Shea Butter
- Shea nuts
Description
Shea butter comes from the large brown seed contained in the fruit of the shea tree, also called the African karite tree, grown throughout West Africa.
Uses
In many countries, vitamin E rich shea butter is used primarily in fine cosmetics and soaps, but the African people have many other uses for it.
In Africa, shea butter is also used for cooking, as a base for ointments, and even as a sealer for wood and mud bricks.
Even though it is high priced in many countries, in many West African countries, the supply is plentiful and women often make their own soaps using this as their soapmaking oil, a far less expensive alternative to the high cost commercial soaps.
The wood from the tree is also used to make mortars and pestles, long handles for farm tools and in building.
Harvesting
Women from the villages make the shea butter.
They gather the fruit from the tree, scrape the fruit away from the seed and then dry the seeds well.
The seeds are are pounded against a rock to remove the outer shell. The inner part of the seed must also be well dried and it is from this part of the seed that the oil is removed.
The dried inner seeds are pounded with a mortar and pestle, to a small uniform size, then roasted. When the seeds are roasted sufficiently, they appear dark and oily.
At this stage, they are then roasted again, until they appear to be a liquid. They are pounded again to release the oil, which is a dark brown colour at this stage.
This oily substance is mixed with water, and stirred. Mixing the seeds with the water allows the shea butter to separate from the parts of the seeds, which are not needed.
Continual mixing allows the shea butter to come together.
Eventually all the unnecessary parts of the seed remain at the bottom of the pot and the valuable shea butter forms at the top of the pot in one mass.
After several rinses with clean water, additional water is squeezed out, then the oil is heated so that the remaining water will evaporate.
The clarified butter is allowed to cool, then poured off, where it is stored ready for sale.
Comments
SERI KORE PHILIPPE from IVORY COAST-WEST AFRICA
Sunday, 17-08-08 05:39
We are a trading company of tropical products such as timber, teak, honey, cocoa, coffee, cashew, shea fine, shea butter gold and many other products not mentioned.
we want credible buyers with whom we want faires business contracts for purchases of these products.
SERI KORE PHILIPPE from IVORY COAST-WEST AFRICA
Sunday, 17-08-08 05:38
We are a trading company of tropical products such as timber, teak, honey, cocoa, coffee, cashew, shea fine, shea butter gold and many other products not mentioned.
we want credible buyers with whom we want faires business contracts for purchases of these products.
abubakar mohammed from nigeria
Wednesday, 12-09-07 04:10
pls i want to be linked with buyers of shea butter for export.i have enough of it for bussiness thanks
