ghee or clarified butter

[moolie]

So my family really loves Indian food and I used to buy jars of ghee in the Indian section of our local Superstore grocery store, but have recently taken up making it myself. The major benefits of using ghee in cooking are that because it contains no water or milk solids it has a much higher smoking point than butter for cooking, and it lasts forever (over a month) on the counter top (if you don't use it all up first!

It is relatively simple to do, as well, and since I learned how to do it (youtube is my friend) I've been kicking myself for how much I bought over the years.

Take a pound of butter and melt it in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a boil, then turn down to medium-low and let it simmer till the water all evaporates and the milk solids sink to the bottom and turn brown (takes about 20-30 minutes).

Skim off the foam, let cool for 10 minutes, then strain through a coffee filter into a clean dry glass jar.

Store at room temperature or in the fridge (if you make big batches when butter is on sale you can keep one jar out and keep the rest in the fridge till needed).

 

[Joel_BC]

Interesting post, moolie... and interesting subject.

I've heard of it before. Seems to me I heard through the grapevine somewhere that some people believe ghee has health benefits. Other than not going rancid so easily (which your post suggests), I can't quite imagine what the special benefits, healthwise, might be. Do you know anything about that aspect of how ghee is used or regarded?

 

[moolie]

Not sure about any specific health benefits, but in addition to its culinary uses it is also used ceremonially (not sure how) in various south Asian cultures, and one of the youtube videos I found a while back when I first started searching to find out how to make it was about how it is used in the Ayurveda/Dosha wholistic approach to health.

I'm sure there's tons of info out there, I just use it in cooking

 

[ORChick]

I have also heard many good things about ghee, and have planned to make it ... but never did. Then, last summer, a friend came to visit, and (as we were the last stop before going home) left most of her travel food with us. Part of that was most of a pound of salted butter. I don't use salted butter usually, having a low tolerance for salt, but I thought maybe I could clarify it, and use the residue with vegetables that need a bit of salt with them. The clarifying was easy, and as it turned out the salt was mostly left behind. The ghee has been very useful - I keep it in a closed container in a cupboard near the stove. Interestingly, the remaining solids, although very salty, were quite addictive for me; I don't crave salt in any way, but I used the salty remains from the ghee to season vegetables, and was sorry when it was gone. I will make ghee again when this is gone, though from unsalted butter. The salty remains made me think of salty buttered popcorn that my mother used to make. I didn't make popcorn while I had this residue, but it would have fit with it perfectly.

 

[Blaundee]

I have never seen or used ghee- after it cools, does it solidify, of stay liquid?

 

[cheepo]

Aint u tube the best...
i have learned so much from there...
You can can it too...though i haven't tryed it yet...

When I go to the states, I pick up gallon tubs of butter
from a small dairy...WAY cheaper than buying it by the pound here..
should do another trip and make some

 

[k15n1]

According to my research, ghee will last for years at room temp. And it's a lot easier than those canned-butter recipes out there, IMHO. No shaking involved.

Essentially, it's just rendered butter. As you cook it you remove the water first, then the protein, which crosslinks and falls to the bottom, red-brown and sandy texture.

The foam is from the ambiphillic nature of protein. If you can stand it, leave the foam in and let it cook out.

I do 5-6 lb per batch. Stored in clean 1/2 pt jars it keeps well. I've had some last 1 year. Others claim more. The popular interwebs cooking pages drastically underestimate the life of this stuff. But my Indian friends tell me it stores very well.

BTW, it does taste a little different from butter.

 

[k15n1]

I have never seen or used ghee- after it cools, does it solidify, of stay liquid?

It solidifies. Looks like butter, too. But the texture is more like lard.

 

[Blaundee]

I have never seen or used ghee- after it cools, does it solidify, of stay liquid?

It solidifies. Looks like butter, too. But the texture is more like lard.

Thanks. Can you use it for making soap, like lard?

 

[moolie]

I have also heard many good things about ghee, and have planned to make it ... but never did. Then, last summer, a friend came to visit, and (as we were the last stop before going home) left most of her travel food with us. Part of that was most of a pound of salted butter. I don't use salted butter usually, having a low tolerance for salt, but I thought maybe I could clarify it, and use the residue with vegetables that need a bit of salt with them. The clarifying was easy, and as it turned out the salt was mostly left behind. The ghee has been very useful - I keep it in a closed container in a cupboard near the stove. Interestingly, the remaining solids, although very salty, were quite addictive for me; I don't crave salt in any way, but I used the salty remains from the ghee to season vegetables, and was sorry when it was gone. I will make ghee again when this is gone, though from unsalted butter. The salty remains made me think of salty buttered popcorn that my mother used to make. I didn't make popcorn while I had this residue, but it would have fit with it perfectly.

Interesting that you used salted butter, everything I found on the topic said to use unsalted. Definitely try it again with the unsalted, I did a big freezer cook this morning and sauted all my onions for the various dishes in ghee--the kitchen smelled heavenly!