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Grow your own oil

pollinator

Posts: 1398

Location: cool climate, Blue Mountains, Australia

posted 6 years ago

I didn't know where to put this thread about growing oil plants in your backyards. I don't want to talk about animal fats here, that's another topic.
Which oil plants are suitable for the backyard? The question here is not so much about growing these plants but about easily processing the oil.
The problem here is mainly how to process oil on a household scale. We do not have any oil presses near us.
I have planted some olive trees, all named cultivators and they start bearing (not enough to press oil from), they actually start much earlier than I thought.
How about sunflowers, pumpkin, camelina... What are the yields?

Medicinal herbs, kitchen herbs, perennial edibles and berries: https://mountainherbs.net/ grown in the Blue Mountains, Australia

Jordan Lowery

pollinator

Posts: 1528

Location: zone 7

posted 6 years ago

how big a space are we talking and how much oil are you thinking of needing?

The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings. - Masanobu Fukuoka

John Polk

steward

Posts: 7926

Location: Currently in Lake Stevens, WA. Home in Spokane

318

posted 6 years ago

Here are 2 links that may help you decide what will work best for you in your climate.

This first link is to the Piteba oil press site's table regarding yields of oils from various crops:
http://www.piteba.com/eng/performance.html

This link has a good article about Sunflower seed oil production, including a Do-It-Yourself press design.

Angelika Maier

pollinator

Posts: 1398

Location: cool climate, Blue Mountains, Australia

posted 6 years ago

Had any of you actually used the piteba press?
I actually had a look at amazon and the press got very bad reviews.
We could maybe spare hundred square meters or so.
There is actually a second press on the market which looks quite similar: webpage
And here some guys write how they press their olive oil: olive oil, they use an insinkerator which is something some people use for putting garbage down the sink.

Medicinal herbs, kitchen herbs, perennial edibles and berries: https://mountainherbs.net/ grown in the Blue Mountains, Australia

David Livingston

pollinator

Posts: 4328

Location: Anjou ,France

243

posted 6 years ago

Hi Angelika
The second oil press you link too is frankly a chinese rip off of the Piteba oil press .
I am going to be buying a pitbea this year . Yes its a faff on yes you will need to do some work but it seems do able for only 115€ anything larger /different you will have to make yourself or pay quadruple for. I would buy direct from Holland if I was you
I already have acsess to walnuts and intend to grow black seed sunflowers . Also as I grow lots of pumpkins already I may try them .

David

Living in Anjou , France,
For the many not for the few
http://www.permies.com/t/80/31583/projects/Permie-Pennies-France#330873

Peter Ellis

Posts: 1444

Location: Fennville MI

posted 6 years ago

Here is a link to an article about using the Piteba oil press.

http://homeplaceearth.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/using-a-piteba-oil-press/

Looking at Amazon, I would not say the press got very bad reviews. What I found showed an average rating of 3.5 stars, with more people giving 4 to 5 star reviews than any other level.

It has also come up here on Permies before.

Angelika Maier

pollinator

Posts: 1398

Location: cool climate, Blue Mountains, Australia

posted 6 years ago

I read some reviews at amazon and the original press does not seem to be of a great quality either. It seems to me very small. A bit like grinding flour with a corona mill. Building home scaled oil presses would really be a nice income for permies.

Medicinal herbs, kitchen herbs, perennial edibles and berries: https://mountainherbs.net/ grown in the Blue Mountains, Australia

Peter Ellis

Posts: 1444

Location: Fennville MI

posted 6 years ago

Angelika Maier wrote:I read some reviews at amazon and the original press does not seem to be of a great quality either. It seems to me very small. A bit like grinding flour with a corona mill. Building home scaled oil presses would really be a nice income for permies.

Interesting. It is small, but it is not intended for commercial purposes. I read all the reviews, many of which were quite positive about the quality of the construction. The negative ones appeared to have been talking about the Chinese knock-off, as they described different materials in the construction than are used in the Dutch product.

I am not ready to try one yet, and when I am I might go looking for one of those dissatisfied customers who found it too complicated or too much work, and get it at a discounted price.

Jeff Rash

Posts: 90

Location: Arizona & North Dakota

posted 6 years ago

Hi,

Anybody think that some of these oils you discuss might be used as a replacement for kerosene in lanterns?

We are talking old school, Ms O'Leary's cow kicked over, type of kerosene lantern. Think Amish.

I partly look at permaculture as a way to survive should something happen to bring down our house of cards. Having a natural substitute for crude oil based products like kerosene might be very helpful, especially when one turns on the light switch and nothing happens but question marks.

YLE

David Livingston

pollinator

Posts: 4328

Location: Anjou ,France

243

posted 6 years ago

Yes And then nô . It dépends for making say 20 litres a year for cooking then yes .
More than that that you are looking at differing kit And more plants etc etc.

David

Living in Anjou , France,
For the many not for the few
http://www.permies.com/t/80/31583/projects/Permie-Pennies-France#330873

Peter Ellis

Posts: 1444

Location: Fennville MI

posted 6 years ago

Vegetable oil burns fine in lanterns and oil lamps. Works fine in the little burner to heat the expressed unit, too. And, vegetable oil is less likely than kerosene to burn down the house if you knock it over. Not that you do not need to be careful, but it is less volatile.

D. Young

Posts: 6

posted 6 years ago

Here in N. FL, we have a wonderful resource in Brandy Cowley-Gilbert at Just Fruits in Medart, FL.

Brandy is a world-class expert --decades of experience-- on fruit trees that do well in our Gulf Coast area; from Kiwi to Olive.

She even mixes custom fertilizers for each variety!

I've planted two of her Arqebina (sp?) cultivars... a year later they're still alive even after the record cold spells we've had this winter.

The idea of my own EVOO drizzled on top of my own kiln-baked bread REALLY motivates me.

Thanks for what you've done; and please continue to provide info and links on this (growing your own oil) subject.

Heidi Beckwith

Posts: 12

posted 6 years ago

I think nuts are a great resource. I have walnut trees, grow sunflowers, and am planning on planting hazelnuts. All of these have high oil content. However, I would recommend hazelnuts due to the fact that they are perennial and produce quickly in comparison with walnuts.

Here's another oil press that I don't think has been linked to. http://www.easyoilpress.com/ Don't know if it's any good.

David Livingston

pollinator

Posts: 4328

Location: Anjou ,France

243

posted 6 years ago

I think this is another chinese model . The Piteba looks more solid and I think would cost less .

David

Living in Anjou , France,
For the many not for the few
http://www.permies.com/t/80/31583/projects/Permie-Pennies-France#330873

D. Young

Posts: 6

posted 6 years ago

Thanks for the feedback, Heidi! (I too have hickory and walnuts... several hazelnuts....as well as chinquapin, pecan and sunflowers planted.)

I had not heard of that press before, thanks!

Here's another oil press that I don't think has been linked to. http://www.easyoilpress.com/ Don't know if it's any good.

Angelika Maier

pollinator

Posts: 1398

Location: cool climate, Blue Mountains, Australia

posted 6 years ago

I have planted some olive trees and plan to plant some oil crops (all must be netted).
Sunflower, anyone tried safflower, camelina or similar? I guess the oil seed pumpkin takes too much space although the oil is sooo yummy and it would cross with the other more edible pumpkins. On the other hand you could use the flesh as stock feed. Any figures how much oil per square meter? From what I googled up olives give you about 2 litres per tree. But I think you would need a different press than the piteba.

Medicinal herbs, kitchen herbs, perennial edibles and berries: https://mountainherbs.net/ grown in the Blue Mountains, Australia

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