GHEE: CLAIRFIED BUTTER

all photos  Julie B Montgomery

Ghee or Clarified Butter:

Ghee or clarified butter has a rich, silky, nutty flavor and is used by chefs worldwide. It's a wonderful oil to use for cooking, especially at high temperatures. It's also considered by Ayurveda to be the most important lubricant you can ingest. It increases enzyme production in your body, keeps the body working at a higher efficiency, strengthens the nervous system, improves sexual vitality and helps build muscle. You can use ghee instead of oil for cooking, add to vegetables, and spread on toast. Ghee is a good alternative for those who are lactose intolerant because the milk solids have been cooked out (consult your doctor) and is excellent for putting a drop in to your baby's warm baby food to aid digestion.

You can buy ghee at you local health food store or you can make it yourself.

Cooking ghee takes special attention as it is easy to burn at the end. The cooking part usually take 15-20 minutes so be near the stove for the full duration. Especially the last 10 minutes!

One pound unsalted organic butter

Cheesecloth

Rubber band

Heatproof jar

1. Using a medium stainless steel or glass heatproof saucepan, heat butter on medium to medium-low heat.

2. Allow butter to melt and bring to a boil, stirring. You will notice that the oil will separate itself. The top will begin to froth; remove froth with a wooden spoon.

3. Allow the oil to become clear and watch for the milk solids on the bottom of the pan to turn amber(this happens in seconds). Once, clear liquid and amber solids are present, remove from heat immediately, place on cool surface, and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

note: Making ghee sucessfully without burning takes practice and patience. The difficulty is when the milk solids on the bottom of the pan start to amber, they can then burn easily. The challenge remains in cooling the ghee before burning. Seems simple enough, yet not always easy. Some people prefer to pour the ghee immediately into a heat proof bowl or pyrex container. Remember if you do this, the oil is boiling! So be careful. You can put the cheesecloth in a sieve and pour oil thru to pyrex at this point. Personally I prefer to watch the foam and set pan on cool surface at the first sign of the browning solids. Then when cooled to warm, transfer to pyrex and then strain into mason jar or heat proof container.

4. After cooling, strain ghee through a very fine strainer into container or jar, or through 3-5 layers of cheesecloth attached with a rubber band on the rim. A paper towel with tiny holes punched into it, works in a pinch as well.

5. Put lid on container and store on shelf. Ghee will last for two months at room temperature or indefinitely if refrigerated. Be careful to always use dry utensils when scooping from the jar as water can contaminate it.

Alternative method:

1. Using a medium stainless steel or glass proof saucepan, heat butter on medium to medium-low heat.

2. Allow butter to melt and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Begin to check the color of the milk solids on the bottom of the pan, by using a wooden spoon to pull back the foam. When the solids on the bottom of the pan turn amber or honey color.(see picture:this is what the top foam looks like when the solids on the bottom begin to turn, with little tiny flecks of amber.), turn off heat and immediately transfer to cool surface and let cool. A strong aroma of popcorn accompanies the solids turning from pale yellow to amber. If you smell this, remove immediately pan from heat and check.

3. After cooling, strain ghee through a very fine strainer into container or jar, or through 3-5 layers of cheesecloth.

4. Put lid on container and store on shelf. Ghee will last for two months at room temperature or indefinitely if refrigerated. Be careful to always use dry utensils when scooping from the jar as water can contaminate it.

5. ENJOY!

note: Because I prefer to cool my ghee before straining, I then can involve my four year old son in the process. His favorite thing is to pour the warm amber ghee thru the cheesecloth. In fact those are his chubby little hands in the photograph. When we finish making ghee he always want to have at least one tablespoon of this nurturing warm oil to eat.

ps. When completely cooled down the ghee becomes opaque. I chose to photograph it slightly warm because of the beautiful glow it has when held up to the light. I feel the nurturative, healing, and medicinal qualities were captured best in this element of it's beauty.

You can also watch a demsonstation on YouTube.

/www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjOshVO-Alo&feature=PlayList&p=3B312EB0CA613FE7&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=54

Pg. 32 Effortless Beauty, Brunig, Thomas

Pg.117 Ayurveda, Brunig, Thomas,

http://mideastfood.about.com/od/dipsandsauces/r/ghee.htm