The process is simple.
- Set up your machine.
- Fill the heating unit with the recommended flammable and light.
- Allow it to heat – this takes about 10 minutes.
- Pour your seeds into the hopper.
- Crank your butt off – it takes about 20 minutes to make 14 ounces of oil. That’s about a 2-liter bottle full of seeds.
- Remove your container of fresh oil and cap tightly.
- Clean your machine.
- Your oil will be black, assuming you’re using black oil sunflower seeds. Once it sets for a few days, the sediment will settle to the bottom.
- Siphon off the oil and discard the sediment.
- Store for up to 2 years in a tightly-sealed container in a cool, dry place.
Different oils have different shelf lives but for the most part, seed and nut oils are good for at least a year, and often 2-3. If the oil is rancid, it will change colors and smell off. The taste won’t be pleasant, either.
That’s all there is to making vegetable oil. You now have a high-quality product to cook with or to use as a base for soap, candles, lamp or bio-fuel or body oils.