Nutmeg Oil Distillation

St. George’s,
St. George’s
Grenada

Type: Sightseeing
Cost: US$5 for two people

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Nutmeg oil has been around a lot longer than Grenada’s spice industry. It was used by the Egyptians in embalming their pharoahs,considered in India as a treatment for intestinal disorders and was thought by Europeans in the Middle Ages to ward off the plague. Sauteurs has the island’s only oil distillation plant. Here the imperfect nutmegs are sent from the processing stations and distilled for 18 hours. Nutmeg shells are burned as fuel in the furnace. The second-stage boiling takes 24 hours, with filtration removing any impurities. It takes 19 gunny sacks of nutmeg to produce one drum of oil. The oil is then bottled for the local market or exported in the large drums. A total of 24 gallons of oil are produced daily. The fragrance of the oil is tangy and sharp, yet musky and warming. Used externally, it has proven effective for rheumatism and sore joints and muscles. It is reputed to stimulate both the digestive and circulatory systems, as well as benefiting the heart, regulating menstrual cycles and increasing dream activity. The oil seems to be able to calm and strengthen at the same time. Today nutmeg oil is widely used in the manufacture of soaps, shower gels and lotions, although its presence may be hidden by other ingredients. The oil is extremely potent and as much as a teaspoonful taken internally may prove fatal. It may also be caustic to the skin if added to bathwater without being diluted in a base oil, such as coconut or olive oil. Overuse can cause delirium, convulsions and induce numbness. Used properly, it can invigorate the mind and has been claimed to be an aphrodisiac. You be the judge. Mix an ounce of coconut or olive oil with 10-15 drops of nutmeg to make a soothing massage oil. Or place in an essential oil diffuser and allow its sensual aroma to fill the air. However you choose to enjoy this warming oil, treat it with respect.