Images and fables like Ansani have crossed seas, languages and cultures and remain a nostalgic memory to this day. Recipes like these images and fables should continue to remind, teach and mystify us as we connect our stories to future generations. They give a glimpse of the beautiful and nuanced souls of the black people. These recipes and stories go into the future and become the knowledge from which we will all grow.

My grandmother taught my mother how to make coconut butter and then she taught it to me. While we shared the laughter of our busy hands, my mother told me how my grandmother used to sit in reverse and broke up to 100 coconuts to make butter. It was a work in progress. In this recipe, which I will share with you in the future, there are generations united by a traditional, laborious but ultimately satisfying love work.

Homemade coconut oil in 8 simple steps

I have added a shortcut to certain steps, often an easier, quicker and sometimes safer way to switch to a more traditional method. And don’t forget that not all coconuts are made the same way! Of course, one produces more oil than the other. Mom and I usually use three coconuts, and that gave us a cup of coconut oil at ⅓.


Step one. Remove the bowl.
Hold the coconut firmly (palm up) and pat the spine of the chopper until it breaks.

Abbreviation: Wrap the coconut in a kitchen towel. Using a hammer or a hammer, gently tap different parts of the coconut until the brown peel breaks.

Carefully remove the rest of the shell. Don’t forget to enjoy the coconut water! It’s one of the best ways to stay hydrated.

Step two. Rub the coconut
with a hand grater on the thin side of the grater.

Short: Use a kitchen mixer or blender with coconut flakes.


Step three. Add about 1 to 3 glasses of water to the grated coconuts (the extra liquid helps to make juice). Squeeze the juice out of the coconut flakes with your hands.

Brief description: Squeeze the juice with a cheese cloth.

Sieve the coconut milk through a sieve to obtain the same quantity.

The remaining coconut will not have much flavour. When my mother and I made the recipe, we composted the rest or gave the goats a snack!

Step four. Heat the coconut milk in a large pot and let it heat up. They won’t let it boil. Just warm up and turn off the stove. The mixture should not be mixed.


Step five. Cooling
Allow the coconut milk to cool.

Mom and I let it cool down until it’s warm, but it would be much easier and quicker to remove it if we let it cool down to room temperature or even leave it in the fridge for a while.

Step 6. Degreased
After cooling you will see that coconut oil is applied to the coconut water. Remove the fat from the top with a spoon and put it in the pan. My mother and I used a stainless steel pot, but I can imagine that cast iron would be perfect for this process.


Step 7. Cooking
During this part of the process the excitement is minimal. Let the coconut pulp boil, then reduce the heat to medium and boil for about 45 minutes (depending on the size of the batch).

If it bubbles, the look will change. You will notice clean stains (oil) and grey-brown waste. The oil is always separated from the cooked waste. Finally, you can use and share your spoon.


Step 8.
Drain the oil through a sieve or cheese cloth and let it cool down. Let it cool completely and use it to moisturize the skin, hair, oils or as a base for body scrubs.

The last word in saving your coconut oil.
Homemade coconut oil has a very short shelf life. If not stored properly, it will stink for several weeks. Some brands bought in health food stores still use certain types of preservatives to make them last longer. Since the craft version is slowly extracted in small quantities, it is important to store it well so that it does not burn. I suggest you keep it in an airtight glass container and in the fridge. Take the required amount for each use and let it cool down to room temperature before use.


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