Clarified butter

[Merlin]

I recently encountered a woman at the grocery store who was taking advantage of a really good sale price on unsalted butter quarters and had, by my quick count, at least a dozen pounds of butter in her cart. Being sociable and nosy, I asked her what she was doing with all that butter. She intended to clarify the butter, filter out the milk solids, and store it in canning jars at room temperature for as much as two years. Her family used clarified butter in the kitchen and at the table. Anyone here done that? Looking for advice.

I'm interested in the process. It appeals to the "prepper" in me. And, I might do it myself at the right price.

 

[oldgaranddad]

Making home made Ghee?

 

[the_shootist]

https://www.diffen.com/difference/Clarified_Butter_vs_Ghee


I learned about clarified butter, and how to make it, from Graham Kerr, The Galloping Gourmet!

 

[<SLV>]

I switched from butter to ghee this year. Costs a little more, but it is worth health benefits.

 

[Merlin]

Does it store on the shelf unrefrigerated? That alone would make it valuable.

 

[Fatrat]

It extends the life of butter.
(Source) Ghee can be stored, unopened, in a cool, dark, not-necessarily-refrigerated place for 9 months. Once opened, a jar can be kept on your counter top for 3 months. Beyond that, the open jar can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 year. Or thats what googled up.

 

[<SLV>]

Yes. No refrigeration necessary. Higher smoke point than butter for frying.

 

[Merlin]

Well, I think that's fine. I could clarify the 12 pounds of butter that I have in my freezer right now and free up all that space! So, what is the downside?

 

[TAEZZAR]

Well, I think that's fine. I could clarify the 12 pounds of butter that I have in my freezer right now and free up all that space! So, what is the downside?

It works really well for "French frying" garlic. YES, French frying garlic, if you have never done it, don't, it's addictive ! Just be careful, it goes slow & then it quickly burns, you gotta get it when it browns, but before it burns. You can thank my later !

 

[arminius]

LOL, I can just see you, mr merlin, accosting a woman in the grocery store and asking her why all the butter, madam.

 

[Thecrensh]

I'm going to have to look into this further...

 

[Goldhedge]

Ghee (Sanskrit: Ghṛta) is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India. It is commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine, cuisine of the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asian cuisine, traditional medicine, and religious rituals

Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from cream (traditionally made by churning the top most layer of dahi), skimming any impurities from the surface, then pouring and retaining the clear liquid fat while discarding the solid residue that has settled to the bottom. Spices can be added for flavor. The texture, color and taste of ghee depends on the quality of the butter, the milk source used in the process and the duration of time spent boiling.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghee

and

Ghee is a type of clarified butter. It's more concentrated in fat than butter, as its water and milk solids have been removed.

It has been used in Indian and Pakistani cultures for thousands of years. The term comes from the Sanskrit word meaning "sprinkled." Ghee was created to prevent butter from spoiling during warm weather.

In addition to cooking, it's used in the Indian alternative medicine system Ayurveda, in which it's known as ghrita.

Given that its milk solids have been removed, it does not require refrigeration and can be kept at room temperature for several weeks. In fact, like coconut oil, it may become solid when kept at cold temperatures.

Ghee is made by heating butter to separate the liquid and milk solid portions from the fat.

First, butter is boiled until its liquid evaporates and milk solids settle at the bottom of the pan and turn golden to dark brown.

Next, the remaining oil (the ghee) is allowed to cool until it becomes warm. It's then strained before being transferred to jars or containers.

It can easily be made at home using grass-fed butter.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ghee#what-it-is

 

[Merlin]

LOL, I can just see you, mr merlin, accosting a woman in the grocery store and asking her why all the butter, madam.

Yes, that is exactly what I did. But I'm used to talking to people in public. We don't need to be all separated. It's much better when we all talk together.

 

[SilverCity]

We have a few cases of this put away:

SC

 

[Irons]

Well, I think that's fine. I could clarify the 12 pounds of butter that I have in my freezer right now and free up all that space! So, what is the downside?

No downside to switching to Ghee. I made my own when I did the whole 30 diet because I have to put some damn butter like stuff on my vegetables so the salt crystals properly stick to them. Ghee is excellent to fry meat or anything else in as was noted above. I also like the taste and texture of it.
I work so many hours right now my home cooking has dropped down to about nil but with winter coming I am looking forward to having the time to cook more.
And I will be boiling up some fresh Ghee to keep on the counter!

.

 

[Merlin]

How do I know when it's finished boiling off the water? Will the butter fat no longer boil and out-gas?

 

[hammerhead]

LOL, I can just see you, mr merlin, accosting a woman in the grocery store and asking her why all the butter, madam.

Reminds me of the joke. Punchline is, "Crisco is shortening".

