Making Neem oil at home made easy
What is Neem oil?
Neem oil is an extract of the parts of the Neem tree originating in the Indian subcontinent and now found in many tropical areas. That's where I came across the magical plant. My first morning in India in 2000 while having wonderful chai in clay cups on the street, I watched people brushing their teeth with sticks. Ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic medicines have many uses for neem oil. The oil can be extracted from the seeds, fruits, leaves and stems. Here we'll be using the leaves and stems because that's what I found in the market.
Keep it local and natural
Where does Neem oil come from?
Neem oil can be extracted by various methods including:
- pressing extraction
- cold extraction
- heat extraction
- solvent extraction
How can Neem oil be used?
Neem oil has many uses. Skin problems, tooth and gum issues, natural insecticide, and more. Insecticide may be a bit scary and the oil is not edible as the potency is very high. In India, neem sticks are used to brush teeth and sold on the public trains. Takes some chewing to get it as a brush but the results are fantastic. I've tried the sticks a few times.
Let's show how to make Neem oil at home.
Find the neem leaves. - As I thought the leaves could be found in the market that was my first destination. In Thai neem is called "sadao". After asking around I was directed to a couple of little old ladies selling traditional vegetables. I'll continue to look around for the trees for future endeavors. People were quite surprised and excited to know that I was interested in "sadao". Truthfully, I'm not sure what the local use is but I'll investigate shortly.
Separate, wash and dry. - Quite simple, however make doubly sure the leaves are completely dry otherwise they will pop in the hot coconut oil and you could get hit with hot oil. Not fun ;)
Grind the leaves - After making sure the leaves are fully dry, grind them to a rough paste in a blender attachment. I tried the large blender attachment due to the quantity but the smaller one was more effective. Set aside the mix of paste and stems.
Heat up coconut oil- In a pan until smoking hot using a low flame. I was waiting until it boiled but seems that coconut oil smokes more than boils. Regardless, surely the oil was hot enough... I recommend cooking outside if possible as the smell is very strong.
Add the paste - Carefully add the mix of Neem leaves and stems bits at a time stirring the mixture. Cook the mixture on lowest flame for around 15 minutes. Set aside until completely cool.
Strain the oil - strain out of the mixture into a glass container and press/squeeze the remaining oil out of the mixture. Seal and use within 3 to 4 months.
Simple as that and we're finished
Thanks for reading about how to make your own Neem oil. I hope you try the process and have great success!