Ghee
Makes 4 cups
Ghee is the traditional cooking oil used in Indian cuisine. It unites the diverse spices used in Indian cooking and adds a satisfying richness to the mostly vegetarian dishes. Yet ghee is useful far beyond Indian cuisine. It makes an excellent all-around cooking fat. It is made from butter and has the flavor of toasted butter, but unlike butter, ghee has a high smoking point (485 degrees F). It can be substituted directly for butter in most recipes and can be used for moderate-temperature sautéing or pan-frying. Making ghee at home is simple, but it requires about an hour of occasional monitoring. This recipe is based on the method described in The Ayurvedic Cookbook: A Personalized Guide to Good Nutrition and Health by Amadea Morningstar with Urmila Desai.
2 pounds high-quality, unsalted butter (preferably organic and grass-fed), chilled or at room temperature (see cooks note)
Place the butter in a heavy bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven. Heat over medium. When the butter is melted reduce the heat to medium-low (after about 5-10 minutes). Do not stir the pot. Milk solids collect on the bottom of the pot and shouldn’t be disturbed. As the butter begins to simmer expect crackling and popping sounds. The sounds will become less numerous then cease, after about 45-55 minutes. When the popping sounds stop remove from the heat. Ghee should ideally be removed from the heat while still golden yellow. Allowing it to cook further and brown adds a nice toasted flavor, but ghee can burn if over-cooked. Skim the surface to remove all of the accumulated film.
Store finished ghee in 4 half-pint (one cup) jars with tightly fitting lids. Use a fine-mesh strainer positioned over wide-mouth canning funnel to fill the jars. As you pour or ladle the ghee from the pot try not to disturb the milk solids in the bottom. (You might not need the strainer, but it’s a nice backup.) Store tightly covered, at room temperature for up to two weeks; or store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Cooks note:
If you don’t need all 4 cups of ghee, this recipe can be halved. Instead of two pounds of butter, use one pound. The cooking times will be at the low end of the ranges given in the recipe.
This was shared at Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Wildcrafting Wednesdays and Real Food Wednesday.
Thanks for linking your great post to FAT TUESDAY. This was very interesting! Hope to see you next week!
http://realfoodforager.com/fat-tuesday-february-21-2012/
Thank you for the great information on ghee. I’ve never used it before, but mainly because I didn’t know what to use if for. 🙂 Would you mind sharing this post on Widlcrafting Wednesday? I’m sure my readers would enjoy it too.
Thanks!
~ Kathy
Thanks Kathy, I’m glad you enjoyed the post!
I just linked it up to Wildcrafting Wednesday ~ thanks for recommending it.
Best-
Dori
What, if anything, can the leftover solids be used for? I hate to waste anything… 🙂
Hi,
Since I make dog food for our dog Fannie, I use the the solids as the fat portion of the recipe. I’m not so sure of the actual nutrition content of the solids, but here’s my anecdote:
My dog food recipe calls for “vegetable oil”. If I use coconut oil, bacon fat, or the ghee solids for that portion Fannie’s coat is shiny and smooth. If I use olive oil she gets dandruff and her coat isn’t as shiny. I make her food once a week, and I can tell the difference in fats/oils within a few days. One caution, I use the ghee solids only infrequently in her food (about 1x per month). It is possible that the foam on the top contains some impurities – (remember Sally Fallon’s exhortations to skim the scum!).
It’s also possible that the solids are of some medicinal value – The Ayurvedic Cookbook says that some practitioners value the foam – it doesn’t say what for!
I hope this helps-
Dori
I’ve been curious about making and using ghee. I love that it keeps so long! Your directions are nice and clear… thanks for the great tutorial. Can’t wait to get started! 🙂
Hi Stephanie,
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Best-
Dori
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