How to Extract Oil From an Avocado Seed

Since antiquity, seeds and pits from a wide variety of plants have provided humankind with oil for a multitude of applications. We use seed oils in cooking, for fuel, as paint, for medicinal purposes and in body products. Avocado pits, although typically discarded, contain oil with both cosmetic and culinary uses. Although the oil has a bitter taste, it adds a nutritional boost to recipes. For cosmetics, add the oil to homemade lotions or shampoos.

Things You'll Need

  • Plastic bags
  • Mallet
  • Strainer or cheesecloth
  • Glass jar
  • Seed oil press

Instructions

  1. Wash the pits thoroughly to remove all pulp remnants from the exterior.

  2. Leave the pits in the sun for a few days until they feel dry.

  3. Place the pits in sturdy plastic bags and strike them repeatedly with a mallet until they are consistently crushed into small fragments.

  4. Pour any oil from the plastic bags that came out of the seeds while crushing into a glass jar. Pour the bag contents in a strainer and push the oil through with a rubber spatula or pour them through cheesecloth, wrapping and squeezing to extrude the final drops.

  5. Place the glass jar under the spout of a seed oil press.

  6. Pour the crushed pits into the hopper of the seed oil press.

  7. Crank the lever or wheel slowly to further crush and expel the remaining oil. Continue cranking until oil ceases to drip from the spout.

  8. Clarify the oil. Leave the oil to sit for a couple of days then spoon off any contaminants that float to the top. Heat the oil to 250 degrees F to cook off excess water and to kill any bacteria.

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