What is Wood Pressed Oil?

Wood Pressed oil is extracted slowly in Vagai marachekku (Wooden ghani) which is practised from ages in order to prevent heating of oil.

Are Wood Pressed oils healthier?
Wood Pressed oils are definitely healthier than refned oils. Most of the nutritive capacity of refined oil is lost after they are exposed to high heat and chemicals. The case is completely different in cold-pressed oils, which retain most of their nutrients because of a heat-free and chemical-free manufacturing process. Most cold-pressed oils are rich in vitamin E, which has anti-inflammatory properties and oleic acid, which boosts your immunity.

Wood Pressed Oil Benefits:
1) Unprocessed – No added preservatives and chemicals
2) Absolutely free of pesticides (which are arguably carcinogenic)
3) High in Vitamin E and micronutrients that are vital for our holistic well-being.
4) Completely free from Trans-fat.
5) Retains antioxidants.
6) As it is manually filtered, it is more viscous and retains the flavor fully. This helps in lesser consumption (at least by 20%)
of oil as compared to the industrially processed refined oil.

What are Refined oils?

Seeds such as soybean, corn, sunflower, etc are chemically treated and processed to get their oil. As these oils are chemically obtained they have to be refined. The refining process strips the oil of its natural properties and benefits. They are unhealthy and not natural.

Refined oils are popular as their extraction gives a higher yield of oil because the oils are heated at very high temperatures making them expand and increase in quantity. Low-quality seeds can be used for the process as additives make the oil neutral when it comes to taste, color, and odor. They also have a longer shelf life. All of which makes it widely available to the market at an affordable price.

How is cold-pressed/wood press oil different from Refined Oil?

Cold pressing is a method where the seeds/nuts are crushed until the oil is obtained. It is purely a mechanical process and does not involve chemical intervention. Heat is not intentionally introduced during the process so it retains the quality and the nutritional benefits of the oil. The only low-temperature heat produced is caused by friction from the crushing of seeds/nuts. The extraction process is completely natural. 

The process for extraction is the same for all cold-pressed oils. Groundnuts are dried and then crushed between a wooden press called Ghani or Wooden Chekku. Coconuts are split open, dried, and then pressed. Sunflower seeds are dehulled and then any foreign objects that are present, are removed before oil is extracted. In the case of safflower oil, seeds are taken from the plant when it is quite dry. The seeds are first peeled, flaked, and then pressed.

With so many varieties of cold-pressed oils out there, choosing one out of the many can be quite stressful. We’re here to demystify and differentiate the cold-pressed oils that we offer at Go Rustic.