You all know very well how beneficial fish oil is for human health. It comprises omega 3 fatty acids, of course, which brings bundles of advantages to your table. For instance, they can improve brain functionality, boost your heart health, assist in sleeping properly, and take good care of your skin, hair, and nails.
But how about extracting fish oil? Is it possible to do it at home, or do you require experts to perform this task for you? Well, for now, we can tell you that the science behind extracting fish oil is not too hard. You can definitely do it at home, and we have stated the steps here in the easiest way possible.
How Is Fish Oil Extracted?
Picking an Oily Fish
Oily fish is the ultimate fish oil source. They can include salmon, trout, herring, and mackerel. Although you can extract oil from almost all sorts of fish, if possible, you should limit your search to sardines because they have a higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids as well as vitamins.
Moreover, you should know that fish have varieties, encompassing wild and farmed. The farmed ones usually have enhanced concentrations of omega-3s as compared to wild fish. Also, if you are investigating this topic online, you should also look for the term ‘fatty fish’ alongside ‘oily fish’.
Gutting and Cutting the Chosen Fish
Gutting fish means to remove its internal organs, specifically from the abdominal region. The prime purpose of gutting is to prevent the flesh of fish from the decomposition of these organs. This is a necessary procedure for cleanliness and avoiding health issues. Also, this step has its own technique, which you should carefully follow. Let us give you an overview.
First, you need to buy the equipment particularly made for gutting, which is a fillet knife. It gives you good control and usually comprises a blade of 6 to 11 inches in length. Then, place its edge at the rear of the gills of the fish and cut completely, i.e., till the end. Then, you should remove and throw away the tail as well as the head.
Afterward, insert the knife’s tip into the vent of the fish and slice it down. This step is essential for opening its belly area. Moreover, you have to avoid deep cuts because that can burst an organ of the fish. Once open, you can use your fingers to take the entrails out. Now, throw them away, and while doing all this, do not forget to wear gloves to keep unwanted substances away from your skin.
The next step involves cutting the fish into chunks. You can use a clean fillet knife for this purpose or opt for a butcher’s knife instead. Moreover, you require a flat surface for proper preparation of these pieces. Also, you do not have to hold the fish during the cutting process as there are higher chances of injury.
Putting under Sunlight
Once the pieces are ready, put them into a plastic container with a lid. Now, you should place this container under the sun for 2 weeks as it aids in speeding up the process. For this approach, make sure to use a container that has a lid firmly attached to it. This is because, in open environments under sunlight, there are probabilities of other animals wandering close.
Moreover, the container can get really smelly from the inside. Hence, you have to find an apt place in your house to keep the odor at a distance from you and your visitors.
Separating the Oil
Once the 2 weeks are over, open the container and observe the liquid that your fish produced. Now, use cheesecloth and separate this liquid into another clean container. It is best to use a transparent container with a lid. This will assist in separating oil from water and let this process take its time.
Moreover, the oil will float at the top, so take it out into a new container. If you store fish oil in a sealed container, it can survive for a month.
Wet Pressing for Fish Oil Extraction
It is known as the common method of fish oil extraction as it effectively performs the task. First, you should take the raw fish and cut it into pieces before cooking it via steam. Afterward, you should press this cooked fish and separate the oil and water from the dry pieces. You can use these solids in fish meal as it will not assist in fish oil extraction.
The next step involves the separation of oil from water. Most probably, the water will comprise solids, which you can utilize in the meal. Initiate the refinement process and use hot water to purify oil. Prior to the final step, you should add antioxidants.
How to Get Fish Oil Naturally?
Methods like putting in the sunlight or using a wet pressing technique can help to extract pure fish oil. However, we could not find a sole natural fish oil other than extraction.
How Does Harming Fish Affect the Environment?
Harming too many fish can disrupt marine life and create imbalance.
What Are the Benefits of Fish Oil?
Other than what we illustrated before, fish oil is good for the eyes, helps in reducing inflammation, is best for preventing muscle loss, and can lower blood pressure.
What Are the Side Effects of Fish Oil?
Too much fish oil can result in certain health issues, for instance, diarrhea, acid reflux, insomnia, vitamin A toxicity, high blood sugar, and bleeding.
What Are the Alternatives to Fish Oil?
Instead of fish oil, you can consume its sources directly. For example, you can have hemp seeds, soybean oil, walnuts, kidney beans, flaxseeds, and chia seeds.
What Is the Suitable Method for the Extraction of Oil from Fish?
One of the sources has mentioned microwave extraction as an effective approach and is also cited to be better than traditional solvent extraction methods. It has multiple advantages as well, such as being able to produce various samples at a time, having higher extraction rates, and automatization.