How to Extract the Oil of Papaya Seeds

Papayas are a nutritious tropical fruit with many uses, served as a breakfast and dessert fruit and also milked for their papain. When extracted from the papaya seed, the oil is found to have moisturizing properties. Its high oleic acid content also makes it a stable cooking oil. It possesses an orange hue when cold-pressed, although the seeds themselves are small, numerous and black. Extracting papaya seed oil from organic fruits grown without pesticides is one way to reduce your consumption of unhealthy chemicals.

• 1

  Cut open the ripe papaya to expose the orange meat and black seeds. A ripe papaya has completely or partly yellow skin and feels slightly soft when squeezed.

• 2

  Scoop out the seeds with a spoon into a sieve or piece of cheesecloth. Take only the seeds and leave the meat intact.

• 3

  Wash the seeds in cold water to remove any juice and bits of meat. Drain well.

• 4

  Place the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet or other flat surface. Dry the seeds out of direct sunlight at about 100 degrees F for up to six hours. You may use a conventional oven if you can be certain the seeds do not overheat; overheating kills the seed and decreases its nutritional value.

• 5

  Place seeds into an oil press and follow the press instructions for maximum oil extraction.