Home-made Ghee

Glorious home made ghee, liquid gold, is food from the gods. It is lactose free so even people with a dairy intolerance are most likely able to have it, providing you’re very careful to strain off ALL the milk solids. Ghee is so simple to make and much cheaper than buying it. It tastes better fresh too. You can also be sure you are using really good quality butter from outdoor reared, grass fed cows. 

Making a big batch means you wont have to make it again for a while. I go through a lot of it so it doesn’t actually last me that long but if I needed it to it would.

Although ghee doesn’t have to be stored in the fridge, I do keep most of mine in the fridge and just leave out one jar that sits by my stove top. Do keep it away from the light and dip into the jar each time you use it with a clean utensil. If you live in a very warm place, you may want to keep it in the fridge as it will last longer. If stored in the fridge it will become very solid, this is fine, just scoop out a spoonful as you need it.

I use ghee in lots of recipes as I prefer to cook with ghee over olive oil as ghee has a much higher smoke point so it doesn’t burn easily when you are roasting or pan frying at high temperatures. When oil is burned or heated above its smoke point it becomes de natured and can be carcinogenic. On the other hand, good fats that are prepared and cooked with correctly are essential to good health. Ghee is a good fat that helps the body to make fat soluble vitamins in our food become available to the body. In Ayurvedic medicine it known for its healing qualities and is used internally and externally.

Ingredients

1 kg of butter, unsalted or salted. Both work. 

Method

To make a batch of glorious golden ghee, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium – high heat. 

Foam will appear on the top, this is called the first foam. 

The ghee will foam, then gradually it will die down, then slowly bigger bubbles will start to appear, then it will foam again. When you have reached the second foam it is ready. This should take about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how hot you have it.

When you have reached the second foam, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool a little and the milk solids at the bottom to settle, do not stir it at any point during the process. When you have let the ghee rest for 5 minutes to settle, scoop off the top layer of small bubbles from the surface with a small double mesh strainer. 

Next, carefully pour the golden ghee into a clean glass jar or two, leaving the milk solids at the bottom of the pan.

The ghee will keep at room temperature for weeks or even months in cooler weather. It can be used as a cooking oil, finishing element, and is also a traditional Ayurvedic body moisturiser. 

This recipe is from my previous book, The Whole Food Pantry: published by Kyle Books: Photographs by Nassimer Rothacker