Ghee, also known as clarified butter, has become my new favorite cooking oil. It can withstand high temperatures without oxidizing or smoking and lends a nice buttery, nutty flavor. It sounds fancy, but it’s very easy to make. Simply melt butter and then skim off the milk solids. Many who are lactose intolerant can handle ghee because it’s purely the butter oil. Also, if you make it with organic, pastured butter, it contains many nutrients (higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid). Lately, I make a batch over the weekend and then use the ghee throughout the week. It’s great for sautéing at high heats, roasting, pan frying, etc.
Here is a step-by-step tutorial to take any of the mystery out for you:
Melt two sticks of butter over low heat.
As the butter melts, you will see the white milk solids begin to rise to the top.
The butter will begin to bubble. Make sure to stand away from the stove (just in case).
The butter will start to turn brown and eventually stop bubbling, about 20 minutes.
Set a piece of cheese cloth over a sieve. Place the sieve over a bowl and pour the melted butter through the sieve. The milk solids will remain in the cheesecloth.
The end result – pure, golden ghee. Pour in a jar and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
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Ghee (Clarified Butter)
Makes about 1 cup
2 sticks unsalted butter
Place butter in a medium sauce pan over low heat. Butter will melt and begin to bubble (stand back, just in case it splatters). When bubbling subsides, about 20 minutes, remove from heat. Place a cheesecloth in a sieve over a medium bowl. Pour melted butter through cheesecloth. Pour ghee in a glass jar and keep in the refrigerator.
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I rave about myself every night at the dinner table, “Honey, can you believe I made this??” And it’s all thanks to you!! (and teaching me that organic butter is welcomed and embraced! No more fat free, yay!!
{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
I love ghee! there is a bit of a difference between ghee and clarified butter though. clarified butter melts the butter enough to separate the milk solids from the fat but not long enough to brown the milk solids before skimming. clarified butter does not have the nutty flavor nor does it last as long, as some milk solids stay in the finished oil. To get a really pure ghee you generally need to cook for 45 min. or so whereas with clarified butter it is maybe 20 min. just thowing it out there that the terms are generally not interchangeable. But either way, love it!!!
Lovely! It’s so important to use oils that don’t degrade at high temperatures … and this is one of the good guys!
Sweeeeet! Hey, is this the same as “drawn” butter? That you’d have with lobster?!
Yes, it’s the same. From all of the reading I’ve done the terms clarified butter, drawn butter and ghee are basically used interchangeably. Some cook ghee for a bit longer, but they are mostly all the same.
This is so easy! I never would have known!
I got really into ghee a few years ago when it was recommended to me by a holistic practitioner I was working with. I love it too for all of it’s flavor and healthful qualities!
Thank you for this! I have been wanting to try it but been afraid. I need to avoid milk solids for dietary reasons in our family but ghee has been tolerated so I’m so glad to see this post.
Will try this someday
I have switched to using ghee or coconut oil for cooking with at high temps since learning that using olive oil can actually be bad for you – love the simplicity of it.
This is so good for cooking! great tutorial Carrie!
I had no idea how easy ghee is to make. Thanks for the insight!
Just wondering… Can the browned milk solids be used for anything, or do they have to be discarded? Thanks.
Can this be used as a substitute for oil in baking? I don’t know what kind of oil I should be baking with. How else can you use ghee?
It can be used as a substitute for vegetable oils in baking. You might also want to look into coconut oil. It’s a perfect 1:1 substitute. I love it!
I love it! I only use olive oil, coconut oil and butter in my house, so this will give me another healthy option – thanks!
This sounds neat… but what are the benefits of using Ghee over butter?
It has a high smoking point, so it’s great for roasting or using at high heats.
My question is the same as amom, is there any use for the solid part that is removed? I’ve been wanting to try to use Ghee and this looks so easy, but I also hate to waste and throw part away. Also, is it better to use salted or unsalted butter? Thanks!
