Avocado oil is a healthy and versatile oil that’s great for cooking, skincare, and haircare. Making your own avocado oil at home can be a rewarding process, allowing you to create a fresh, natural product from scratch. While extracting oil at home without industrial equipment may not yield as much oil as commercial processes, you can still enjoy a small batch of homemade avocado oil with relatively simple tools. Here’s how to do it.

Benefits of Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is known for its rich content of healthy fats, vitamins, and antioxidants. It’s particularly high in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that has been found to improve heart health. Additionally, avocado oil is excellent for cooking at high temperatures due to its high smoke point.

What You’ll Need

• Ripe avocados (the number depends on how much oil you want to try to make)

• Oven

• Food processor or blender

• Nut milk bag or cheesecloth

• Jar for storage

Steps to Make Avocado Oil

1. Prepare the Avocados:

• Start with ripe avocados. Cut them in half, remove the pits, and scoop out the flesh.

• It’s important to use ripe avocados because they contain more oil and it’s easier to extract oil from ripe fruit.

2. Puree the Avocado Flesh:

• Place the avocado flesh in a food processor or blender.

• Blend until it becomes a smooth, creamy paste. This increases the surface area from which the oil can be extracted.

3. Heat the Avocado Paste:

• Spread the avocado paste thinly on a baking sheet.

• Place in an oven preheated to the lowest setting (about 200 degrees Fahrenheit or 93 degrees Celsius) and heat for about 1-2 hours. This helps release the oil by breaking down the fat cells in the avocado.

• Be careful not to overheat as this can destroy the nutrients in the oil and alter its flavor.

4. Extract the Oil:

• Transfer the warm avocado paste into a nut milk bag or a piece of cheesecloth.

• Squeeze the bag or cheesecloth over a bowl or directly into your storage jar to extract the oil. You may need to apply considerable pressure to get the oil out.

5. Store the Oil:

• Pour the extracted oil into a clean, dry jar.

• Seal the jar tightly and store your avocado oil in the refrigerator to extend its shelf life.

Conclusion

Making avocado oil at home is a simple and satisfying process. While it might not produce a large quantity, the freshness and purity of homemade oil make it a delightful addition to your pantry. You can use your homemade avocado oil for light sautéing, drizzling over salads, or as a base for homemade skin and hair treatments. Enjoy the process and the many uses of your own avocado oil!