Er, apologies I think. Been a long day. Carry on as I have no idea what clarified butter is.

 

[Goldhedge]

Just got me 13oz of Ghee... can't wait to give it a go....

 

[spinalcracker]

Good luck Merlin...it’s been awhile but we clarified our cannabis butter so it tasted better...

But I tried Ghee and can’t get past the taste yuk!..not after indulging in Danish butter for a few years..

I better start cutting back because I am starting to look like a tub of butter.

Let us know how it works out.

 

[Silver]

KerryGold butter from Ireland makes the best clarified butter I've ever had - pure grassfed butter fat. Costco carries it and has for years.

https://www.kerrygoldusa.com/products/unsalted-butter/

 

[michael59]

I recently encountered a woman at the grocery store who was taking advantage of a really good sale price on unsalted butter quarters and had, by my quick count, at least a dozen pounds of butter in her cart. Being sociable and nosy, I asked her what she was doing with all that butter. She intended to clarify the butter, filter out the milk solids, and store it in canning jars at room temperature for as much as two years. Her family used clarified butter in the kitchen and at the table. Anyone here done that? Looking for advice.

I'm interested in the process. It appeals to the "prepper" in me. And, I might do it myself at the right price.

Lets clarify this *sinker* we are talking about butter correct?
shit, I am going to need more beer.

 

[Merlin]

Well, the pound of butter, which is supposed to be two cups, turned into 12 ounces in the jar. I did not heat the clarified butter hot enough to brown the bits at the bottom of the pan, so the nutty flavor of ghee isn't there. When the enthusiastic boiling subsided in the pan, I skimmed the foam off the top and then poured everything through a wire funnel lined with 4 layers of cheese cloth and into a pint jar. Don't know if it's done right or not; but it'll get used up :) After I'm confident of my skills, I'm going to process most of the butter in my freezer to free up the space.

 

[michael59]

? wtf? you...oh shit U din't!

BUD, you throw the butter in the pan and melt it BUT not boil it....melted butter is considered clarified....oh and according to pitw you get that corn in ther fast and put in a grate movie and have a cooler of cold ones handy....yeah even if it is -30 out side.

sorry pitw din't say anything of the sorts.....BUT I do think he would agree with the popcorn and the cold ones.

 

[michael59]

@ Merlin....let me tell you something about the ruskies….Siberian ruskies to b x-zact. all the men who were to work out side in the winter were given one pound of butter a day so they could keep up their body heat. Yeah butter burns hot aka keeps you warm. So, they were not clarifying, nope.

look I have done it and it works. butter which is a fat runs through the liver and the liver stores fat and burns it and one can stay warm.

 

[Aurumag]

KerryGold butter from Ireland makes the best clarified butter I've ever had - pure grassfed butter fat. Costco carries it and has for years.

https://www.kerrygoldusa.com/products/unsalted-butter/

This is what we generally use, but the salted version.

 

[Merlin]

I can use it for frying and it doesn't burn!

 

[anywoundedduck]

LOL, I can just see you, mr merlin, accosting a woman in the grocery store and asking her why all the butter, madam.

You are, of course, referencing the only X rated Hollywood film, Tango in Paris. Demonstrated yet another great use for butter.

 

[<SLV>]

2 tablespoons Ghee
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
8 ounces of hot coffee (Columbian Supremo)

Blend until frothy.

This is my morning cup of "cinnamon roll" coffee. No going back to half-n-half.

 

[Merlin]

2 tablespoons Ghee
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
8 ounces of hot coffee (Columbian Supremo)

Blend until frothy.

This is my morning cup of "cinnamon roll" coffee. No going back to half-n-half.

There aren't any carbs there. But, good gawd man -- 2 tablespoons of pure butter fat! Morning coffee? More like breakfast :) I'm going to try it though.

 

[<SLV>]

There aren't any carbs there. But, good gawd man -- 2 tablespoons of pure butter fat! Morning coffee? More like breakfast :) I'm going to try it though.

Breakfast replacer. Staves off hunger until noon.

 

[TAEZZAR]

2 tablespoons Ghee
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
8 ounces of hot coffee (Columbian Supremo)

Blend until frothy.

This is my morning cup of "cinnamon roll" coffee. No going back to half-n-half.

There aren't any carbs there. But, good gawd man -- 2 tablespoons of pure butter fat! Morning coffee? More like breakfast :) I'm going to try it though.

YUP, perfect for a Keto/Paleo diet !

 

[<SLV>]

There aren't any carbs there. But, good gawd man -- 2 tablespoons of pure butter fat! Morning coffee? More like breakfast :) I'm going to try it though.

My coffee blender: https://blendjet.com/products/blendjet-one