A practical guide from the EcoSure founder

When we started working with wood cold-pressed oils, one question came up repeatedly from customers:

“How do I know whether the Lakdi Ghani oil I am buying is actually pure?”

I completely understand this concern.

Today, almost every oil bottle comes with attractive words Cold Pressed, Wood Pressed, Lakdi Ghani, Natural, Traditional, Pure. But as a customer, it can be difficult to understand what is actually behind those words.

At EcoSure, we believe the answer shouldn’t be another viral social-media trick.

You will find videos telling you to freeze oil, put it on tissue paper, check its thickness or judge its colour. Some of these methods may be useful for specific situations, but there is no single kitchen test that can prove an oil is completely pure.

So, as someone involved in the production of wood cold-pressed oils, I want to share how I would personally evaluate a bottle of Lakdi Ghani oil at home.

First, Let’s Understand What Lakdi Ghani Oil Means

Before checking whether an oil is pure, we need to understand what we are actually buying.

Lakdi Ghani oil refers to oil traditionally extracted through mechanical pressing, using a wooden ghani or wood-press system.

The idea is simple:

Oilseed → Cleaning → Mechanical Pressing → Filtration → Packaging

At EcoSure, this traditional approach is at the heart of what we do.

We work with oils such as groundnut, sesame, coconut, mustard, almond and walnut, where the character of the original seed or nut is important to the final oil.

And there is something I have learned through this work:

Good oil doesn’t begin with the machine. It begins with the raw material.

The quality of the seed, how it is stored, how it is cleaned and how it is pressed all influence the final product.

1. Start With the Label Not a Home Test

If you ask me what I would check first, my answer is simple:

Turn the bottle around and read the label.

Don’t judge an oil only by the photograph and claims on the front.

Look for:

Name of the oil
Ingredients
Extraction method
Manufacturer details
Batch information
Manufacturing/packing details
Best-before information
Net quantity
Applicable FSSAI information

For example, if a bottle says Wood Cold Pressed Groundnut Oil, the product information should clearly support that description.

I believe a good oil manufacturer should be comfortable explaining what is inside the bottle and how it got there.

2. Don’t Assume Darker Oil Means Pure Oil

This is one of the biggest misconceptions I come across.

Someone sees a darker oil and immediately says:

“This is pure.”

Someone else sees a clear, golden oil and says:

“This must be refined.”

Neither conclusion is reliable.

Oil colour can naturally vary depending on:

Seed variety
Growing conditions
Raw-material quality
Processing
Filtration

For example, sesame oil naturally has a different appearance from groundnut oil. Mustard oil is different again. Coconut oil can even change from liquid to solid depending on temperature.

So, at EcoSure, we don’t tell customers to judge an oil simply by its colour.

Colour is a characteristic not a purity certificate.

3. Smell the Oil

This is one home check that I find genuinely useful.

Take a small amount of oil and smell it.

A traditionally pressed oil should generally have some characteristic aroma associated with its source.

For example:

Groundnut oil can have a mild nutty aroma.

Sesame oil can have a distinctive sesame character.

Mustard oil has its familiar pungency.

Coconut oil can have a recognizable coconut aroma.

What would concern me is an obviously stale, rancid or unusual smell.

But there is an important distinction.

A pleasant smell does not prove that an oil is completely free from adulteration.

Your senses are useful for evaluating sensory quality and freshness. They cannot replace laboratory analysis.

4. Taste a Small Amount

If it is an edible oil, taste can tell you a little more about its character.

Take a small amount and notice:

Flavour
Aroma
Aftertaste
Bitterness
Any unusual taste

A sesame oil should have a sesame character.

Groundnut oil should have its characteristic nutty profile.

Mustard oil should have its familiar pungency.

But don’t expect every batch to taste exactly the same.

Why?

Because seeds are agricultural products.

Their variety, harvest, growing conditions and storage can naturally influence the final oil.

Natural variation doesn’t automatically mean adulteration.

