there have been a few inquiries about my ghee making procedure, so here goes...
but first i have to say that even i cannot believe the color of this ghee (made from this butter). it positively glows in real life! grass people, cows need to eat grass! down with dull butter! if you can't find yourself a cow, then find yourself a farmer with a cow who lets her munch on grass all day long. put the sunshine back in your butter. it's good for you, good for the cows, and good for the earth!
ok, now the ghee.
people, i've seen a lotta ghee recipes zipping around here in the blogosphere (will merriam-webster please just accept that word already so we can all know how to spell it!) and i have no intentions of being the ghee police, but,
i learned from a ghee making master. i learned with my own two eyes and paws how to make ghee from the author of classic indian cooking and classic indian vegetarian and grain cooking. the two most seminal books on indian cooking in the west, around since the 80's and reprinted a kazillian times.
just 'sayin.
ghee
start with really soft best quality non-salted butter. place it in a saucepan and put the heat on medium low. keep cooking for about 20-30 minutes. watch the bubbles on the top - they always go through the following steps: first all of the butter melts completely and it's foamy on top. then large bubbles start from the side and bubble across the top, they bubble for a while and get even larger. after a bit, very tiny small bubbles take over and cover the top. start checking the bottom around this time. it's crucial not to burn it, the bottom will be just a bit browned but not burnt. this is what gives ghee that wonderful, slightly nutty flavor that is different from western clarified butter.
pour through a strainer with a layer of butter muslin or double layer of cheese cloth directly into a mason jar.
ghee will last at room temperature for months. room temperature should not be overly hot and do not let sun shine directly on it.
ghee has a very high smoke point and is what i use most often in cooking. the subject of cooking fat is a wide and difficult one to navigate. i've always done best by following traditional food ways, and ghee has been used for cooking it seems since the beginning of time. it not only taste divine, but it's considered by many to be the healing nectar of the gods.
who i ask you, can argue with that?
Oh, wow. I would agree that ghee is a healing nectar. So delicious.
ReplyDeleteIn college my friends and I would make the simplest dinners by cooking rice, steaming vegetables, and then cooking it all together with ghee.
By the way, I'm in the process of using up whey from a batch of ricotta, and thought of you and your blog. So far I've added whey to my hot chocolate mix, and this morning made banana whey pancakes.
This is great! A few months ago, I was talking with a friend and saying that I had a hard time finding ghee in the stores. She turned to me and asked why I didn't just make my own. Granted, I had no good answer to this question and vowed to try this in the future. Thanks for the recipe and tips!
ReplyDeleteIt would seem that the USDA agrees with you too, grass fed cows are better for the environment
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rodaleinstitute.org/20110630_usda-finds-in-favor-of-grass-fed-cows
Thanks for those pictures of the different stages, hopefully that will make it much more clear when I get around to making some.
That color is totally outrageous!
ReplyDeleteI live in a ghee-less town so am very happy to have this recipe. The pictures are great!
ReplyDeleteDianna of From Scratch Club
You learned from Julie Sahni? Very cool. I need to use my copy much more. It looks too pristine. Which is my fault, not a lack of the book's awesomeness. Yes, and that color! Wow! I need to make ghee.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I've been wondering why my grass-fed cow's milk butter does not have that gorgeous glow. And then I just read that Jersey cows don't metabolize beta carotene, so a lot more of it comes out in their milk, making the milk/cream/butter that much more yellow (and presumably, full of healthy beta carotene!). And since young Spring grass has the highest amount of beta carotene, Spring-grass-fed-cow's butter is crazy yellow. As we can see.
ReplyDeleteI love science. And butter. And ghee!
Wow, that looks totally do-able! Thank you once again Tigress, first you got me all comfortable with canning, and now you answer my long standing question about how to have shelf-stable butter. I'd heard of ghee, and seen it in small spendy jars at the store, but this - this is well within what I can do in my own kitchen. You rock!
ReplyDeletejoanna - love that link.
ReplyDeletesara - yes i did! and yes you do!
kaela - love that bit of info. jerseys are the best. and yes, for the love of it all!
alison - do it!
all of you - make ghee! :)
In India I once at a huge plate of sliced papaya and mango with warm ghee poured over the top. I was in bliss for the whole day. Nectar of the gods indeed.
ReplyDeleteI never heard of ghee until your blog post. I think I might have to make it and find a few recipes where I can use it. New food experiences usually taste the best!
ReplyDeletealex quici - i don't think i've ever used the following type of punctuation before because i think it's overused, and i'm not particularly fond of it, but i think i'm am going to have to make an exception in response to what you've just described. here goes: oh. my. god.
