What to do If your Shea Butter has a grainy Texture

To be quite honest, this graininess came as a surprise to me. I never had come across this grainy texture in any of the butters I had used while in Africa.

I did some research online and now I think I know why this happens.

We all know that Shea butter is a tropical product. Most of us who grew up in tropical areas around the world know that it is hot almost all the time. Shea butter in tropical climates is a very soft almost runny butter because of the heat.

I have a very strong sense that grainy Shea butter is a phenomenon that occurs primarily in non-tropical regions.

According to my research, Shea Butter becomes grainy as a result of crystals formed in the butter. Crystal are formed as a result of daytime heat and then a slow cooling during the overnight hours in the delivery vehicle.

Recommendations for getting rid of grainy texture (If it bothers you)
Put Shea in double boiler and heat to 175 degrees. Maintain temperature for about 25 minutes. The heat will melt down fat crystals. It is recommended that rapid cooling after the melt down may prevent crystals from reforming

Agbanga Karite suggests the following:
Melt the Shea until it has just melted, and stir to remove any remaining small pieces. Continue stirring Shea as it cools down to room temperature. For small batches (a few pounds), continue stirring occasionally until the butter has the consistency of thick porridge. The more you stir at this point, the creamier it will be. When the butter has become solid (no longer liquid, but still soft), put it into a large pastry bag and squeeze it into your containers. Hold the tip of the bag near the bottom of the jar so the Shea butter will fill in the jar completely. For large batches, we recommend using a paint stirrer with a hand held drill to mix the Shea butter. Mix the Shea with the paint stirrer for a few minutes after it has cooled, but is still liquid. It will still be slightly warm to the touch, but not hot. Pour the Shea into your containers and place in a cool location to crystallize. This will need to be done quickly, as the Shea butter will crystallize rapidly.

Important Note:
Grainy textured butter is not a sign of a bad product. It’s just the reaction of a tropical product adjusting to a foreign environment. Imagine Shea Butter with goose bumps.