Virgin Coconut Oil

Anything in its purest form is always the best, especially where health and well being is concerned. This also applies to coconut oil. This oil in its most refined form is also known as virgin coconut oil. And this requires a different process from what is used for deriving the oil that is generally used.

The virgin coconut oil is derived from the fresh coconut non-copra part, also called the flesh of the coconut. For this oil there is no usage of chemicals or high temperature heating to further refine it. This is because the natural and pure oil is absolutely stable. Its shelf life goes up to several years.

There are essentially two primary process used to manufacture this type of coconut oil. These are:

• Briskly drying the non-copra of the fresh coconut and then pressing out the oil. This requires the least amount of heat for drying the coconut flesh, after which mechanical methods are used to derive the oil.
• Wet-milling is a method whereby the oil is derived without drying the non-copra of the coconut. Instead the coconut milk is derived, from which the water is separated; and from this water the oil is extracted. To carry out this various methods such as the following can be used:
  - Boiling
  - Fermentation
  - Refrigeration
  - Enzymes
  - Mechanical centrifuge.