For vegans looking to get all their nutrients, consider the different methods of plant extraction for a natural solution to achieve your healthy lifestyle.
As vegans rely on plant-based production, you’re likely familiar with using soy for protein or use canola oil for cooking, but do you know how these extracts are made? Did you know that it’s possible to make these extracts right in your own home? If you’re interested in how you can use plant extraction to improve your food and pull the best nutrients from plants, read on for the different methods of plant extraction.
Liquid Butane Extraction
More commonly known as BHO extraction, this method is appealing because it has minimal impact on your carbon footprint, and BHO extractions have also been used by restaurants to produce canola or corn oil. This extraction creates a product called butane hash oil. This method of extraction is more efficient than Super Critical CO2 Extraction but comes with the risk that butane in gas form is very flammable, making temperature monitoring extremely important for this method.
Super Critical CO2 Extraction
Named after how carbon dioxide reaches a supercritical state at 1071 psi and 31.1 degrees Celsius, molecules that reach a supercritical state have the properties of liquid and gas. This allows the carbon dioxide to reach into the small spaces of a plant like a gas and also dissolve and perform like a liquid solvent. Supercritical CO2 is easily manipulated and can bond to any other molecule and allows you to have total control over the procedure. CO2 is also recyclable, making this method the most environmentally-friendly, nor does this method require extreme temperatures that would degrade the plant during the extraction process. It also doesn’t leave any residual solvent.
Ethanol Extraction
Out of all the different methods of plant extraction, ethanol extraction has been quickly rising as the most favored method, as it is often recommended over other methods. While CO2 extraction has been popular for how friendly it is to the environment, it can be incredibly time-consuming in comparison to other methods. Ethanol extraction is as quick as butane, but as safe and equally recyclable as CO2 extraction, making it ideal for small businesses or personal projects as it is efficient without any extra cost.
