This past year, I really got into making my own ghee. I suspected that my daughter was sensitive to dairy, but I didn’t want her to lose out on all the amazing benefits of butter. The price tag on store-bought ghee made me cringe, so I decided to make my own.
Before I show you exactly how to make ghee yourself, let me explain why it’s so wonderful!
Ghee is butter that has been processed to remove the milk solids. It’s basically butter oil.
Ghee can be a way for those with a slight dairy sensitivity to enjoy the flavors of butter. The casein and whey proteins that cause a sensitivity are removed with the milk solids.
You know how butter tends to burn when you cook with too high of a heat? That’s because the milk solids overcook easily. When you remove those, the smoking point of butter goes way up: from about 350 degrees to 450 degrees or more.
Now, let’s dive in and make some ghee!
Start with the highest quality butter you can. Salted or unsalted will work, though some insist that the best ghee is made with unsalted butter. I’ve used both.
Put the butter in a saucepan. It will melt faster if you cut it up a bit first. Turn the heat to medium-low.
After the butter melts, it will start to bubble and separate. This has probably happened to you when you’ve melted butter for a recipe and forgot it on the stove for a bit. It’s just the whey from the butter floating to the surface.
Skim the whey off. You can either compost it, feed it to your animals, or (if you aren’t sensitive to dairy) save it and put it in mashed potatoes!
Continue to cook the butter until it turns clear and the milk solids sink to the bottom. You can stop at this point: you’ve made clarified butter!
Or you can continue to cook your butter to make ghee. You want to brown (not burn!) the milk solids on the bottom of the pan. This will give your ghee a nutty, butterscotch flavor.
Finished!
Let the ghee cool a bit and strain through cheesecloth, butter muslin, a paper towel, a coffee filter, or a clean tea towel. This ensures that you remove the last bits of the milk proteins.
Store covered at room temperature.
If you aren’t sensitive to dairy, you can simply skim off all the whey and pour the ghee into a jar, being careful not to pour off the milk solids in the bottom of the pan. However, I would recommend that you store your ghee in the refrigerator if you don’t strain it.
There are so many splendid uses for ghee. You can use it in place of almost any cooking oil, and it will add that beautiful butter flavor without the fear of burning.
It’s also used widely in Indian cooking, as Sommer just shared with us in the previous post. I personally love using it to sauté or roast veggies, or to pop popcorn!
In summary:
- Place butter in a heavy-bottomed pan.
- Melt over medium-low heat.
- When the whey floats to the top, skim it off. Reserve or compost.
- When the milk fat sinks to the bottom and the butter turns clear, you’ve made clarified butter.
- When the milk fats brown and become fragrant, you’ve made ghee.
- Allow to cool slightly and strain through cheesecloth into a very clean jar.
- Store at room temperature.
I encourage you to give ghee-making a try. It’s a simple process, requires very little equipment, and the results are fantastic.
Note: If you have a severe dairy sensitivity or allergy, make sure to consult with your doctor before consuming ghee or any dairy product!
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