Virgin coconut oil has been called “the healthiest oil in the world” thanks to its unique fatty acid composition and abundance of nutrients. Unlike traditional coconut oil—which is extracted from dried coconut meat, or copra, and then refined, bleached, and deodorized (RBD)—pure virgin oil is pressed directly from fresh coconut kernels, so it retains all the health benefits and flavors of the raw fruit.
While RBD coconut oil has been produced and used for thousands of years in cooking, cosmetics, soaps, and other applications, virgin coconut oil is a relatively new product. Health-conscious consumers are driving demand faster than farmers and processors can supply it, causing prices to surge.
To keep up with this growing demand, processors need to understand how to press the purest coconut oil possible to meet the highest quality standards.
While immature green coconuts are typically harvested for the nutrient-rich liquid inside, mature brown coconuts (at least one year old) are preferred for optimal oil extraction. Preparing coconuts for oil extraction is a labor-intensive process. Mature coconuts drop from coconut palms, which can grow 100 feet tall and produce 100 fruits yearly.
Fresh coconut meat contains about 50% moisture and 34% oil by weight. Instead of thoroughly drying the meat in smoke, sunlight, or kilns to produce copra, virgin coconut oil production involves the minimal amount of heat exposure needed to dry the meat to its ideal moisture content. Short residence times in indirect hot air dryers or fluidized bed dryers reduce the moisture content to about 3-4% without scorching the meat.
Coconut oil and water can be separated by the method of decantation. Decantation can be used to separate two liquids that have different densities as long as they are immiscible.
Processing virgin coconut oil
Dried, shredded coconut meat, called desiccated coconut, is fed directly into high-pressure expellers to extract the oil. The lower the moisture content of the material fed into the press, the more efficient the extraction process will be and the higher the yield.
Desiccated coconut contains up to 70% oil by weight—more than any other oilseed. To recover as much of this oil as possible, processors typically press coconut twice, either using multiple presses or running the material through the press again. Unfortunately, double pressing consumes twice the energy and adds equipment redundancies to a mill.
The Anderson Super Duo™ Series Expeller® offers the ideal solution. With a unique dual-press design that crushes coconut twice in a single pass, the Super Duo uses horsepower efficiently to achieve maximum oil recovery without additional energy or equipment. More than 700 Super Duos are currently operating throughout the Philippines and Indonesia, where most of the world’s coconut oil is produced.
The Super Duo also contains a built-in cooling system to prevent oil from overheating in the press, which could cause discoloration. This cold pressing method is key to producing high-quality colorless virgin coconut oil since excessive heat can turn the oil yellow, precluding it from being labeled “virgin.”
Heat treatment and cooking are usually critical to prepare oilseeds for pressing, so skipping these steps makes it challenging to recover virgin-grade oil. Cold pressing demands an expeller with extremely high torque to crush raw coconut harder and release the oil trapped inside. The Super Duo delivers—reducing residual oils to 8% or less in a single pass, compared to other cold presses, which leave up to 14% of oil behind.
Cold pressing doesn’t mean that oil is produced without heat. In fact, expelled oil is usually heated in a vacuum or air dryer after pressing to remove residual moisture, which can cause rancidity. What makes coconut oil “virgin” is the lack of chemical treatment or refining steps used to process traditional oil, which can strip away antioxidants and other essential nutrients. As a result, unrefined virgin coconut oil is packed with the flavors, aromas, and nutrients of fresh coconut.
Also read: Debunking the Debate Between Expeller Pressed Versus Cold Pressed Oils
How to Get Coconut Water out of a Coconut
FAQ
How do you remove water from coconut oil?
What is the best extraction method for coconut oil?
How do you separate coconut oil?
What happens if you add water to coconut oil?
How to keep coconut oil liquid?
To begin, let’s take a look at some of the ways to keep coconut oil liquid. Keeping a jar of it in your pantry is an ideal way to ensure that the oil remains liquid. Generally, it should be kept away from direct sunlight, which will cause it to harden.
Can you substitute coconut oil for coconut milk?
In some cases, coconut milk can be replaced by coconut oil. For instance, a cup of coconut milk can be substituted in baking with 1/4 cup of coconut oil + 3/4 cup of liquid. This liquid can come from water, juice or milk alternative.
How do you melt coconut oil?
If you live in a warmer location, your coconut oil might already be ready to use at any time, as it will already be in liquid form. However, if you live in a colder climate, you can easily melt the coconut oil using hot water, a microwave, or a stovetop. Fill up a sink with hot water. This method is useful if you want to melt a whole jar at once.
How do you make coconut oil from coconut oil?
Pour in enough hot water to completely cover the coconut with an extra 1 inch (2.5 cm) or so of water on top. Boil some water and then mix it with cool water so it’s hot but not so hot that you can’t touch it. Some people use cold water for extraction. However, you won’t get as much oil from the coconut with cold water.