ReplyDeletejust another thought on line - yes, i think you should!
Certainly the colours are an enlightening thing to see. It looks very pure too. Keep up the work.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and very nicely explained!
ReplyDeleteDuncan In Kuantan
Sounds like what I always just called Brown Butter. Only thing is you filter out all the tasty parts. Or is this more like clarified brown butter. still looks nummy anyway. Nutty flavor of buttery goodness only thing that would be better would be adding a little bacon... :-)
ReplyDelete"it's considered by many to be the healing nectar of the gods.
ReplyDeletewho i ask you, can argue with that?"
No one. And you have done a masterful job of explaining how to make it! The great photos along with the procedure go a looong way, so helpful.
Thank you.
K, going back to look at more posts...because if you are a locavore AND can make and enjoy ghee, I gotta' be here!
Hi,
ReplyDeletejust a short message from Bordeaux, France ..
I am a big fan of your blog and i have to say that i am always looking forward to your new post !
Great blog !
Bell x one
http://bellxone.skynetblogs.be
CONGRATS on being chosen a Blog of Note! I'm glad I found your blog...
ReplyDeleteSteve
Common Cents
http://www.commoncts.blogspot.com
I've heard of this ghee for many years but have yet to try it. With sliced papaya and mango? Sounds ghee-reat!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos and great recipe. Love your blog! Congrats on your blog of note status too! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm excited that I found something easy to do that I never heard of. I will definitely make ghee as soon as I can and am already very curious what it actually tastes like. I love food so much and I am always so happy when I find something new. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMy mum's maiden name was Ghee!
ReplyDeletelove it:D
ReplyDeleteI live in an Indian neighberhood in Vancouver, but I think all the restaurants use regular cooking oil. I make kick- ass saag paneer and I will have to try it with ghee. Hey cool, my iPhone recognizes the word 'ghee'!
ReplyDeletePs. I post free horror fiction over at my blog: www.Iwritehorror.blogspot.com, if you or anyone else would like to check it out.
Easy to see why this has become a "Blog of Note". I can almost smell it.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!
from Game Classifieds
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWow! It is great!)
ReplyDeletecool one lady! i am from india.. and a quick tip for you. we also drop in a few curry leaves(we call it 'karipatta' in hindi) while the ghee sits simmering. this gives the ghee a wonderful aroma. oh! you must try it.
ReplyDeleteladygarfield - welcome! yes i do in fact put 3 curry leaves in my ghee many times. they are not easy to get here and i wanted to make sure that people would not be intimidated to try so i didn't include it. but yes, i love a few curry leaves in my ghee! thank you for the word karipatta! :)
ReplyDeletewow, that really is an amazing shade of yellow!!
ReplyDeleteHey there,
ReplyDeleteCongrats of being a blog of note.
Just found out about it and will be looking forward to reading your posts in future :)
http://blitzkriegdating.blogspot.com/
from your own site you can see a great technique in cooking if you want more recipes ... I'll wait ... greetings Giorgio from Verona
ReplyDeleteWow..I'm a fan already alright!
ReplyDeleteBumped into your blog. Love the recipes.. :) Keep blogging!
Yum! Congrats on being named a blog of note! Come over for a break sometime A Camp Host's Meanderings at http://levonnegaddy.com
ReplyDeletelooks good. Certainly a blog of note.
ReplyDeletegreat blog!
ReplyDeleteI think it's something built into our brains that make us salivate profusely at the sight of melted butter... It must be some sort of caveman reflex.
ReplyDeletehummmm butter......... :)
ReplyDeletehey
ReplyDeleteam surprised to see only few people knew about this bcoz being an Indain it is a regular practice here of making ghee on every sunday. Actually we collect cream after boiling the milk daily, store it in refrigerator and on sundays we put it in a mixer to get butter and then boil it to get ghee.i learnt dis method from my mom and it is a easy way to make ur own non-salted butter.Also jst want to add that if u use buffalo's milk (wich may b very difficult for u to find) the color of the ghee will b white not yellow.
bye take care
i like ghee....i cook in ghee..
ReplyDeleteWow! This is awesome! I just found my new pet project! Ah that is once I get past canning season and I take my counters back from the tomatoes and cukes!
ReplyDeleteTamara
http://tamsgarden-howdoesourgardengrow.blogspot.com/
I made ghee and it separated into what looks like oil on the top and more like butter on the bottom. Of course its not the beautiful color of your and I realize its because of the butter I used. what did I do wrong? Some sites say to shake it but you didn't do that according to your directions. I didn't shake it as it cooled..any suggestions? I'd like to make some more.
ReplyDelete