil.
Here is a video of what this process looks like:
2. Without freezer
The second method used when a freezer is not available, is to carefully separate the mixture using a spoon, by scooping the oil out of the bowl into another plastic container (remember oil sits on water and does not mix), then tightly cover the scooped oil in the container with a plastic wrap, bore a few holes into the plastic wrap covering and let it sit undisturbed in a corner. This way the remnant water gets to evaporate from the coconut oil slowly and in no time you are left with your pure, cold pressed coconut oil.
Transfer your oil into an airtight container and enjoy!
READ ALSO: Exotic oils available in Nigeria
Here is a video of what the entire process could look like:
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