5. Look at the Oil in a Transparent Glass

Here’s another simple observation you can make at home.

Pour a small amount into a clean transparent glass.

Look at:

Colour
Clarity
Sedimentation
Suspended particles
Any unusual separation

But don’t immediately assume that a little sediment means the oil is impure.

Different oils can undergo different filtration and settling processes.

A minimally processed oil can also look different from a highly refined oil that has been processed for a very standardized appearance.

What should concern you is anything that looks clearly abnormal or contaminated.

If something seems wrong, contact the manufacturer instead of relying on guesswork.

6. Don’t Believe Every Viral Oil Purity Hack

This is something I feel strongly about.

There are countless videos online showing people:

Freezing oil
Putting oil on tissue paper
Heating oil
Burning oil
Rubbing oil between their fingers
Checking how quickly it spreads

They may look convincing.

But oil is a complex food product.

Its behaviour depends on its:

Fat composition
Temperature
Viscosity
Processing
Quantity
Storage

So one simple kitchen experiment cannot establish complete purity.

I would much rather explain this honestly than give customers a misleading “100% purity trick.”

7. What About the Refrigerator Test?

You may have heard:

“Put the oil in the refrigerator. If it becomes solid, it’s pure.”

Please don’t use this as a universal rule.

Different oils have different melting characteristics.

Coconut oil, for example, can solidify at temperatures where other vegetable oils remain liquid.

There are specific official tests for particular oils and adulteration concerns, but that is very different from saying:

“Every oil that solidifies in the refrigerator is pure.”

The test needs to match the specific oil and the specific adulteration being investigated.

8. What About the Tissue Paper Test?

Another popular claim is:

“Put oil on tissue paper. The stain will tell you whether it is pure.”

I wouldn’t use this as a final decision.

Oil spreads according to its physical properties, temperature, quantity and the material it touches.

A tissue-paper stain cannot tell you the complete chemical composition of an edible oil.

So if someone tells you:

“This one test proves your oil is 100% pure,”

my advice is simple:

Be cautious.

9. Purity and Freshness Are Not the Same Thing

This is an important distinction that is often missed.

An oil can be genuine and still lose quality because it has been:

Exposed to heat
Exposed to sunlight
Stored improperly
Left open for long periods
Stored beyond its recommended period

So I would always ask two separate questions:

Is this actually the oil it claims to be?

and

Is this oil fresh and properly stored?

They are different questions.

10. How Can You Recognize Rancid Oil?

This is where your senses can help.

If you notice:

Strong stale odour
Rancid smell
Unpleasant taste
Significant change in the oil’s normal sensory character

don’t ignore it.

And remember:

Cold pressed does not mean oxidation-proof.

Every edible oil needs appropriate storage.

11. Store Your Lakdi Ghani Oil Properly

Once you bring the oil home, how you store it matters.

I recommend:

Keep it away from direct sunlight.

Don’t place it directly beside your cooking stove.

Keep the bottle tightly closed.

Use clean, dry utensils.

Avoid unnecessary exposure to air and moisture.

Follow the storage instructions on the product.

A good oil deserves good storage.

12. Does Pure Lakdi Ghani Oil Have to Be Thick?

No.

This is another common misconception.

Oil viscosity depends on:

Type of oil
Temperature
Fat composition
Processing

Coconut oil, sesame oil, groundnut oil and mustard oil naturally behave differently.

So:

Thick doesn’t automatically mean pure.

13. Does Pure Lakdi Ghani Oil Have to Be Dark?

Again, no.

A darker oil isn’t automatically better.

A lighter oil isn’t automatically inferior.

The natural characteristics of the seed and the processing method both influence colour.

Instead of asking:

“Is this oil dark enough to be pure?”

ask:

“Does this oil match what it is supposed to be?”

That’s a much more meaningful question.

14. Can Price Tell You Whether an Oil Is Pure?

No.

A high-priced oil isn’t automatically pure.

And an affordable oil isn’t automatically adulterated.

