№106Condiments
Argan Oil Pressing
Traditional southwestern Moroccan process where argan nuts are collected, cracked, toasted, and stone-ground to yield culinary oil.
Materials
What you’ll need
- 10 lbs raw argan fruit/nuts
- warm water
- salt0 kcal · 0 g protein · 0 g fat · 1330 g carbs per 100 g
Per-100 g values shown for ingredients verified against Nutrition data: USDA FoodData Central (snapshot 2026-09-11). Ingredients not yet verified show no nutrition line.
Method
How it comes together
- 1
Sun-dry raw argan fruit until wrinkly and black, peel off dry pulp.
- 2
Crack the extremely hard argan nut shells between two heavy stones to extract the small kernel seeds inside.
- 3
Toast the argan kernels in a dry pan over medium heat (325°F / 160°C) for 15 minutes until golden and highly fragrant.
- 4
Grind roasted kernels in a stone mill (quern) to form a thick, brown paste.
- 5
Knead paste with warm water, squeezing vigorously for 30 minutes until oil separates from the solids. Filter the pure golden argan oil.
Accuracy note
Hand-grinding with added water creates amlou-like paste and unstable emulsions, not safely bottled oil. For home cooking, purchasing certified edible argan oil from a reputable producer is the accurate and safer option.
Kitchen note
Toasting the kernels is what distinguishes culinary argan oil (nutty, golden) from cosmetic argan oil (un-toasted, lighter, scentless).
Record status
Editorial provenance
This entry is part of a source-led culinary archive. It should be read as an editorial recipe record, not as a claim of individual kitchen testing or a single definitive version of a living regional tradition.
5 source references are listed with this record where available. Read the editorial standards.
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