Making Traditional Coconut Oil at Home
This is the process of extracting oil through boiling rather than mechanical pressing. The goal is to drive off every drop of water from the coconut cream until only the clear oil remains.
Patience is your primary ingredient.
The oil will go through stages—cloudy, then curdled, then clear. Do not turn up the heat to speed up the evaporation, or you will burn the solids and discolor the oil.
- heavy-bottomed skillet or saucepan
- cheesecloth
- fine-mesh strainer
- large bowl
- spatula
What goes in.
- 4mature brown coconuts
- 2 cupswarm water
Watching for the 'Oil Break'
You will know the oil is ready when the coconut solids, now dark brown and sandy, sink to the bottom and the oil turns completely transparent.
The method.
Extract the milk
Crack the coconuts and remove the white meat. Blend the meat with warm water in small batches until fine. Squeeze the mixture through cheesecloth into a bowl to extract the thick cream.
Separate the cream
Let the coconut milk sit undisturbed in the refrigerator for 12 hours. The thick coconut cream will rise to the top and harden, leaving a watery liquid at the bottom.
Boil the cream
Scoop only the hardened cream into your pan. Set the heat to medium-low. As the water evaporates, the mixture will boil and bubble vigorously.
Stir and reduce
Stir frequently to prevent the bottom from scorching. The mixture will transition from white to a curdled yellow consistency.
Filter the oil
Once the solids turn dark brown and the liquid turns clear, remove from heat immediately. Strain through several layers of cheesecloth into a glass jar.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use only brown, mature coconuts; young green coconuts do not have enough fat content for oil extraction.
The leftover brown solids, known as latik, are edible and should be saved for topping desserts.
Store the final oil in a dark, cool cupboard; it does not require refrigeration.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my oil yellow instead of clear?
The oil takes on a golden hue from the coconut solids as they brown. If it is dark brown, the heat was likely too high.
How long does this keep?
When properly strained and stored in an airtight jar, it will remain stable for several months.
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