How To Make Ghee Four Ways
Ghee is butter which has been clarified to remove water and milk solids, which imparts a toasty aroma and flavor in the finished butter. Even better? Turning butter into ghee makes it last even longer and makes it suitable for high-heat cooking and roasting, and it even renders it lactose-free for those avoiding it. Ghee is simply butter made even better by a long, slow cook.
Ingredients
- 1 pound unsalted butter
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Spoon or ladle for skimming foam
- Heat-proof bowl
- Strainer
- Cheesecloth or coffee filter
- Jar for storage
- Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, preferably light colored, over medium-low heat. Once all the butter has melted, you want the butter at a very low and gentle simmer. Adjust the heat as needed.
- Simmer the butter and skim the foam. Continue simmering the butter over low heat. Skim off the foam as it rises to the surface. Solid particles will also start dropping to the bottom of the pan; these can be strained out later. Don't worry about skimming every last bit of foam; the remaining foam can be strained out later.
- Continue to cook until the butter is golden-brown. Continue simmering over very low heat until the butter changes color from light yellow to deep gold, turns clear, and the remaining foam clumps together and falls to the bottom. Keep a close eye on things so that the butter doesn't start to burn. Some lighter foamy bubbles may form after the solid white foam falls — that's OK!
- Strain the ghee, cool, and store. Place a strainer over a heat-proof bowl, then line the strainer with cheesecloth or a coffee filter. When no more foam forms on the surface, remove the butter from heat and pour it through the strainer, leaving the solids in the bottom of the pan. Once the butter has cooled a bit, transfer it into a jar and seal.