Learn how to make ghee in this super simple tutorial.
What is Ghee?
If you’ve been around the real food community for a while, you know that ghee – it rhymes with “me” – is a pretty popular healthy fat option. It’s been used in Ayurveda and Indian cooking for thousands of years. Good thing the rest of the world is catching on.
Truthfully, it’s my favorite fat to cook with. Shhhh…don’t tell the others!
I wrote a really long blog post a few years ago about what ghee is and why it rocks. Click here to read Ghee: What is This Healthy Fat?
The TL;DR → It’s rich in vitamins and other good stuff, is very stable when heated, and the potentially problematic dairy proteins are removed.
Is Ghee More Healthy Than Butter?
Ghee is made from butter, and the only major difference is that it is missing some of the dairy proteins. The fats still remain. Butter fat from butter and ghee is a great source of butyric acid.
Butyric acid nourishes the cells of your colon, amongst other things. So ghee isn’t necessarily more healthy than butter, just slightly different.
Use a high-quality grass-fed butter for best results.
Is Ghee Considered a Dairy Product?
That means that it’s good for you, great for high temp cooking, and may be suitable for people that can’t consume other forms of dairy.
(Note: If you’re extremely sensitive to dairy, be aware that ghee still has trace amounts of protein and carbohydrate.)
Back in 2013, I wrote another blog post on how to make ghee. It’s okay, but I know I wanted to do better with the photos and instructions, hence the update. The original photos looked like a dreadfully unappealing dark and unidentifiable liquid!
How to Make Ghee
Here’s the gist of how to make ghee (detailed directions in the recipe card below):
Ghee is basically clarified butter that’s been allowed to cook a bit longer, resulting in a more nutty flavor.
- Take grass-fed butter and warm it in a pot on the stove. (Add in some patience.)
- Wait.
- The water inside the butter will cook away, and the milk proteins will solidify and fall to the bottom. All that’s left is a golden yellow butter oil.
- Strain it through cheesecloth, and it’s done!
If you want to make ghee, you’ll just need a bit of time. This is probably a project best suited to a quiet weekend afternoon.
Yes, you can buy ghee in most major supermarkets. It’s usually found right next to the butter in little jars…
…but I really like the flavor of homemade better.
What Can You Make with Ghee?
Once you make your ghee, you can use it in so many things. Since the milk proteins have been removed, it won’t burn over high heat like butter.
It’s great for roasted veggies, and in any application where you want a rich, buttery flavor.
Here’s some of my favorite recipes for using ghee:
- Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Thighs
- Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Herb Ghee
- Cinnamon French Toast Panna Cotta
- Easy Ghee Hollandaise
Okay, on to the directions!
How to Make Ghee Recipe
Want to know how to make ghee at home? Follow this simple tutorial for a homemade, very health alternative to butter.
Ingredients
- 2 lb unsalted grass-fed butter
Instructions
- Put the butter in a high-sided skillet or Dutch oven over low heat. Slowly melt the butter.
- Cook the butter on low heat – don't turn up the heat because the milk solids can burn. The butter will bubble and foam and make popping noises as the water in the butter cooks off. Don't remove the foam that floats to the top.
- After the butter foams up, it will die down a bit and then foam up again. The liquified butter will turn golden in color, and crusty-looking milk solids will form in the bottom of the pan. Try to keep an eye on the pan because the milk solids can burn in the blink of an eye.
- When there isn't much bubbling anymore and the ghee is golden in color, remove the pan from the heat.
- Line a mesh strainer with cheesecloth, and place that over a quart-sized Mason jar or other glass container. Pour the ghee through the cheesecloth so it catches the milk solids. Discard the solids that get caught in the cheesecloth.
- Allow the ghee to cool before covering with a lid.
Recipe Notes
Ghee can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. It will last for at least 3 months if kept at room temp or up to a year if stored in the refrigerator. For best results, always use a clean, dry utensil to remove ghee from its jar.
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4 Responses
I strained my ghee twice with quadruple cheesecloth but I’m still ending up with some white gunk in the bottom of my ghee jar. Is this ok?
Yes, sometimes that’s just trace milk solids.
what brand of Grass fed butter do you recommend ?
Kerrygold