Soybean oil is an edible oil with a light and clean flavor that is commonly used for cooking. The oil is 60% polyunsaturated fat and 24% monounsaturated fat, according to the National Soybean Research Laboratory, making it a heart healthy oil. Soybean oil is extracted by several methods. Commercially, chemical extraction using hexane is common. Cold pressing the beans using a small hand operated seed oil press is the most available method for extracting the virgin soybean oil at home. Soy beans typically yield around 65% oil.
Purchase well-dried soybeans. Remove any foreign matter, including leaves, twigs or small stones from the beans. Place the beans in a shallow pan and preheat them until hot to the touch before pressing.
Place a small container under the press at the port where the oil expels from the press. Place the larger container under the end of the oil press to hold the spent soybean cake.
Place enough heated soybeans in the press to fill the hopper around 2/3 full. Turn the handle to begin feeding the beans into the press.
Push the soybeans into the press with a wooden pestle occasionally to keep the beans moving continually into the press. Stop the press occasionally to empty the oil in the smaller container into a glass jar. Continue to refill the hopper with beans until all of the seeds are pressed.
Empty any remaining soybean oil into the glass jar. Place a lid on the jar and set it in a warm and dark location to let the oil separate from other matter, such as water, expelled during the extraction process. Pour off the separated soybean oil the next day.