Making of coconut oil

Coconut oil popularly known as adi-agbon in Yoruba land has a lot of healthy benefits which includes:

1. It is a good moisturizer, especially for new born babies because it is mild and fresh.

2. You should have a teaspoon of coconut oil before breakfast, first thing in the morning. It is good for your stomach and helps in boosting your digestion. It is also great for the Ayurveda practice of oil pulling that aids digestion.

3. It can help lowering bad cholesterol levels which most of the refines oils we used today have been found guilty of causing cholesterol problems.

4. It is a great beauty ingredient and can help in controlling dandruff and preventing acne.

5. Homemade coconut oil is a great remedy for mouth ulcers. Dab some coconut oil over the ulcers and let it stay overnight. You will feel relieved the next morning.
The process of making coconut oil is as follows
Ingredients:

9 to 10 coconuts will give you 3 liters of coconut milk, from which you can extract approximately 150 grams of coconut oil.

3 to 4 coconuts will give you 1 litre of coconut milk, from which 50 grams of oil can be extracted. This quantity is better suited to make virgin coconut oil at home, since fewer coconuts are required.

Methods
 this method is called the ‘Hot Process’ and it has been traditionally used by our forefathers. There is no machinery involved, only simple every day kitchen tools and vessels. Also, no preservatives or additives are added to it. It is coconut oil in its purest form. The process is a bit time-consuming, but it is very easy.

Step 1: Extract the flesh from the coconut. Once you have collected the flesh from all the coconuts, grate it.

Step 2: Extract the coconut milk from the flesh by squeezing it with your hands in a muslin cloth. Keep a bowl below the cloth to collect the liquid. You can add very little hot water to it to make it easy to handle and squeeze out all the milk.

Step 3: Once the coconut milk has been extracted, sieve it using a muslin cloth to remove any impurities.

Step 4: Place the coconut milk in a brass vessel () and put it on fire.  Let it cook for 2 to 3 hours, but make sure the heat is kept low.

Step 5: Keep stirring it every now and then till the milk becomes brownish in colour. However, be careful that it doesn’t burn as coconut milk has a very delicate texture.

Step 6: Once the milk becomes concentrated, remove it from the fire and let it cool down. Place the cooled thickened milk in a muslin cloth and squeeze out the oil. Collect it in a bowl and then store it in a can or a plastic bottle.

This homemade coconut oil can easily last for a year or at least 8 to 10 months. You should place it in an airtight container and don’t leave it out in the open else it can get contaminated and lose its qualities.