How Is Argan Oil Made?

Argan oil produced by local Moroccan women

1. Argan oil is produced from the kernels of the Argan tree.  Argan tree produces fruits that are nut sized with a round or oval shape. Inside the fruit is a hard shelled nut that is covered by a fleshy pulp. The nut contains argan oil wherein a certain process is followed in order to extract the argan oil and be used for consumption.
2. The process of extracting the argan oil is a time consuming and labor intensive process. You can use machines to in order to expedite this process but Argan oil that is produced using the traditional method preserves more the nutrients of the Argan oil. Below is a summary of the extracting process of the argan oil:
3. Harvesting of the nuts from the Argan tree. It is mostly the women in Morocco who do the harvesting with the help of goats who are good in climbing trees.

• Next step is the drying of the nuts. And once they are dried, the seeds are taken for grinding.
• They grind the nuts until it becomes a dense and runny paste like the natural peanut butter.
• The Argan oil is extracted by squeezing or pressing the paste.
• There are two uses of the Argan oil. Argan oil can be utilized for cooking and can be used for cosmetic purposes, which involves two different processes. When used for culinary purposes, the kernels are gently roasted and then cooled down, ground and pressed. Argan oil used for cosmetic purposes is not roasted in order to avoid the nutty scent. Moreover, further processes such as filtering made be made in order to produce a clearer Argan oil.