by Katie Caldesi

Ghee is made in the same way as clarified butter. The process of making it is easy and once cooled, keeps for weeks in the fridge or in a cool kitchen. The benefit of ghee is that you can use it to safely fry foods as its smoke point is higher than butter as the milk solids that can burn easily are removed.

You can simply melt it to become a bright yellow colour when it has a gentle, subtle flavour or take it to a pale brown colour by letting the solids brown a little on the bottom of the pan. The flavour becomes intense and nutty. Make sure you use a butter made from grass-fed cows. I know that Kerrygold falls into that category but I am sure there are many more.

Many people who have a problem digesting lactose find that ghee is suitable for them but as everyone has their own level of sensitivity, you had better judge for yourself. You can feel good about eating it as it contains vitamins A and K2.

 

Simply pop a block of butter into a pan and put it over a low heat to melt. It should take between 20 and 30 minutes.

 

Wait for the butter to bubble very gently over the heat. You will see the foam float to the top and the milk solids sink to the bottom. When it has stopped separating, remove the pan from the heat. Gently scoop up the foam on top with a large spoon and discard.

Now carefully pour the middle part, the clear, clarified pure butterfat into a warm, clean, dry jar. Stop in time to prevent the opaque milk solids on the bottom of the pan going into your jar. If I were fussy I would pour the clarified butter through a piece of kitchen paper over a sieve or through a clean piece of muslin. However, since I use ghee almost everyday and have a steady hand, I usually ignore this step. Allow it to cool before putting on the lid.

My kitchen is cool in temperature so I keep my jar of ghee by the hob. If it is warm keep it in the fridge where it will happily sit for 6 months or so (mine never lasts that long as I use it).