How to Make Ghee

Ghee is a staple of the Indian and ayurvedic diet, a substitute for butter and cooking oils that is heart-healthy, non-dairy, balances all the doshas and doesn't spoil. Unlike olive oil, which loses its health benefits when it is heated, ghee can be melted and fried as well as eaten in its semi-solid state, which is like soft butter. Ghee is also used as a therapeutic massage oil in ayurveda. Use this recipe to make a pound of ghee that will keep for up to a year.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Four sticks of unsalted butter
• A deep saucepan
• Strainer
• A glass jar

1. Find the best quality butter you can. As the butter is clarified to make ghee, its flavor will become more distinct and you will notice the purity of the butter more significantly. Organic, hormone-free butter will taste most authentic.

2. Melt the butter in a deep saucepan on low heat. Do not cover and do not stir. The saucepan should be deep enough that the melted mixture won't boil over, but should still allow the mixture itself to be about six inches deep.

3. Leave the butter to simmer on low heat for 30 to 45 minutes. Do not cover and do not stir. The butter will separate into three layers, milk solids sinking to the bottom and fat rising to the top as foam. The clear part in the middle is the ghee.

4. When the bubbling begins to slow down and soften and the ghee is a rich golden color, turn off the heat. This is your sign that the water has evaporated, and you must remove it from the heat quickly to avoid burning it. If the ghee turns brown, it's burned and you'll have to start over.

5. Skim the foam off the top and let the mixture cool for about 30 minutes.

6. Strain the cooled mixture into a sterilized glass jar and screw on the lid. As it cools, the ghee will solidify to a soft, butter-like consistency and the color will turn pale yellow.

7. Keep the jar at room temperature for up to a year. To avoid contamination, always use a fresh spoon in the jar.

[citizen1ita]

on 4/17/2009 I found another method on ehow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4890816_ghee-home.html and the rules were quite different. I pretty much simmered mine for about 10 min any longer and it would have burned. I don't understand the 30-45 min required above. Someone tell me who has actually done that!

[susanmcmillion]

on 7/16/2008 To clean the pot afterwards, put 2 tablespoons of baking soda in the cooled off pot, add 3-4 cups of water and set over a high heat.
Let it come to a boil, lower heat to medium and simmer for around 3 minutes.
Turn off heat, allow to cool and gently scrape away any remaining milk solids.