We did Whole 30 a couple of times and it was during that first round that I was introduced to Ghee. I tried a few different kinds from various different stores and didn't care for any of them. I began to think I was never going to find a liking for ghee when I found out you can make your own and that it tastes a lot better. I of course, have to try this kind of stuff...I can't just leave it alone...and thank goodness I tried, because I love homemade ghee! It is sooo much better than that weird tasting stuff from the store. And its really easy! It takes time, and about half way through, if you haven't forgotten about it, you wonder if it really takes this long. It really takes that long. It takes almost 2 hours for a 4 pound batch.
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| 4 pounds of butter unwrapped |
Ok, I buy the 4 pounds of butter from Costco and then melt it down. You can use any kind of butter you have available...I would LOVE to have my own cow, with my own cream that I made into my own butter. It is not my time for that right now, so Costco butter it is...for now. I do buy Kerrygold butter, I love the taste from those golden blocks of goodness from grass-fed cows. However, I feel like you lose a lot of the benefits of it being from grass-fed cows when you cook it, so I never use my Kerrygold butter for any cooking...only for spreading, or melting on potatoes, veggies, meats, etc.
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| 4 pounds butter melted |
Once I have unwrapped the cubes and put them in a large pot, I will melt it on low for almost 2 hours. You do not want to use a lid, it will create condensation. Hot oil and condensation do not do well together. I just try to use a much larger pot and then clean the mess up afterward. This pot is a tad too small.
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golden clear ghee before strained |
After its been on low heat for almost 2 hours, you will know that it is ready to strain into jars, or whatever vessel you want to store it in, when you can see clear liquid to the bottom. There will be a browning of the proteins on the bottom of the pot and the foam on the top. This will all be strained out from the ghee with a stainless steel strainer and cheesecloth or towel. I have tried coffee filters, but the oil just doesn't strain through them well.
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| Straining solids from ghee |
When you are done with straining, you will have some solids left. I just dispose of them and then use the cloth to clean the pot with. The soap from washing the pot will help break down the butter in the cloth and help clean it better in the wash.
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| butter solids |
As soon as my jar is filled I wipe the rim with vinegar and cap it with a canning lid. As the jar cools, it will seal. It is not preserved, but it will last long enough for me to use it. All the proteins and all the things that go bad in the butter have been removed in the clarification process and strained out.
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| wipe rims with vinegar to remove oil |
Out of 4 pounds of butter I get around 3 1/2 pints of ghee that usually lasts me from 3-6 months. I store them in my cupboard, the fridge, or the freezer. If you are going to store in the freezer, make sure you leave a good inch or more head-space.
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| 4 pounds of butter turned into ghee |
I use my Ghee for anything that I would use grease for. I use it to grease cake or bread pans, brown meats, fry hashbrowns or eggs, or anything that you would use butter or oil in. It has a stronger flavor than butter, and it doesn't have the milk proteins, so it will have a different effect on baked goods than butter, but often not that noticeable. People that are allergic to casein or are lactose intolerant can often use ghee because those proteins are removed.
Let me know in the comments below if you use ghee, if you have any questions, and what you may use it for.
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