I’ve read that you can spread it on bread or you could also toss it in with roasted, sautéed, or steamed veg just before serving. I use unsalted butter, but salted tastes nice too!
I was so excited to find Ghee at the Reasor’s in my store in Tulsa, OK! I was actually shocked when I saw it on the shelf, I can’t wait to cook with it! Thanks for all the wonderful advice and recipes!
Yikes! I tried to make my own ghee and let’s just say it didn’t out quite as golden as I expected. I am so excited to cook and bake with ghee, but wondering what I did wrong with making ghee? Will try again – thanks so much for this step-by-step tutorial.
A tip from my mom that I’ve been using for years..
After straining the ghee, fill the pot back with water enough that all solids are submerged. Then bring this to a boil. Strain and use this liquid instead of water in your bread or bean recipes. Bonus: the pot is now a breeze to clean.
Wow, I honestly had no idea that making ghee was this easy! Quick question, so if I make cultured butter could I then use the butter to make ghee? Would it still last 2 months in the fridge? Do you ever use store-bought butter? Thanks!
As far as I understand, yes, you can use cultured butter to make ghee. I usually use a good organic store-bought butter (non-cultured) and use the cultured butter for spreading and topping vegetables and such. Does that help?
Yes, it does. Thanks for the reply, and also for the great tutorial.
I did it!!! This was the simplest thing I’ve ever made!
Yay! So glad!
I made this and though it was low heat, it burned after about 5 minutes. Does it get browner before it gets golden? I stopped cooking it thinking I burned it (it smelled burnt too). I made this once before with a different outcome, but neither time did I cook it for as long as 20 minutes.
Now that it has cooled it is the color of grease and grime and smells just as bad. I used organic grass fed pasture butter, same as the first time. The first time it looked picture perfect. What did I do wrong?
I truly have no idea why it burned. The milk solids will get brown during the cooking process, but after the liquid is strained, it is a clear liquid. I just made this recipe again last night and the ghee turned out great. I’m sorry I don’t have a better answer for you.
I just did this today, worked great! Thanks Carrie!
Do you have a source for cheesecloth that is suitable for using with food products?
Thanks
Sure! I use “If You Care” unbleached cheesecloth. I usually buy it from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001IZIB2A?ie=UTF8&creativeASIN=B001IZIB2A&tag=deliciorgani-20
Thanks so much! I’ll order some right away!
I used grass-fed butter and followed the instructions.
After I drained the butter oil through a cheese cloth in a glass bottle, it cooled off and turned solid again. Is this normal or should it stay liquid at room temperature?
Thanks,
Yes, it will become a solid again. So this is completely normal.
Thanks, I guess that I will use a small scoop to take it with my fermented Cod liver oil.
1- Most web sites suggest 1 pound verses 1/2 pound and so do the books. Why 1/2lb?
2- Is the milk solids good to eat in salads or etc.?
3- Why keep the ghee in the refrigerator only 2 months? Isn’t that clarified butter? I make ghee and brown the milk solids on the bottom and keep it out of the refrigerator for 6 months.
I prefer to make it in smaller batches, so that’s why I call for 1/2 pound. You can eat the milk solids, but they are a bit oily, so I wouldn’t put them in a salad. Since I’m not a food scientist, it’s best if I recommend that readers store the ghee in the refrigerator. Some may prefer to store it at room temperature, which is fine, but it’s my personal preference to recommend chilling it.
Oh… THAT’S what ghee is! lol.
So if something calls for cooking in ghee, does cooking it in butter change the recipe? I have a home remedy recipe to stop post nasal drip that calls for cooking cracked peppercorns or chopped garlic in ghee. Couldn’t I just do it in butter??
Ghee is butter with the milk solids removed, so technically it does change the recipe. If it’s a recipe for a home remedy, I would probably stick with ghee, since the milk solids might not agree with your sinuses.
Thats kinda what I thought too. ok thank you for confirming this. I have never made this, or even heard of it before, but here goes nuffin….. !
2c2d
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