How to Ferment Coconut Oil

Fermentation is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide under anaerobic conditions. The fermentation process is what turns grapes into wine. Fermented coconut oil is good for home use only if it will be used right away. The shelf life is from two weeks to two months. The shelf life refers to how long a product can stay on the shelf before you discard it. Fermented oil will turn rancid after a short amount of time due to the high moisture content in the oil.

Instructions

• 1

  Remove the coconut milk from the coconut. Open the coconut by piercing the eyes of the coconut with a sharp knife. At the top of the coconut you will find three indention's that appear to look like eyes. Take the knife and pierce each of these eyes. Drain the water into a glass. This water is not the milk.

• 2

  Place the coconut inside a plastic bag. Grocery store bags are ideal for this process. Wrap the coconut securely in the bag and place it in another plastic bag. Take the bag and swing it against the side of a concrete step or take the bag and hold it over head to slam onto the ground below you. This is best done outside or on a concrete surface such as a garage or basement.

• 3

  Remove the coconut pieces from the bag. The meat (the white coconut) is what you will need to make your coconut milk. Insert a knife between the shell and the meat and give the knife a twist to remove the meat. Rinse to make sure you remove all the shell.

• 4

  Place the meat in a blender and add hot water. Add just enough to cover the meat in the blender, about ¼ cup. Blend the meat until it is finely grated. Take a bowl and cover it with cheesecloth. The liquid that goes through the cheese cloth is your milk. Discard any remaining solids on top of the cheesecloth.

• 5

  Allow the coconut oil to sit for 20 to 36 hours in an open jar to allow the fermentation process to separate the oil. The fermenting process turns the oil sour. The coconut oil is found in the top two layers of the jar. Refrigerate after two days. This will let the oil and the curd harden.

• 6

  Remove the jar from the refrigerator and drain any remaining water. After the coconut oil becomes solid in the refrigerator there will be a little water remaining. In a sauce pan, pour the oil curd mixture and heat on low-medium heat for 12 hours.

• 7

  Remove from the heat and let cool. You will be able to see the oil and coconut solids, separate the oil from the solids. Cover the mouth of the jar with cheesecloth and pour the mixture into the jar. Allow the mixture to drain for a few hours before removing cheesecloth. One coconut yields three to four tablespoons of virgin coconut oil.