Ghee is pretty awesome stuff. It’s good for gut health, is shelf stable, has no casein, no lactose, but still has a delicious nutty, buttery flavor. Great for anyone with dairy sensitivity who dreams of that buttery flavor, and ghee bakes very similar to butter as well (1:1 substitution for butter in recipes). What is ghee? In the simplest terms, it is the oil (fats) from dairy. It is prepared very much like clarified butter, except the butter is simmered for an extended time to fully separate and toast the milk solids which are then removed by filtration. The toasted milk solids give ghee its nutty flavor and color, the longer the ghee is simmered, the darker and more flavorful the final product becomes.
The things you’ll need to make your own ghee at home.
- Unsalted Butter
- Saucepan and Spoon
- Strainer/Sieve, or Heat Resistant Funnel
- Cheesecloth
- Jar or Air Tight Tub for storage
Let’s Make Ghee!
Begin by cutting up your unsalted butter into cubes, this helps it melt quickly and evenly. I use about a cup of butter per batch of ghee. Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stir often, until it reaches a rapid simmer. Then reduce the heat to a medium low and let it continue simmering, stirring occasionally.
The milk solids will begin to separate and form a foam on top. Some of these can be scraped off and disposed of if you prefer, but is not necessary, and they add more flavor as they are toasted.
The solids will begin break up and sink. You’ll notice the foam thinning and the butter becoming more clear. After a few more minutes the oils take on a more golden color as the milk solids begin to cook. The solids themselves turn a brown or rusty color as they toast. During this phase you’ll want to be scraping the solids from the sides where they accumulate, thus allows them to sink. Keep stirring occasionally to prevent your milk solids from burning.
When all the solids have fallen, and are nicely toasted, then you have ghee. I prefer to let it simmer just a few minutes more from this point to give it a good flavor. When it begins to foam a second time you’re approaching the point where it could burn.
Done!!! Remove from heat and let set for a couple minutes to allow the simmering to stop and all the solids to settle to the bottom. Now line a sieve with several layers of cheesecloth, and pour your ghee through it into a heat resistant jar or tub. You can filter the ghee directly into the containeryou’ve selected for it, or into a container with a pour spout such as a measuring cup.
Alternatively, you can press cheesecloth into a heat resistant funnel and filter the ghee through this. This method also works very well. The goal is just to filter ot all of the milk solids.
Now just let it cool! This takes several hours, and is best if allowed to set overnight. Congratulations, you’ve made your own ghee! Now you can experiment with different cook times for different flavors or even add seasonings and flavors to your own ghee!
Homemade Ghee
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter
Instructions
- Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Stir frequently.
- Reduce to medium low heat and continue simmering. Stir occasionally.
- Let milk solids foam up and then settle to bottom.
- Continue until ghee is golden color or until it is darker and a second foam begins to form.
- Remove from heat, let settle for about two minutes.
- Line a sieve or heat resistant funnel with several layers of cheesecloth.
- Filter ghee through cheesecloth.
- Store in air tight container at room temp or in fridge.
Nutrition Information
| Serving Size | 1 Tbsp |
| Fat | 13 g |
| Protein | 0 g |
| Carbs | 0 g |
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