Shea butter contains nutrients, used for cooking, cosmetics medicine and generate income. Following hygienic practices and key systematic steps results in safe butter for consumers.
However avoid distractions during churning as this reduces the fat percentage and do not use steel containers as they add toxicity to the product.
Sort and mill
Wash shelled kennels 2-3 times, sort to remove bad ones, dry kennels for easy grinding after grind kennels using a mill to get fine paste which must be cooled for easy churning but ensure good hygienic practices.
Cooking
Put paste in cool plastic or aluminium container without over filling to avoid spillage, add luke warm water for easy mixing. During cold season the paste is cold hence add boiling water and churn for 1 hour to extract white fatty substance. Add luke warm water for impurities to settle and do not over fill as it may spit. Remove white fatty substance, add water and repeat the for 2-3 times then make balls from fatty substance to reduce water and bitter taste. Taste the fatty substance to make sure it has no bitter taste.
Cook fatty substance for water to evaporate and impurities to settle, stop cooking when white foam appear and oil turns yellow, cool oil, transfer to other container then add clean water for cleaning process, separate water and cook again to make oil healthy and clean.
Cool oil, filter and put in plastic or aluminium container, keep it in a room and cover. Stir continuously to give butter a consistent texture.
