Commercial coconut oil is typically made using a process called dry milling, where oil is extracted from dried coconut meat, also known as copra. Here's a breakdown:
Dry Milling Process
The dry milling process involves the following steps:
- Copra Preparation: The process starts with copra, which is dried coconut meat. The copra may be cleaned to remove any impurities.
- Grinding/Crushing: The copra is then crushed into a fine powder to increase the surface area for oil extraction.
- Heating: The crushed copra is heated to temperatures ranging from 104–160 °C (219-320 °F). This heating process helps to release the oil and reduce moisture content.
- Oil Extraction: After heating, the oil is extracted using one of two primary methods:
- Expeller Press: An expeller press applies high pressure to squeeze the oil out of the heated copra.
- Hydraulic Press: A hydraulic press also uses pressure to extract the oil.
- Refining (Optional): The extracted oil is typically crude and may undergo further processing to improve its quality, including:
- Refining: Removing impurities, color, and odor.
- Bleaching: Further decolorizing the oil.
- Deodorizing: Removing volatile compounds that cause undesirable smells and tastes.
Key Considerations:
- Efficiency: The dry milling process is efficient and suitable for large-scale production.
- Refining: The level of refining impacts the final product's flavor, aroma, and nutritional content. Virgin coconut oil, for example, undergoes minimal processing.
