Botanical Beauty

Botanical Beauty — page 9
HOW TO SAFELY MELT BUTTER AND OIL Shea butter is a soft solid that must be melted for many recipes in this book A double boiler is best for melting oils and butters but you can also microwave them at 50 percent power in 30-second increments and stir in between until the solid is almost all the way melted Stir to complete the melting process You don’t want to overheat the oils or butters Coconut oil is also used often in this book Whether your coconut oil is a solid or a liquid depends on where you live what time of year it is and the air temperature To solidify it place it in the refrigerator until it hardens To liquefy it heat it in a microwave-safe bowl in 10 second increments at 50 percent power and stir in between until the solid is almost all the way melted It’s best to heat the solids in a microwave-safe bowl with a pourable spout and a handle like a glass Pyrex measuring cup Be sure to always wear oven mitts when removing a hot bowl from the microwave