Carrot oil has become a popular ingredient in expensive lotions, skin creams, and shampoos. To create your own natural beauty products at home, start by making a batch of carrot oil. You can either warm grated carrots with oil in a slow cooker or just let dehydrated carrot slices sit in oil for several weeks. Strain off the carrot solids from the oil and store the golden carrot oil in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
Ingredients
- 2 carrots, preferably organic
- Olive, coconut, sunflower, or sesame oil, to cover
Makes 2 to 4 cups (480 to 960 ml)
- 1 bunch of carrots (about 6 to 8), preferably organic
- Olive, coconut, sunflower, or sesame oil, to cover
Makes about 1/2 cup (120 ml)
Steps
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Peel and grate the carrots. Wash two carrots and use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. You can discard the peels. Grate the carrots against the narrow sides of a box grater to shred the carrots finely. [1] X Research source
- If you don't have organic carrots, try to use homegrown carrots instead.
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Place the grated carrots in a slow cooker with oil. Get out a small slow cooker that's between one and two quarts (0.9 to 1.9 liters) in size. Transfer the grated carrots into the slow cooker and pour enough oil to cover the carrots. You can use a neutral oil such as olive, coconut, sunflower, or untoasted sesame. [2] X Research source
- For example, if you have a one-quart (0.9 liter) slow cooker, you'll probably need to use about 2 1/4 cups (540 ml) of oil.
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Heat the oil on low for 24 to 72 hours. Put the lid on the slow cooker and turn it on to low. Leave the oil to infuse with the carrots for 24 to 72 hours. The oil should start to turn orange as it infuses. [3] X Research source
- If your slow cooker has a warm setting, use that instead of low.
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Strain the oil through cheesecloth. Turn off the slow cooker and lay a piece of cheesecloth in a strainer. Slowly pour the oil and carrots through the cheesecloth to strain out the solids. [4] X Research source
- You can discard or compost the carrot solids.
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Store the carrot-infused oil. Transfer the oil to a clean glass jar. Secure a tight fitting lid on top and place the oil in the refrigerator. You can store the oil for six to eight months. [5] X Research source
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Wash and slice the carrots. Get out one bunch of carrots. You should have six to eight fresh carrots. Wash them well to remove any dirt and trim off the green ends. Use a sharp knife to slice them into rounds that are about 1/8-inch (3-mm) thick. [6] X Research source
- You can discard the leafy ends or save them for a different recipe.
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Blanche the carrot slices for three minutes. Get out a large bowl and fill it with ice water. Set it next to the stove. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add the carrot slices and let them boil for three minutes. Turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon to scoop the carrots directly into the icy water in the bowl next to the stove. [7] X Research source
- Submerging the carrots in the ice water will stop them from cooking and help them keep their bright orange color.
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Arrange the carrots on a tray and turn on the oven. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting (about 160 °F (71 °C). Drain the carrots and lay all of the carrot slices on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Leave space between each carrot slice so air can circulate and dry out the carrots. [8] X Research source
- If you have a dehydrator, place the carrot slices in a single layer on the dehydrator tray.
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Dehydrate the carrots until they're completely dry. Put the sheet of carrots in the low oven and bake them for 9 to 12 hours or until they're dried. If you're using a dehydrator, dehydrate them at 125 °F (52 °C) for 12 to 24 hours. [9] X Research source
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Place the dried carrots in a blender with olive oil. Cool the dehydrated carrots and put them into a powerful blender or food processor. Pour enough oil in the blender to cover the carrots completely. You may need up to 1/2 cup (120 ml) of oil. [10] X Research source
- Consider using a neutral oil such as olive, coconut, sunflower, or sesame oil.
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Pulse the carrots with the oil. Put the lid on the blender or food processor and pulse the mixture on and off for about a minute. The carrots should become roughly ground up and the oil should turn a little orange. [11] X Research source
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Pour the carrots and oil into a clean jar. Get out a clean four-ounce (120-ml) glass jar. Transfer the carrot and oil mixture into the jar and seal it shut with a tight fitting lid. [12] X Research source
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Let the carrots and oil rest for four weeks. Place the jar of carrots and oil in a cool, dry place. Leave the carrots to flavor the oil for about four weeks before you begin using the oil. [13] X Trustworthy Source Science Direct Online archive of peer-reviewed research on scientific, technical and medical topics Go to source
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Strain the oil through cheesecloth. Place a piece of cheesecloth in a small, fine mesh strainer. Set the strainer over another small glass jar. Slowly pour the macerated carrot oil through the cheesecloth and discard the solids. [14] X Research source
- You can discard or compost the carrot solids.
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Store the carrot oil. Fasten a tight fitting lid on the jar and store the oil in the refrigerator. Use the carrot oil within six to eight months. [15] X Research source
Expert Q&A
Video
Tips
Things You'll Need
For Carrot-Infused Oil
- Vegetable peeler
- Hand grater
- Small slow cooker
- Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
- Glass storage jar with tight-fitting lid
For Carrot-Macerated Oil
- Knife and cutting board
- Large pot
- Bowl
- Slotted spoon
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Oven
- Blender or food processor
- Dehydrator with tray, optional
- Cheesecloth
- Small, fine mesh strainer
- Four-ounce (120-ml) glass jar with a tight fitting lid
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about cooking, check out our in-depth interview with Sarena Nelson .
References
- ↑ https://frugallysustainable.com/how-to-make-carrot-oil/
- ↑ https://frugallysustainable.com/how-to-make-carrot-oil/
- ↑ https://www.akanne.org/how-to-make-carrot-oil/
- ↑ https://www.akanne.org/how-to-make-carrot-oil/
- ↑ https://www.akanne.org/how-to-make-carrot-oil/
- ↑ https://www.thrive.org.uk/get-gardening/herb-infused-oils
- ↑ https://www.thrive.org.uk/get-gardening/herb-infused-oils
- ↑ https://naturalingredient.org/?p=1029
- ↑ https://www.helenatur.com/reseptit/homemade-carrot-oil-easy-to-prepare/
- ↑ https://www.helenatur.com/reseptit/homemade-carrot-oil-easy-to-prepare/
- ↑ https://naturalingredient.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/Carrot-Oil-health-properties-and-skin-protection.pdf
- ↑ https://naturalingredient.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/Carrot-Oil-health-properties-and-skin-protection.pdf
- ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B978012818188100030X
- ↑ https://www.thesassyengineer.com/diy-how-to-make-carrot-oil-from-juice-pulp/
- ↑ https://www.thesassyengineer.com/diy-how-to-make-carrot-oil-from-juice-pulp/
About This Article
To make carrot oil, start by peeling and grating 2 carrots. Then, put the grated carrots in a slow cooker and fill the cooker with enough oil to fully cover the carrots. Cover the cooker, set it to low, and let the carrots and oil cook for 24-72 hours. Finally, strain the carrot-infused oil through a cheesecloth and store the oil in a glass jar in the fridge. To learn how to make carrot-macerated oil, scroll down!
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