Buzz
Carrot oil is quickly becoming a sought-after ingredient in high-end lotions, skin creams, and shampoos. If you're looking to create your own natural beauty products at home, making carrot oil is a great place to start. You can cook grated carrots with oil in a slow cooker, or simply soak sliced, dried carrots in oil for a few weeks. Once done, strain out the carrot pulp and store the golden carrot oil in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
Ingredients
Cook Carrot Oil
- 2 carrots, preferably organic
- Olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, or sesame oil
Yields 2-4 cups (480-960 ml)
Infuse Carrot Oil
- 6-8 carrots, ideally organic
- Olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, or sesame oil
Yields 1/2 cup (120 ml)
Steps
Make Carrot Oil
Peel and grate the carrots. Wash 2 carrots thoroughly, then peel them using a vegetable peeler and discard the peel. Use the fine side of a vegetable grater to shred the carrots into thin strips.
- If organic carrots are not available, you can use homegrown carrots.
Place the grated carrots in a slow cooker. Put the grated carrots into a small 1-2 liter slow cooker. Pour enough oil to completely cover the carrots. You can use neutral oils such as olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, or raw sesame oil.
- For example, if using a 1-liter slow cooker, you will need about 540 ml of oil.
Cook the oil on low heat for 24-72 hours. Cover the slow cooker and set it to low heat. Let the oil infuse with the carrots for 24-72 hours. The oil will start turning orange as it soaks in the carrots.
- If your slow cooker has a warm setting, use it instead of cooking on low heat.
Strain the oil through cheesecloth. Turn off the slow cooker. Line a strainer with a piece of cheesecloth. Slowly pour the oil and carrots through the cheesecloth to strain out the carrot pulp.
- You can discard the carrot pulp or use it as compost.
Store carrot oil. Pour the oil into a clean glass jar, seal the lid tightly, and place it in the refrigerator. Carrot oil can be stored for 6 to 8 months.
Infuse Carrot Oil
Wash and slice the carrots. Buy a bag of carrots. You will need about 6-8 fresh carrots. Wash them thoroughly to remove any dirt and sand, then cut off the tops of the carrots. Use a sharp knife to slice the carrots into round pieces, about 3 mm thick.
- You can discard the carrot tops or save them for another recipe.
Blanch the carrots for 3 minutes. Fill a large bowl with ice water and place it next to the stove. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the sliced carrots to the pot and let it boil for 3 more minutes. Turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the carrots to the ice water bowl next to the stove.
- The ice water will prevent the carrots from cooking further and help retain their bright orange color.
Arrange the carrots on a tray and preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to the lowest setting (around 71°C). Drain the carrots and spread them out in a single layer on a baking tray. Make sure there is space between the carrot slices to allow air circulation for drying.
- If you have a food dehydrator, you can place the carrots in a single layer on the dehydrator tray.
Dry the carrots completely. Place the tray of carrots in the oven at a low temperature and bake for 9-12 hours, or until fully dried. If using a food dehydrator, set it to 52°C and dehydrate for 12-24 hours.
Place the dried carrots in a blender with olive oil. Let the dried carrots cool, then add them to a blender or food processor. Pour enough oil into the blender to cover the carrots. You may need about ½ cup (120 ml) of oil.
- Consider using neutral oils like olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, or sesame oil.
Blend the carrots with the oil. Secure the lid on the blender or food processor and blend in batches for about 1 minute. The carrots will break down into small pieces, and the oil will turn orange.
Pour the carrot-oil mixture into a clean jar. Transfer the carrot-oil mixture into a clean 120 ml glass jar and seal the lid tightly.
Let the oil and carrots infuse for 4 weeks. Store the jar of carrot-oil mixture in a cool, dry place. Allow the oil to absorb the carrot scent for about 4 weeks before using.
Strain the oil through cheesecloth. Place a piece of cheesecloth on a fine mesh strainer. Set the strainer over another small glass jar and slowly pour the carrot-infused oil through the cloth.
- You can discard the carrot pulp or compost it.
Store the carrot oil. Seal the jar containing the carrot oil and keep it in the refrigerator. The carrot oil will remain good for use for 6-8 months.
Items You Will Need
Prepare Carrot Oil
- Vegetable peeler
- Grater
- Small slow cooker
- Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
- Glass jar with a tightly fitting lid
Carrot oil infusion
- Knife and cutting board
- Large pot
- Bowl
- Slotted spoon
- Shallow baking tray with edges
- Oven
- Blender or food processor
- Food dehydrator with trays, if available
- Cheesecloth
- Fine mesh strainer
- Glass jar with a 120 ml capacity and a tight-fitting lid