The price can reflect:

Cost of raw materials
Seed quality
Extraction yield
Production scale
Packaging
Quality checks
Transportation
Storage

So don’t use price as your purity test.

Understand what you are actually paying for.

15. Ask the Manufacturer Questions

This is something I encourage every customer to do.

Ask the brand:

Where do you source your seeds?

How are the seeds cleaned?

How is the oil extracted?

What happens after pressing?

How is the oil filtered?

How is it stored?

What quality checks do you follow?

A manufacturer who genuinely understands its product should be able to explain the process without hiding behind marketing terminology.

At EcoSure, we welcome these questions.

Because transparency builds more trust than a big claim on a label.

How We Make and Look at Oil at EcoSure

This is where I want to speak about EcoSure not just as a brand, but as an oil business.

For us, Lakdi Ghani is not simply a keyword for marketing.

It represents the way we think about oil.

We start with the raw material.

We pay attention to how the seeds are handled.

The oil is mechanically extracted through our wood cold-press approach.

The extracted oil then goes through the appropriate filtration and handling process before being packaged.

The journey we care about is:

Quality Oilseed

↓

Cleaning

↓

Wood Cold Pressing

↓

Filtration

↓

Quality Checks

↓

Packaging

↓

Proper Storage

Every stage matters.

Because when you are making something that goes directly into someone’s food, you cannot afford to think only about the final bottle.

Our Wood Cold Pressed Oil Range

At EcoSure, we offer a range of traditionally inspired wood cold-pressed oils, including:

Wood Cold Pressed Groundnut Oil
Wood Cold Pressed Sesame Oil
Wood Cold Pressed Coconut Oil
Wood Cold Pressed Mustard Oil
Wood Cold Pressed Almond Oil
Wood Cold Pressed Walnut Oil
Wood Cold Pressed Castor Oil

Each oil has its own natural characteristics.

We don’t expect sesame oil to behave like coconut oil.

We don’t expect walnut oil to look like groundnut oil.

And we don’t believe every oil should be judged using the same home test.

The oilseed matters. The process matters. The storage matters.

What We Don’t Want to Tell You

As the founder of EcoSure, there are certain things I simply don’t want to say just to sell another bottle.

I don’t want to tell you:

Dark oil is always pure.
Thick oil is always better.
Freezing every oil proves purity.
A tissue-paper test proves adulteration.
Cold-pressed oil can never go bad.
Every refined oil is harmful.
Every cold-pressed oil is automatically superior.

Those statements make good social-media content.

But they don’t make good consumer education.

We would rather tell you the truth.

The EcoSure 7-Point Home Checklist

If you have a bottle of Lakdi Ghani oil at home, here’s what we recommend checking:

Check	What to Look For
1. Label	Clear product and oil name
2. Ingredients	Information consistent with the product
3. Extraction	Clearly stated cold/wood-pressed method
4. Manufacturer	Identifiable and transparent company
5. Aroma	Characteristic aroma without obvious rancidity
6. Appearance	Normal appearance for that specific oil
7. Date & Storage	Properly stored and within the recommended period

These checks can help you become a more informed consumer.

But they cannot replace laboratory testing when definitive adulteration or composition testing is required.

What If I Still Have Doubts About the Oil?

If something about the oil seems unusual, don’t try ten random internet tests.

First:

Check the label.

Then:

Contact the manufacturer.

If there is a genuine concern about adulteration or quality, use an appropriate official test or laboratory analysis.

FSSAI provides resources for detecting certain food adulterants and has specific testing methods for particular oils and adulteration concerns.

The important thing is to use the right test for the right problem.

Final Words From the EcoSure Founder

When we built EcoSure, the intention was never simply to put another bottle of cooking oil into the market.

We wanted to bring back something that many Indian families already understood generations ago:

Oil made with a traditional approach, from the seed itself.

But tradition alone isn’t enough.

Today, customers rightly want to know:

Where does the seed come from?

How is it pressed?

How is it filtered?

How is it packed?