Ghee, or clarified butter, is the nectar that fuels my kitchen. In my opinion, it is the most delicious cooking oil and condiment spread that I use (and perhaps a nice bottle of cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil would fall into that category too.) Ghee is the result of removing the milk solids and water from butter, leaving a beautiful amber colored oil. Ghee is a staple in Indian cuisine and used and praised in Ayurveda medicine for it's health benefits. Ghee has a greater amount of the "good" cholesterol high density lipoprotein (HDL) and is used as a catalyst for detoxification in the body by stimulating the digestive process. It can even be used topically as a skin salve to alleviate burns and scrapes.
Ghee has a very high smoking point (450-475 degrees Fahrenheit) meaning that it doesn't burn easily when used to fry or saute food. Since the lactose is removed in the cooking of the ghee, people with such an intolerance can enjoy the lovely buttery flavor without worry. Making ghee is simple and once you have a batch you will never want to run out- it is absolutely divine! Enjoy as a spread on toast, as a substitute for butter when baking, or in any cooking project you want!
Feel free to double this recipe if you have a larger household. Ghee doesn't require refrigeration for several weeks and can last months if kept cold after that.
Cook time: 30-45 minutes
What you'll need:
1 lb. organic, unsalted butter
1 medium heavy bottom sauce pot
1 fine mesh strainer
Cheese cloth
Spoon for skimming
Place butter into the pot and melt over medium heat, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Bring just to a boil and reduce to low heat allowing butter to simmer. The butter will begin to form a white foamy coating on the top as the milk solids rise and separate. After a few minutes these solids will start to sink to the bottom of the pot.
Continue to simmer the butter while using your spoon to occasionally scrape the remaining foam on top into a small dish . Over the coarse of the next 20 minutes or so you will need to do this a few times.
Once the all of the milky foam has been removed you will be left with a golden amber colored liquid in your pan. The brown milk solids that had sunk to the bottom will be clearly visible and the aroma will be reminiscent of caramel. Discard the removed white foam.
At this point the ghee is ready to strain, however, I like to let my ghee cook for a few minutes longer to enhance the smell and give it a bit more of a nutty flavor.You can play around with the cook time and color of ghee the more you make it to see what suits you the best.
Set up your strainer and cheese cloth over a bowl. Remove the pot from the stove and pour the hot ghee through the strainer. Allow to cool off a bit before moving to another container.
Once the ghee is cool enough to handle, pour into an air tight jar or container to store. Once the ghee has completely cooled off it will solidify you can then put your lids on the jars.
Ghee should be stored in a cool dry place and can be left without refrigeration for several weeks.
i might have to try this!!
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