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An easy-to-follow guide for extracting oil from walnuts
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Walnut oil is a wonderful addition to certain foods, your skin care regimen and even your medicine cabinet. However, it tends to get pricey because of its limited production. Luckily, if you have a few small kitchen tools, you’ll be able to produce your own batch of walnut oil from home.
Steps
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Buy or collect 8 lbs of whole walnuts in the shell. These are your freshest option. The freshness of your walnuts will ultimately determine how much oil you will extract. -
Crack open the walnut. Using a hinged nutcracker, place the whole nut between the two metal hinges and squeeze tightly. [1] X Research sourceAdvertisement -
Remove the meat. Separate the walnut meat from the shell, including the thin seed jacket. Don't worry about breaking the meat, as you will be grinding it in the next part. -
Place walnut meat in a bowl. Collect your shelled walnuts in a bowl as you go, and throw out the shells.
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Prepare your grinder. The walnuts should be ground using a meat grinder, a food processor, or even a Nutribullet, whichever you have access to. [2] X Research source- When using a food processor or Nutribullet, make sure blades and nuts are at a cool room temperature before grinding. This will prevent overheating, and keep the nuts from turning into a paste. [3] X Research source
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Put a cup of walnuts at a time into your machine. It's important not to overfill food processors, as this will cause an uneven consistency during processing. -
Grind the walnuts. “Pulse” grind your walnuts by turning your machine on for a couple of seconds and then off again. -
Repeat. Continue the pulse method of grinding until your walnut meat is a fine nut meal consistency.- Do not blend continuously, or the oils will release too soon. [4] X Research source
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Place ground walnuts in a clean bowl. After grinding a cup of the meat, put it aside in a bowl while continuing to grind the remaining walnuts.
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Pour the walnut meal into a pot. Pour your ground walnuts into a pot big enough for you to add water and still stir comfortably without spilling. -
Add water. Pour just enough water into the pot to cover walnut meat. -
Simmer for approximately 45 minutes. While the mixture is heating, it needs to be stirred continuously. Once the moisture has evaporated, it is ready to be pressed.
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Learn your oil press. Every oil press is different. Some presses don't require the grinding step, while others don't require heating. Make sure you know what type of press you’ll be using in advance, and follow the instructions for your appliance. -
Place a clean bowl under your press. Have a clean container prepared to catch the oil as you’re pressing. -
Press the walnuts. Following the directions on your appliance, begin putting small amounts of the heated walnut meat into the press and squeeze until you get oil. [5] X Research source- Once you’ve gone through all of your walnuts you should have approximately two quarts of oil , depending on the quality of your nuts.
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Rinse the cheesecloth. Run the cheesecloth under cold water to remove any lint that may be stuck. -
Place the cheesecloth inside a colander or funnel. Shake open the cheesecloth and line the inside of your colander/funnel with it. The cheesecloth is doing the filtering, but the colander/funnel gives structure, making the process easier. [6] X Research source -
Place the funnel or colander over your pitcher. A pitcher will make it easier to dispense into bottles for storing. -
Pour the oil into the pitcher. Take the bowl of oil you caught from the press and pour the oil through the cheesecloth colander/ funnel and into the pitcher. The cheesecloth will catch any debris remaining in the oil.
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Choose your bottles. Use small to medium sized brown or stainless steel bottles. These are better at protecting the oil from heat or damaging light. [7] X Research source -
Bottle the oil. Dispense the pitcher of oil into your chosen bottles. -
Seal the bottle. When you’ve filled a bottle, make sure to seal it to maintain freshness. -
Label the bottle. Put the date of production on your bottles, so you always have a time reference when you use it. -
Refrigerate the oil. Refrigeration is the best step in prolonging the life of your walnut oil.- Walnut oil will be fresh for about two to three months . [8] X Research source
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Tips
- Walnut oil is heat sensitive. It tends to turn bitter in taste when cooked at high temperatures. It is best used in dressings and sauces particularly for salads, pastas and desserts. [9] X Research sourceThanks
- Remember that the shelf life of refrigerated walnut oil is about two months. If you don’t think you'll use two quarts in that time, you can cut the amount of walnuts you use and the time spent heating them in half.Thanks
- For easier use of your oil, take it out of the refrigerator and allow it to warm to room temperature for an hour or so first.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- 8 lb (3,600 g)
- 3 bowls
- Nutcracker
- 1 pitcher
- Meat grinder, food processor or Nutribullet
- Oil press
- Cheesecloth
- Colander or funnel
- Storage bottles that seal.
References
- ↑ https://delishably.com/fruits/What-is-most-efficient-way-to-crack-walnuts
- ↑ https://www.reference.com/world-view/can-nutribullet-replace-food-processor-b438d71f1d1e0729
- ↑ https://food52.com/blog/9162-how-to-make-your-own-nut-flours-without-making-nut-butter
- ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk/institute/cookery-videos/nuts/how-to-grind-nuts
- ↑ http://oilypedia.com/how-to-make-walnut-oil-a-step-to-step-guide/
- ↑ https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-strain-with-a-cheesecloth/
- ↑ http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--1193/oils-and-fats-handlingsafetystorage.asp
- ↑ http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--1193/oils-and-fats-handlingsafetystorage.asp
- ↑ https://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/WalnutOil.htm
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