Making Handcrafted Natural Shea Butter
Welcome to our Shea butter cooperative in Northern Ghana. Let’s pause for a moment to truly appreciate the artistry of handcrafted Shea butter – the most precious form of this natural gem! If you have ever wondered how Shea butter is made, we are happy to share the process with you.
How Shea butter is made?
Let’s start from the basics. Village women harvest our Shea nuts from the wild African savannah region in the remote corners of Northern Ghana. This means that our Shea butter arrives at your doorstep free from preservatives, chemical fragrances, or any additives. This detail matters because, like you, we too love natural skincare!
The Heartbeat of Shea Butter’s Quality: Nuts, Drying, and Sorting
Once women have gathered the nuts, the next step involves drying them thoroughly. We rely on the traditional sun-drying method. Moving ahead to what truly matters – kernel sorting, the most crucial step. During this phase, skilled hands separate the black and flawed nuts from the good ones. It might not appear glamorous, but trust us, this step is an essential cornerstone in creating top-notch Shea butter. One misguided nut could tarnish the quality of the entire batch!
Transitioning to kernel crushing – a pivotal step before the roasting process. In the days of old, mortars and pestles did the work. However, to cater to the needs of our expanding customer base, we’ve embraced modernity with a mechanical sheller, preserving tradition while ensuring quality and efficiency.
Ever wondered about the smoky scent of raw Shea butter?
Here’s the scoop: after the nuts undergo their crushing journey, they experience a roasting session in large pots right over open wood fires. This roasting takes its time, lasting about 45 to 75 minutes. To ensure perfection, those pots require constant stirring during the process. This is a vital move to prevent the nuts from absorbing a burnt flavor. This is exactly where the iconic smoky aroma of traditional Shea butter originates. Read more about the smoky scent here.
From Roasted Nuts to Luxurious Paste: The Grinding Stage
After roasting, Shea nuts journey to the grinder, transforming into a rich, luxurious, dark brown paste. Then, skilled hands (yes, the village women!) take the lead. In this phase, women knead the paste within spacious basins, coaxing the separation of Shea butter oil. As these oil curds rise to the surface, the women carefully skim them off, liberating them from any excess water. Then the Shea butter oil curds are melted in large open pots over a low fire. During this slow-boil period, all remaining water evaporates.
From Pot to Package: Shea Butter’s Journey to You May Start
Now, the women carefully place the pots in cool spots where the Shea oil solidifies overnight and transforms into golden-yellow butter. The next day, it’s ready for packaging, and the journey to your doorstep may begin.
Click here to visit our store – where every product is a labor of love from the incredible women in the video below! 👇