Make your own cooking oils - any ideas

[Gridrebel]

I have searched on several occasions looking for how to make my own veg/seed cooking oil without a 20 ton press. I am looking for how to process a raw product to produce a cooking oil in my own kitchen. Maybe with something I can grow such as sunflowers, corn or soybeans, NOT olives as they aren't something I could or would grow. I am not looking for info on how to infuse a ready to use oil. I know that citizens of India used to make their own cooking oil many years ago. Every family had some kind of small home press in the kitchen. Any ideas on how and what to use?

[Gridrebel]

wow, found this, any one else used? http://www.rajkumarexpeller.com/?gcl...FQrKsgodpGeryg

[Fishrarr]

Just found this on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Manual-Oil-Press-...item5190a133ca

[bikerdruid]

the ukrainian settlers in this area grew hemp for oil seeds.

[MikeK]

There are lots of oil presses that aren't terribly expensive. I've seen several expeller presses, including one that had an oil lamp to heat the seeds to release more oil.

I was tinkering with a press made from a hydraulic press and a diesel cylinder liner and piston. I need to get some parts fabricated to finish it. But at this point, I'm thinking an expeller would be a better and cheaper solution.

As for oil crops, there are many! There are even grasses that produce oil. I was growing castor specifically for the oil, but I was looking more towards biodiesel at that point. I'm looking more towards sunflowers now, since they grow so well. It would be a useful source of cooking oil, lamp oil, food, and possibly biodiesel.

[EdD270]

Great post, great question!! I'm looking forward to the answers.
I've always thought that veg. oil was the way to go for cooking and also for lighting. Just need to know how to make it. Alcohol works, too, and easy to make your own, ummm for lighting and cooking of course.

[Sage0925]

clc79092 gave me this link on how to make your own press.

http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_.../oilpress.html

[Straight Razor]

Castor oil is deadly. The Indians got their oil from acorns.

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by Straight Razor

Castor oil is deadly. The Indians got their oil from acorns.

Castor oil isn't deadly. But it's not a food oil either. They used to use it as a laxative. I was growing it strictly for biodiesel. It's the bean that's deadly. It contains Ricin, one of the most toxic of poisons.

[Straight Razor]

Originally Posted by MikeK

Castor oil isn't deadly. But it's not a food oil either. They used to use it as a laxative. I was growing it strictly for biodiesel. It's the bean that's deadly. It contains Ricin, one of the most toxic of poisons.

Without refining castor oil is deadly. All edible and or medinal castor oils are NOT in their natural state. The plant is also a significant allergen.

[equinelover]

peanut oil. food processor. processes as much peanuts as you can in the processor and let it sit for a few hours. the oil will rise to the top. makes a few teaspoons of oil at a time. discovered this by trying to make peanutbutter.

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by Straight Razor

Without refining castor oil is deadly. All edible and or medinal castor oils are NOT in their natural state. The plant is also a significant allergen.

Well, like I said, it was a project for biodiesel production. There was never any intention of using it for food or medicine. You're sure right about the plants being an allergen. They're just pretty nasty all around.

If I had been able to continue living there, I was planning on growing castor as a cash crop, actually. My small 200 unit planting was to test the feasibility of growing it there.

[Gridrebel]

Thanks all, some really good ideas. I am striving to be independent from modern electric conveniences in any form so I went with the Piteba, @Fishrarr - thanks you saved me about 50 bucks by not ordering from the manufacturers out of the country site I had thought about earlier. I will be building a "tiny house" with a solar oven, only manual "modern" conveniences. Solar hot water and a wood burning water heater (still looking at ideas) etc, etc. I have a great house on 8 acres but I want to be completely off grid some day so I am going to "test" my living style, free from electricity. It will take some time and I am in the process of amassing stuff. I also try to keep aware of the quote "you only own what you can run with"....

[Gridrebel]

Here are some of the seeds that can be used with the expeller I ordered. Got the info off Manufacturer's site. I can grow a lot of these things so I am really excited about it. Totally forgot about peanuts. Yum! http://www.piteba.com/eng/index_eng.htm - image isn't loading so just pasted link, select "seeds" in the left side column, it won't let me post that link.

[Straight Razor]

By the way, if you live in the South, an edible and cooking oil can be epressed from the pinto palm seeds and from the Nagi tree seeds.

[Lui]

I own a PITEBA oil expeller and find it quite useful. Its great for kitchen use, salad dressing oil, cooking and the like. But forget making your own biodiesel! The output is not that great. Still a very useful device for self-sufficiency. Lui

[ForestBeekeeper]

Originally Posted by Lui

I own a PITEBA oil expeller and find it quite useful. Its great for kitchen use, salad dressing oil, cooking and the like. But forget making your own biodiesel! The output is not that great. Still a very useful device for self-sufficiency. Lui

I have looked at those previously.

I find it difficult to imagine growing a field of 'X' to harvest bushels of grain to use that to press and make oil for vehicle fuel.

It seems like a person's efforts would be better placed walking rather than using that for oil production.

[randkl]

Whenever I can green beans or corn etc or make veggie stock, I use a turkey baster to remove the cooked out oil and store it in the fridge. It gets used to fry/cook. It's too mild a flavor for salad dressing by itself, though.

I chop up corn cobs and boil those for veggie stock and they give off a few teaspoons of good oil, too. Veggie oil is too useful to toss out.

Peace be upon you.

rich

[britzen]

We have 2 Pitebas and there is a big energy output for the oils, but not too bad. Since Im an avid bicyclist and have extra bikes and trainers, we are building up a pedal powered rig for the press with a universal attachment so it can be converted to run the grain mill, oil press and a washing tumbler.

Right now researching more crops to use for oil harvest, definitely see sunflowers going up on the property when we get that zone up and running.

[Acorn]

Originally Posted by britzen

We have 2 Pitebas and there is a big energy output for the oils, but not too bad. Since Im an avid bicyclist and have extra bikes and trainers, we are building up a pedal powered rig for the press with a universal attachment so it can be converted to run the grain mill, oil press and a washing tumbler.

Right now researching more crops to use for oil harvest, definitely see sunflowers going up on the property when we get that zone up and running.

I also have a Piteba and spare bike parts. I was putting together the plans for making it pedal powered. Making an entire pedal powered system would be a lot more utility for about the same level of effort. Do you have any plans or anything that you are using for making your system?