Coconut oil’s purposes have been drastically increasing lately due to multiple types of research for its purposes to have scientific backing—which means it’ll be safe to use. More dermatologists and beauty enthusiasts will recommend them. There are moments when we want our coconut oil without having to go out to purchase one, and it can save time and money. Here are a few steps to make your coconut oil at home.
Step 1: Husk Removal
First step is to remove the husk. To do this, hold the coconut with your palm facing up, and slam the cleaver’s spine until it cracks. You can choose to do that or wrap the coconut with a towel and use a hammer on it until the brown shell cracks. Make sure to use moderate strength so you don’t accidentally smash the whole coconut.
Step 2: Coconut Grating
Now clean off of its husk, grate the coconut with a grater. Grating it is time-consuming, but there’s fun in that, anyway! You can use a blender or any other food processor to save time.
Step 3: Soaking and Straining
With your coconut grated, add 3 to 4 cups of water to aid with squeezing the coconut’s juices. After mixing the water, start squeezing lumps of it. Afterward, make sure to filter the juice to remove the small chunks of coconut so you can have a fully liquid coconut juice.
Step 5: Heating
Get a pot and transfer the juice in it. Make sure the fire on the stove is at a moderate level so as not to overheat the fluid. Please don’t wait for it to boil and remove it from the stove after a few minutes. Please refrain from mixing it. Let it cool for a few minutes more. You can either let it cool naturally or put it in the fridge, making the skimming process easier.
Step 5: Skimming process
You’ll notice the fatty liquids on top of the coconut milk. You have to remove all the fat and transfer it to another pan to save it. You can use a cast iron for a faster skimming process.
Step 6: Boil it again
After removing all the fat, set the coconut milk over the stove again with moderate flame. You can stir it gently and wait for it to boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat and let the coconut oil sit for at least 45 minutes. As the oil slowly cools down, you’ll notice brown lumps and the oil slowly separating from it. These brown lumps are what you’ll be removing afterward, so you’ll be left with nothing but the oil now!
Step 7: Straining
Once done, strain the oil with a cheesecloth or a sieve. Let it cool, and voila! You can now use it on your skin, hair, or face.
Please keep in mind that coconut oil’s shelf life is very short. Hopefully, this helps! Store the oil in a cool place, and make sure to always check the smell before using it. Of course, coconut oils from stores already have preservatives for longer shelf life but, it’s always fun to make your own at home.