Palm fruit transforms into palm oil through a process that involves steaming, which breaks open the miniature oil-containing capsules within the fruit. Here’s a breakdown:
The Transformation Process
The key to extracting palm oil lies in understanding the structure of the palm fruit. Much like oranges, palm fruits contain oil within tiny capsules.
Steaming
- The process begins with steaming the palm fruit.
- This steaming is crucial. It achieves two primary purposes:
- Oil Release: The heat of the steam causes the oil capsules within the fruit to break open. This makes the fruit pliable and releases the crude palm oil.
- Nut Separation: The steam also aids in separating the palm kernel nut from its shell. This is necessary for producing palm kernel oil, a different type of oil extracted from the nut.
Extraction
- Once the fruit is steamed, it becomes easier to process.
- Pressing or other mechanical methods are then used to extract the released palm oil.
- The extracted crude palm oil is then further refined and processed for commercial use.
Summary Table
| Step | Purpose | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Steaming | Breaks oil capsules and separates the nut | Fruit becomes pliable and oily, facilitating oil extraction. Also prepares the nuts for further processing. |
| Extraction | Mechanical methods (pressing) used to collect the released oil. | Crude palm oil is obtained, ready for further refining. |
In essence, the steaming process is the catalyst that releases the oil from the palm fruit, making its extraction possible.
