How Do I Remove Oil From Sunflower Seeds?

Sunflower seeds contain edible oil.

Sunflowers produce masses of small seeds with oily kernels. While commercial companies use large equipment to remove the oil from sunflower seeds, portable equipment allows individual gardeners and hobbyists to extract this oil on a smaller scale. The oil can be used for cooking and food preparation. Homemade extraction allows you to enjoy the taste of your sunflower harvest as well as the display of these brightly colored blossoms.

Things You'll Need

• Paper bag
• Pruning shears
• Newspaper
• Colander
• Paper towel
• Oven
• Bowl Pestle
• Casserole dish
• Cooking thermometer
• Seed oil press
• Measuring cup

Instructions

1. Harvest sunflowers after the petals begin to wilt and fall from the blossoms. A ripe sunflower head droops toward the ground and contains mostly hard shells, with a few empty seed pockets from seeds that recently fell. Hold a paper bag under the seed heads, clipping the neck of the blossom off the stalk with a pair of sharp pruning shears.

2. Hold the seed heads over a piece of newspaper. Rub your thumb and fingers over the surface of the seeds to remove them from the flower pulp. Toss out misshapen or discolored seeds and remove the crumbled portions of the seed head.

3. Place the harvested seeds into a colander and rinse in cool water to remove dust particles and debris. Spread the seeds over a clean paper towel to dry.

4. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. While it is heating, place about half a cup of seeds into a sturdy bowl. Crush the seeds lightly with the pestle. Break the hulls and slightly grind the seeds. Place the seeds in a casserole dish and heat until they reach about 170 degrees Fahrenheit. The seeds should take 10 to 20 minutes to reach the desired temperature, depending on your oven and the amount of seeds you are heating.

5. Drop the warm, crushed seeds into the seed oil press. Place a measuring cup beneath the drainage spout on the lower section of the press. Apply enough pressure to the handle so the inner mechanisms squeeze the seeds and displace the oil into the drainage spout.

Tips & Warnings

• Store the oil in an airtight container and use within six months of extraction.

• A cooking thermometer can be used to test the temperature of the seeds. Scoop them into a pile and place the thermometer in the center of the pile.

References

• National Sustainable Agriculture Information Services: Oilseed Processing for Small-Scale Producers
• Journey to Forever: Sunflower Seed Oil Press