How Do I Extract Coconut Oil?
Coconut is high in fat, with a fine, edible oil that is used in cooking, cosmetics and other products. There are several methods of extracting coconut oil from the meat of the nut, known as copra. One method of extracting coconut oil is the expeller technique, in which the dried copra passes through a special screw press that compresses the coconut copra, squeezing about 75 percent of the oil from the coconut meat. Small, hand-operated or motor driven presses are relatively affordable and available online. For smaller amounts, a hand method using cheese cloth will also work.
Coconut Preparation
To prepare for extraction, first crack open fresh coconuts and remove the copra by carefully prying the meat away from the shell with a knife. Cut the copra into 1/4 inch pieces. There is no need to remove the brown outer lining, called the testa, on the coconut meat. Allow the copra to dry thoroughly to remove all moisture from the meat.