Profiting From Jojoba Seed Oil

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Winnowing jojoba seed
Winnowing jojoba seed "chaff" with a vacuum.
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TOP: The jojoba bush, a source of valuable oil-rich nuts. BOTTOM: An auto-powered jojoba huller.
TOP: The jojoba bush, a source of valuable oil-rich nuts. BOTTOM: An auto-powered jojoba huller.

If you’re looking for an easy way to make money in your spare time–and who isn’t these days?–you might consider jojoba hunting. The “sport” is great for family outings, it requires almost no equipment or training, and best of all, it can net a skilled picker up to $100 for one afternoon’s foraging. Jojoba seed oil is much in demand now and selling for up to $50 per gallon … and some jojoba dealers and nurseries will pay you $2.50 for a pound of the large brown nuts.

Gather Nuts … Save Whales

At first glance, it seems unlikely that the scrubby little jojoba tree–which is native only to the Sonora Desert region of southern Arizona, California, Mexico, and the Baja peninsula–could attract much attention, but Simmondisia chinensis has recently created quite a stir with its “miracle” oil.

Ever since the U.S. banned all imports of whale-derived products in 1971, the search has been on for a suitable replacement for the precious oils which we once got from the sperm whale (now an endangered, and protected, species).

The hardy jojoba has been growing wild right under our noses … but only recently have we discovered what a rich source of a valuable oil (which is very similar to the substance we formerly killed whales to obtain) the plant is. The seeds of this long-lived and rugged bush yield an average of 50% by weight of the colorless fluid … which is chemically classed as a liquid wax. 

  • Published on Jul 1, 1980
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