How to Clean Grape Seeds for Use in Herbal Oil

Grape seeds require the removal of grape pulp before oil can be extracted.

The bitter tasting seeds from grapes are often discarded while eating.However, instead of throwing away the grape seeds, you can extract the oil. Before the oil is made, you need to clean the seeds and then dry them. Cleaning requires the removal of all debris and grape pulp, though in grape seeds you do not need to remove any husks.

Things You'll Need

• Spoon or knife
• Container
• Strainer
• Paper towels

Instructions

1. Put the grapes on a smooth surface, like a counter. You can use a spoon to crush the grapes, effectively getting to the seeds, or you can use a knife and cut the grapes, taking care to avoid cutting through the seeds. The knife is less messy, but it takes longer. Pick off as much pulp from the seeds as possible.

2. Put the seeds in a container and pour water over them. Gently shake the container to get all of the seeds wet. Pour out most of the water and repeat the process. This will remove the majority of the debris and pulp from the grapes.

3. Pour the water and grape seeds through a strainer. Remove as much water as possible in the strainer.

4. Pour the grape seeds from the strainer onto a paper towel. Spread out the seeds and blot them dry with a second paper towel.

5. Move the seeds to a new, dry paper towel and repeat, until all of the excess water is removed. Dry the seeds according to your preferences. You can dry the seeds in the sun by laying them out, in a drying machine or any other method you prefer. Once dry, the grape seeds are ready for you to extract the oil.

References

• National Sustainable Agriculture Information Source: Oilseed Processing for Small-scale Producers; Al Kurki, Janet Bachmann and Holly Hill
• A World of Aroma Therapy: Extraction of Essential Oils
• University of Maryland Medical Center: Grape Seed