I look forward to a monthly healing and meditation session with ghee making. There is nothing like a satisfying buttery smell in the morning that turns me into a kitchen healer. In addition, it is much less expensive than a store-bought ghee and I can use the highest quality of organic butter I can find.
Ghee is also known as clarified butter. You’re welcome for clarifying 😉
Ghee is considered the best cooking medium in Ayurveda. Ghee has the highest smoking point of 485 F (or 252 C) which means it doesn’t turn rancid at high heat. Ghee is light and easy to digest. When spices or herbal medicines are properly tempered, ghee acts as a carrier that brings medicinal qualities deep into the body. This is ghee’s special property (prabhava).
I use ghee extensively in my everyday cooking; a cooking oil for kitchari, eggs, roasted and stirred fry vegetables, soups, spread on toast, and stirred into a cup of black coffee, grains or a pot of oatmeal.
Due to its difference in texture and flavor, it is not recommended to use ghee as a substitute for butter in baking recipes.
What you’ll need
1/2 lb (2 sticks) grass-fed, organic unsalted butter
A deep saucepan (stainless steel works best in order to see golden brown solids at the bottom.)
A spatula
A strainer or cheesecloth
Yield: 3/4 cup of ghee
Direction
1. Place 2 sticks of butter in a deep saucepan over medium heat. When butter starts to melt, reduce the heat to low. After about 5 minutes, you will hear popping sounds and see a white froth formed on the surface as the moisture evaporates.
2. Do not walk away or multi-task! Monitor closely until the popping sounds become more intermittent. Then it’s time to hover.
3. Use a spatula to see the solids on the bottom of the pan. Once it turns golden brown, remove from heat.
4. Cool until ghee is warm, for about 15 minutes.
5. Strain through a strainer or cheesecloth into a glass jar. Skim off any foam that remains.
6. Discard the solids at the bottom of the pan in a trash can.
Storage: with a lid on, up to one month on a counter or up to 3 months in a refrigerator.
Tip: always use clean utensil when taking ghee out from the jar.
Enjoy!
EAT | LIVE | LOVE AYURVEDA
