Digester/Extractor
The loose fruits are pounded in a mortar with a long heavy pestle either in the compound
or in a central location in a particular village. The kernels are then separated
from the fibrous mash. This is then scooped into a cylindrical hollow press. The
wrench is then turned slowly and gradually, as this is being done, the extracted oil
flows through the perforated holes in the press and guided through a duct at the bottom
of the press into a large bowl, trough or container. This process is carried out
several times until oil is drained from the marshy mixture. Where there is no press,
the kernels are manually separated from the digested mass. The digested mass is then
transferred to a large frying pan heated and stirred occasionally with a hand paddle
for about one hour depending on the intensity of the heat. The oil is squeezed out
between palms from a handful of the hot mass in batches into a clean pot