Extraction of shea butter from shea kernels can be done via either water extraction i.e. boiling with water, mechanical extraction, solvent extraction, or a combination of these processes. The traditional method of how shea butter is made involves water extraction ¨C boiling the shea kernels with water and skimming off the released oils.
How are shea nuts processed?
Subsequently, the nuts are processed by boiling, roasting, or sun-drying. Boiling in water prevents the shea seeds from germinating and prevents hydrolytic degradation of the extracted shea butter. The boiled shea nuts are sun-dried, and then the dried shea nuts are cracked to obtain the kernels.
How to refine shea butter?
Crude shea butter obtained from the extraction process undergoes many refining steps. The process of how to refine shea butter begins with pretreatment and bleaching, which is followed by deodorisation and deacidification to obtain refined shea butter.
Why is shea butter a global product?
Modern machinery and processes have enabled shea butter production at scales large enough to make the product accessible globally. This means that even though shea tree cultivation is limited by the decades-long process, shea nut processing, shea kernel processing, and shea butter production are no longer constrained by geography.