Cold Pressed Coconut Oil
Cold pressing is the process of producing oil. Generally, the cold pressing coconut oil method is used to process at a temperature below 60°C, so that the nutrients are most completely preserved. Because the oil yield of the cold pressing method is only half of that of the hot pressing method, and the nutrients are well preserved, the market price of most cold pressed coconut oil is about 1 to 4 times higher than that of hot pressing oil. Oil from cold pressing is not destroyed and does not require additives, and can be preserved for a long time with simple sedimentation and filtration. The market value is relatively high.
Coconut Oil Heat Press Method
Most of the coconut oil we eat in our daily life is squeezed out by a hot oil press, that is, before the oil is pressed, the oil is cleaned and crushed, and then heated at a high temperature to cause a series of changes in the oil: destroy the oil cells and promote protein denaturation , Reduce oil viscosity, etc. , so that it is suitable for oil extraction and improves the oil yield. The high-temperature processed coconut oil is darker in color and has a higher acid value. At the same time, high-temperature oil extraction causes a large loss of biologically active substances (vitamin E, sterols, carotenoids, etc.). ) in the process of oil extraction, causing waste of resources.
The raw coconut oil used in the first pressing is the copra of fresh coconuts. High-quality coconuts are selected from a specific coconut tree species – native coconut trees, not hybrid coconut trees that have been developed through modern science. At the same time, the coconut itself must be free from any contamination or poor quality.
No high temperature is used in the processing process, absolutely no chemical solvents are used, and the natural flavor is kept as far as possible to avoid the loss of nutrients. Therefore, the finished virgin coconut oil will retain a touch of coconut fragrance. Moreover, coconut oil is processed from white coconut meat.
High-quality coconut oil should be transparent and colorless when it is liquid; it should be as white as snow when it solidifies. This coconut oil is usually the most nutritious and healthiest virgin coconut oil. If the temperature of virgin coconut oil is too high during processing, the oil will be slightly yellow and have a strong aroma. Just like the sesame oil commonly used in our daily life. Raw or fried, it becomes what we often call “sesame oil”.
Popular Science: Cold Pressed Coconut Oil and Refined Coconut Oil
Refining coconut oil, as the name suggests, is deep processing. Refined at high temperature first, then decolorized and deodorized. And different from the first pressing of coconut oil, the coconut raw material used to extract coconut oil is dried whole coconut, the English name COPRA, which means “dried coconut meat”. The quality of coconuts used to refine coconut oil is high or low, new coconuts, old coconuts, residual coconuts, etc.
Before processing, the coconut is first cracked and the coconut meat is sun-dried or dried in a high-temperature oven. Coconuts that have been exposed to the sun are often thrown on the ground and exposed to the sun for many days or longer before processing. It is conceivable that this kind of copra will contain a lot of bacteria and mold. But during processing, this coconut oil is sanitized. Sometimes manufacturers use chemical solvents to maximize oil yield and remove contaminants contained in the oil. The resulting oil is colorless and odorless.
Refined coconut oil can be divided into different grades according to the depth of processing. The best refined coconut oil is colorless and odorless; the secondary refined coconut oil is slightly yellow in color and has some peculiar smell. The lowest coconut oil, the oil is dark yellow and has a strong smell, but this taste is not virgin coconut oil, and even some chemical solvents.
The lowest grade of refined coconut oil is often used as a skin care ingredient in soaps and cosmetics, and is sometimes sold as a vegetable oil. This oil is harmless and edible, but tastes worse than other grades of coconut oil.
The above summary analyzes the production methods and nutritional components of coconut oil with different qualities. After comparative analysis, it can be determined that cold pressed coconut oil is the best category of coconut oil.
