After the nuts are boiled the hard outer shell is cracked to extract the shea kernel. Kernels that are extracted directly out of the nut do not need to be washed. Some experts insist that the nuts be washed even when they are freshly removed from the shell. We observed this process in Bida, Nigeria with Dr Lovett.
Dr Lovett is of the opinion that considering how hard it is for local women to find clean water to drink and for personal use, it makes no sense to add an additional burden of rewashing nuts that are already clean. I thought that made a lot of sense in the particular case we were observing. If nuts are handled properly during the shelling process, the need to wash the nuts is minimal.
