Have you ever wondered what exactly is inside that can or pouch of cooking oil you’re buying from the grocery store? It’s easy to just brush any doubts aside and take the word of the manufacturer that you’re purchasing what you think you’re purchasing. If you wish to be sure on what you’re using to cook your meals, why not make cooking oil yourself?
In an EOTW scenario, it’s highly unlikely that the same manufacturers will continue making their oil products. It may seem that cooking oil should be the least of your priorities when zombies roam the Earth but it will come in handy when SHTF. Cooking oil, however, has plenty of benefit, which is why preppers have them stockpiled in their pantries.
Coconut oil, for example, can be used in different ways other than cooking. In fact, the Organic Prepper listed down 80 possible benefits of coconut oil. That’s 80 reasons why you should make cooking oil yourself.
Another good reason why you should learn how to make your own vegetable oil is that no one else will probably do it. That means you have one skill that will prove pretty handy during the apocalypse. Not only can you provide for yourself, you can also make money from your homemade cooking oil.
It may surprise you but it’s relatively easy to make cooking oil at home. All you need are the right ingredients and equipment.
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Crank It Up
One of the easiest ways to make cooking oil is to use a manual or hand crank oil press. This process, however, will only provide around two cups of cooking oil, which should be fine if you’re just making for your personal use.
To use a manual oil press, you need to make sure it’s clamped to your working surface, preferably a sturdy table. Light up your heat source and wait for ten minutes. Fill the hopper with the nuts or seeds then start cranking. Oil will then drip into a container. You can make around 14 ounces of cooking oil from 2-liter bottles of seeds.
Once done, cover the oil container and set aside. Clean your oil press then store properly. Wait for the oil to set and the sediment to separate and settle at the bottom. This usually takes a few days.
Gather the oil and dispose of the sediment properly. Cover the jar tightly and store in a cool, dry place,. Your homemade cooking oil should last a couple of years or so.
Check out this video from Mother Earth News to get a better grasp on how to make cooking oil using a Piteba Oil Press.
Go Automatic
An automatic oil press, like the BeamNova and NutriChef pictured above, is the preferred piece of equipment for those who want to make more cooking oil every time out. As mentioned, a hand crank oil press can only produce around 14 ounces of oil. The BeamNova, meanwhile, can extract oil around 45% more depending on the seed.
An electric oil press is not only great for making cooking oil, it’ also perfect for homemade soaps. If you’re looking to make money from home, you can invest on a commercial oil press to make cooking oil, soap and other products you can sell or trade.
Make Lard Not War
Many of you will probably feel squeamish at the thought of lard. Just looking at lard, it’s quite understandable why it’s getting so much bad press. The truth, however, is that it’s a lot healthier than other kinds of cooking oil.
As Daring Gourmet pointed out, canola oil and cottonseed oil are derived from non-food crops and made using processes and harsh chemicals that are actually bad for people. The companies that made them apparently spread fake news about butter and lard saying they were not healthy. At the same time, they marketed hydrogenated cottonseed oil aka Crisco as a cheaper and healthier alternative.
Lard is fat rendered from pigs. To make healthy lard, you need healthy pigs. Avoid using pork from pigs given chemicals and additives. Pasture-raised pigs are the way to go.
Use leaf fat or the fat around the animal’s kidney. Freeze the fat first so it would be easier to dice it into smaller pieces. If you have a grinder, use it.
Place the pork fat in a slow cooker or in a large pot. Leave the pot uncovered then set the heat to low. Keep an eye on the fat. Once it starts melting, lower the heat even more. It’s important to use low heat to keep the lard clean and white and the flavor neutral.
It will take several hours to make cooking oil out of fat. Check on it from time to time. The cracklings will sink to the bottom of the pot and will then rise again. Once they rise up, the lard should be done.
Separate the lard from the leftover fat using layers of cheesecloth. Make sure you get rid of all the sediments to keep your lard from developing mold. Pour the oil into a glass jar and set aside. Fry the cracklings if you wish to eat them.
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The “Good Fat”
You probably already know that avocado is “good fat.” But did you know that you can make cooking oil out of them?
You’ll need lots of ripe avocados to make cooking oil. One avocado can only produce 15 ml of oil. That’s about one tablespoon only.
Gather all the fleshy parts of the avocados and mash them using a potato masher. A mortar and pestle will also work. Next, place them in a blender and let ‘er rip. The goal is to turn the avocados into a creamy paste. If the mixture gets too firm, add a little water.
Add 1/3 cup of coconut oil for every 12 avocados. The coconut oil will help encourage the avocado pulp produce its oil.
Pour the resulting avocado paste in a large sauce pan and simmer over low heat for around one hour. Make sure to stir the paste regularly to keep it from sticking to the pan. The paste should turn to dark green or brown once cooked.
Pour the cooked avocado paste in a ceramic bowl then cover with a piece of cheesecloth or muslin cloth. Set aside until the mixture has cooled down.
Flip the bowl and grab the ends of the cheesecloth so you’ll end up with a bag filled with the blended avocado. Squeeze over a new bowl or glass jar and voila!
Loco Over Coco
We’ve been mentioning coconut oil from the get go. It’s about time then to talk about making coconut oil at home.
First, gather the meat from 3 to 4 mature coconuts then shred using a grater. Do this over a bowl or muslin cloth.
Make a bag out of the muslin cloth with the shredded coconut inside. Squeeze over a clean sauce pan to collect the coconut milk. Add a little water to make it easier to squeeze out the milk. Make sure there aren’t any particles in the milk.
Cook the milk over low heat for two to three hours. Stir often to keep it from burning. The milk will turn light brown and thicken when done. Remove from the heat and let it cool. Strain the creamy coconut milk using a muslin cloth. Squeeze over a glass jar or bowl.
Here you go. Five ways to make cooking oil that definitely surprised you. Take advantage of this newfound knowledge and start making your own cooking oil. Who knows? Maybe you can make a fortune selling your homemade cooking oils. At the very least, you don’t have to buy those expensive oils that are actually doing more harm to your health.
Visit Gentleman Pirate Club to know more DIY projects you can do at the comforts of your own home. You can even ask the children to join in and have some fun while making these projects.
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