Extracting oil from moringa seeds is an easy process and doesn’t require any special skills. You don’t need any expensive equipment to do this, just a few basic items that you might already have in your home if you possess the desire to get started. All it takes is a little bit of work and patience, but it is well worth the effort.
Occasionally, it is necessary to learn how to extract oil from Moringa seeds at home especially if you want to use it as your cooking oil. The benefits of using Moringa oil compared with other cooking oils might become your ultimate reason for deciding to use this plant in the kitchen. The active ingredients such as essential fatty acids and antioxidants are a not-to-be-missed opportunity for anyone who wants to have healthier meals.
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Choosing Fresh Moringa Seeds
Moringa seed oil can be extracted using a manual press, a mechanical screw press, or even an expeller press. The expeller press method is the most common type used at home and it is easier than the other methods of cold-pressing.
Moringaoleifera is a plant that has been praised for its health benefits for thousands of years. It is also known as the drumstick tree, the miracle tree, the ben oil tree, or the horseradish tree. Moringa has been used for centuries due to its medicinal properties and health benefits. It also has antifungal, antiviral, antidepressant, and anti-inflammatory properties. The leaves, bark, flowers, fruit, seeds, and root are used to make medicine.
To extract moringa seed oil, you will need the following items:
- -Freshly harvested moringa seeds
- -A clean piece of cloth
- -A basket or any item with holes on it (to allow liquid to pass through)
- -A large bowl that has a spout (to allow you to pour the oil out easily)
Drying the Seeds
Oil extraction is usually done by pressing. Oil can be extracted also by dissolving with solvents (hexane). Moringa seed oil possesses a unique combination of oleic and behenic acid, unusual in nature, which provides a long shelf life and resistance to rancidity. It is used as a lubricant in clocks.
The following are some of the main ways to extract oil from seeds:
· Drying the Seeds
The first step in extraction of oil involves drying the seeds. You can dry the seeds naturally or using an electric dryer. Once dried, you should crush them into small pieces or powder form using your hands or a grinding mill machine.
· Using a Manual Press
This method is used for small scale production of oil at home and for commercial purposes. It is suitable for extracting oil from seeds like sunflower, peanuts (groundnuts), soybeans, sesame, palm kernel and many others. The process involves heating the seed or nuts until they become soft. You may use steam to make this process easier but ensure that you do not overheat the seeds since this will reduce the quantity of oil you get from them. When softening is complete, cool, put in a manual press then press to
Pre-treating Your Seeds for Extraction
The seeds, as gathered from your Moringa tree, contain a number of elements that can inhibit the extraction of oil. These include plant debris, discoloration and other contaminants that are not specifically oils. The first step in the extraction process is to pre-treat the seeds.
To pre-treat your seed for oil extraction, you need to separate the oils from any impurities or contaminants. You can do this by simply washing them with warm water. You will want to allow the water to run over the seeds for at least five minutes to remove any debris or loose contaminants.
· Drying Moringa Seeds
Once you have washed your seeds, you will want to set them aside so they can dry completely before going on to the next step in the extraction process. This drying process could take up to two weeks, so be patient and allow it to happen naturally without trying to speed up the process.
· Crushing Your Moringa Seeds
A large portion of oil production during the extraction process comes from crushing or breaking down your Moringa seeds as much as possible. Once you have dried your seeds, and they are ready for crushing, begin by placing a single layer of seeds between two pieces
Extracting Moringa Seed Oil
Moringa oil is extracted from the seeds that hang in bunches on the Moringa tree. The oil has been used for centuries in India, Africa and other countries. It has many uses including cooking, massage and aromatherapy products. If you have a Moringa tree in your backyard, you can extract oil from its seeds.
- Set up a workspace with a cutting board and sharp knife. Put the nuts inside a plastic bowl and remove any hulls or strings attached to them.
- Fill a large pot with water and place it over medium heat on the stove. Allow it to boil.
- Place the nuts into a colander or metal strainer and place it into the boiling water. Leave them in there for 10 minutes, then remove them from the water and allow them to cool down until they can be handled with bare hands.
- Peel off the brown covering of each seed until you get to the white inside of it. Place these separated seeds into another bowl or container.
- Fill a second large pot with vegetable oil or olive oil (depending on how much oil you want to make) about half way full so that there is enough space left over for all of the nuts you peeled earlier.
Storing Your Moringa Oils
After filtering your moringa oils, you need to store them properly. You should store them in bottles that have been sterilized using hot water and alcohol. Be sure to label and date the bottles of moringa oil because they tend to go bad within a short time and therefore you should use them as soon as possible.
Last Words
Moringa seeds can be used to produce moringa oil, or occasionally moringa seed oil. It is typically used for cooking and as a base ingredient for cosmetic products like soaps, face creams, hair oils and shampoos, and other skin care products. The moringa seed can also be consumed by humans, either pressed directly for vegetable oil or crushed to extract its from the seeds, which is then pressed.
