ghee
Clarified butter (GHEE) is made by heating butter long enough to allow moisture present in the milk solids, which cause spoilage, to evaporate. The slow heating and cooking process gves the GHEE a gentle nutty aroma, a pale yellow color when cool, and distinctly grainy texture. (From Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Julie Sahni)
To make 3/4 cup GHEE, place 1/2 pound (2 sticks) sweet unsalted butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan and put on a burner. Keep the heat low until the butter melts completely, stirring often during the process. Increase the heat to medium-low and let the butter simmer until it stops crackling, thus indicating that all the moisture has evaporated and the milk residue is beginning to fry. As soon as the solids turn brown (10 to 15 minutes), turn off the heat and take the pan off the stove. Let the residue settle to the bottom of the pan, then strain the clear butterfat (GHEE) into another container for storage. When completely cool, it will turn a cream color.
For an additional treat, take the seperated brown residue and mix with a little sugar, chill, and enjoy! Kids love it!
Karen Sheely said,
May 6, 2007 @ 10:17 pm
Thanks for posting the ghee recipe. I was concerned the grainy texture of my homemade ghee meant I wasn’t making it correctly but according to your post that is not the case. Great, I don’t have to worry about that anymore.
I prefer storing it at room temperature and if made correctly and all the milk solids are cooked out, it will not spoil when left unrefrigerated. But if you plan to store it this way, you must let it cool down completely before putting the lid on so there is no condensation after closing it tightly. If there is condensation, it will spoil. While the ghee is cooling I lightly cover mine with an opened napkin. This allows it to breathe to cool and keeps any impurities from falling in. It takes a few hours to cool down.
One source of information I came across recommended to use unsalted, cultured organic butter for ghee making. The culturing is very beneficial for digestive health. Overall, ghee is a very beneficial fat. It contains vitamins A and D, has antiviral and anti-cancer properties, can flush out stored toxins and is great for restoring digestive health. Also, most people who are dairy sensitive can tolerate ghee.
You can make your own ghee for about half the price of store bought ghee. It’s just the cost of a pound of butter and the use of your stovetop.