In the previous generation, people would visit oil mills with an empty can for purchasing the cooking oil from the oil mills. These oil mills have produced oils in a natural way using a wooden press. This is called as wood pressed oil. It is also called as cold pressed oil. In Tamil, it is popularly known as mara chekku ennai.
But in the last few decades, with the arrival of refined oil, use of wood pressed oil is reduced and it was only used very rarely only in few traditional villages. Wood pressed oils are making a comeback now. This because of the adverse health caused due to usage of refined oil.
It is the main reason many Online Organic Store Chennai has started selling wood pressed oils in their stores.
How refined oil and wood pressed oil are prepared?
The modern method of oil extraction which used of refined involves high supply of heat while in the process of extraction. The oil seed will be crushed and the crushed pulp will be heated at a very high. Heat is added in order to extract all the oil content in the seeds.
Apart from this, chemicals and solvents will be added while extraction. With this method there will be more oil yielded from the seed without any wastage.
The traditional method of wood pressing or cold pressing involves no external addition of heat. The seeds will be crushed in the wooden axis. Most of the heat generated while extraction will be absorbed by the wooden axis. Also, there is no external solvent added during the process. Organic sesame oil, groundnut oil, sunflower oil are prepared by this method.
What is the difference?
Since the heat is added during refined oil extraction, oil is heated to very high temperature. This will change the molecular nature of the oil in an adverse way. It will remove the vital nutrients present in the oil. Also, solvents added to the oil will bring toxic nature to the oil we consume.
In the cold pressing method, oil which is extracted will be in its natural molecular nature. Though the yield will be less comparatively in wood pressed oil, it is by far healthier than their modern day alternative.
