(One of) Shaun's Project(s)

As everyone knows, coconut is the new miracle fruit.  We're jumping on the bandwagon here as we have four coconut trees in our yard.  Each tree can produce 100 coconuts a year and there are so many things you can do with a coconut.  Young coconuts are a bright green and inside is mostly what is called coconut water.  This is a clear liquid that is very sweet.  Brazilians love to drink the water and then scoop out the rubbery mushy meat on the inside of the young coconut and eat it.  As it gets a little older, the mushy stuff turns into what we North Americans think of as coconut:  the drier chewier meat that shreds for baking.  In the middle is still some coconut water that you can drink, but it is not as sweet.  When the coconut is really old there is not really any water left and the meat is tougher and dry.  If you are looking at making coconut oil, you want the medium old ones.  Here's a pile that Shaun took from the ground to work on this project.

You cut away the outside shell, called the casca, and you end up with the coconut that you see in the produce section in North America.

On the left the full coconut, on the right is what you are left with when you chop away the casca.

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Soak the coconut in water.

Sieve it.

Squish as much liquid out that you can get.

Put in fridge overnight.

Can you see the layer of cream separating from the water?

Once the cream is hardened from being in the fridge, you break off the chunks and place it in a frying pan.

Cook, simmering for at least an hour.

The oil starts separating from the cream, water boils off and the cream starts to brown.  You are eventually left with the clear oil and a small brownish pile of cream.

 

Put that through a cheesecloth and you are left with....

VOILA!  Pure virgin coconut oil, to use for everything from cold sores, sunburns, cooking, and digestion problems.

Shaun used 16 coconuts and it took around 6 hours to dehusk and scrape out, soak and squish.  Then overnight in the fridge,  then at least an hour for cooking, sieving. 

Time consuming... YES!

Worth the Work? Shaun thinks so!  He's planning to make another batch this coming week.