Here at Chiot’s Run we use only butter, olive oil, and coconut oil. We use mostly butter since I can find fresh local butter from pastured cows, in the summer it’s a deep golden yellow, and tastes heavenly, the pale white supermarket butter doesn’t even come close to the grassy goodness of pastured butter. Some of this butter is made with unpasteurized milk here at home, some is lightly pasteurized and purchased from a small local dairy. Our homemade raw milk butter is used on toast and anywhere it’s not going to be cooked so we can take advantage of all the good cultures in it.
I try to stock up on butter when I know the cows are out feasting on fresh juicy grass. I freeze some and I make a few quart jars of ghee to get us through the winter until the grass is green again and the cows are making rich yellow butter. Ghee is basically clarified butter or pure butter fat. Because the milk solids have been removed it has a higher smoking point (won’t burn as easily as butter) and it is shelf stable, so it keeps much longer than butter. It’s super easy to make and it’s a delicious addition to many dishes, and it’s especially great for making popcorn.
To make ghee you need unsalted butter, you can use fresh homemade butter or store bought butter. I’d recommend finding some good quality local pastured butter of course, but you can use the regular stuff from the grocery. The final flavor and color of your ghee will depend on the quality of your butter. I use at least a pound of butter, usually two. Generally two pounds of butter will yield a quart of ghee. Put the butter in a large heavy bottomed saucepan, it will sputter a bit so you want some extra room and a taller pan. Then place the pot on medium heat and melt the butter without stirring.
When you first melt it, foam will appear. The butter will sputter a bit, this is the water boiling out of the butter. Gradually as you boil the butter the foam will disappear and you’ll end up with a beautiful golden liquid that smells wonderfully buttery! Keep an eye on your ghee, you don’t want to end up with browned butter ghee. It usually takes between 20-30 minutes depending on the temperature and the amount of butter you’re melting.
It’s time to remove from the heat when you see golden brown milk solids on the bottom of the pot. You can use a spoon to move some of the foam aside to keep an eye on the milk solids. You want to remove from heat before the milk solids become too brown. Pour through a strainer fitted with some several layers of cheesecloth to strain out the butter solids (which our pets love). Then pour the ghee into a jar or container of your choice, I prefer a wide mouth mason jar.
You’ll end up with the most beautiful golden liquid. This liquid will harden when it cools becoming opaque. Depending on the temperature of your home your final product can be between the consistency of a thick liquid that you can pour to a scoopable thickness. Your ghee does not need to be refrigerated, but you can if you want to. You can use ghee like you use oil, for frying eggs, making popcorn and sauteing veggies. It makes a wonderful addition to just about any dish.
Have you ever had or made ghee?
I can also be found at Chiot’s Run where I blog daily about gardening, cooking, local eating, beekeeping, and all kinds of stuff. You can also find me at Simple, Green, Frugal, Co-op, and you can follow me on Twitter.
Why no, I haven’t made ghee before but now I sure want to! I just realized when I cleaned the fridge that I overbought on butter and have a bunch I need to use. Does salted butter work or does it need to be unsalted?
I always use unsalted and I’ve read you shouldn’t.
The first time I made ghee, I couldn’t get over how much it smells like toffee!
LOVE ghee… a friend introduced me to it recently, and I use it sparingly. I use it to sautee the spices in a pan before adding the other ingredients, especially in Indian food dishes. It makes a big difference. I love how I can keep it on the counter and how it doesn’t burn easily. Yum!
that is really interesting, thanks for sharing. I haven’t made ghee before (or butter) – but they are on the ‘to do list’.
And how long does it keep?
I’ve had some for over six months in the cabinet with no issues, in the fridge I’m sure it would keep much longer. I’m sure it partly depends on how warm/cool you keep your home.
I’ve been tempted to do this but have never gotten around to it. What is the shelve life on the kitchen counter, in the fridge or in the freezer? Only two of us here so don’t want to waste that beautiful stuff.
I’ve kept it successfully for 6 months in the cabinet, in the fridge I’m sure it would keep much longer. Believe me though, once you make it and start using it won’t last long!
When I was going to culinary school we made this on a daily basis, except there it is called “clarified” butter.
I personally like the flavor of the milk solids, so to preserve my butter I freeze it.