Walk into any supermarket and you'll find shelves lined with "refined" cooking oils — clear, odourless, cheap, and with a shelf life that seems to last forever. But have you ever wondered what makes them so different from the oil your grandparents used?
The answer lies in how the oil is extracted. And that process determines almost everything about what ends up in your food.
How Refined Oils Are Made
Industrial refined oils go through a multi-step chemical process:
- Solvent extraction — Seeds are bathed in hexane (a petroleum-based chemical) to dissolve out maximum oil. This gets ~98% yield but leaves chemical residue.
- Degumming — Phosphoric acid is added to remove natural gums and lecithin.
- Neutralization — Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) is used to remove free fatty acids.
- Bleaching — Activated clay strips the oil of colour, along with carotenoids and chlorophyll.
- Deodorization — Oil is heated to 230-260°C under vacuum to remove all smell and taste.
What's left is a nutrient-stripped liquid that merely looks like oil. It pours easily, doesn't smell, lasts 12+ months — and offers almost nothing to your body.
How Wood Pressed (Ghani) Oils Are Made
Traditional wooden ghani extraction is the opposite approach:
- Seeds are placed in a large wooden mortar (ghani)
- A wooden pestle rotates slowly, crushing seeds with gentle pressure
- Wood-on-wood friction generates almost no heat — temperature stays below 40°C
- Oil flows out naturally and is collected
- It's then settled for 48 hours (no chemical filtration) and bottled
The result: oil that retains its natural Vitamin E, Omega fatty acids, antioxidants, natural aroma, and flavour. Nothing added, nothing removed.
The Trade-Off
Wood pressing yields about 30% less oil than industrial methods. That's why it costs more — you're paying for what's preserved, not just what's extracted. But for families who cook with oil every single day, the cumulative health benefit is significant.
Quick Comparison
| Parameter | Wood Pressed | Refined |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Below 40°C | 230-260°C |
| Chemicals | Zero | Hexane, NaOH, Bleach |
| Nutrients | Fully retained | Mostly destroyed |
| Aroma | Natural seed aroma | Odourless |
| Trans fats | Zero | May be present |
| Shelf life | 4-6 months | 12+ months |
| Yield | ~65% | ~98% |
Who Should Switch?
If your family uses oil for daily cooking — which most Indian families do — switching to wood pressed oil is one of the simplest upgrades you can make. You don't need to change recipes, cooking methods, or habits. Just change the oil.
The difference is subtle at first (richer aroma, better taste), but over months, families report better digestion, improved skin quality, and a general sense that food "feels" lighter.
Ready to try the difference?
Buy ABC Farms Oils