Traditionally used in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, ghee is a type of clarified butter. Its known for having a rich and nutty flavour and as an added bonus, ghee has a high smoke point of 252 degrees. This means its great for deep frying, shallow frying and many other cooking methods.
I have been making ghee for years, its lasts a long time (I keep mine in the fridge) and its so easy to make, it saves me money at the checkout. So get ready, I'm going to show you how you can make your own ghee and save yourself some money too!
Make ghee all year round, it has a lovely nutty note that adds lots of flavour to your favourite dishes.
Ingredients
The only ingredient required in butter, but there are a couple of kitchen tools you'll need to make the ghee.
- Butter - I like to use unsalted grass-fed butter and I prefer to make big batches at a time
- Cheesecloth - an essential tool for making ghee. The cheesecloth keeps all the milk solids out of the clarified butter
- Jars - you can store the ghee in a container, I prefer glass jars
- Strainer - the cheesecloth sits over the strainer when pouring the ghee into the jars
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Ghee is not difficult to make, but it will require your attention, so no leaving the kitchen when the butter is starting to cook.
- Step 1: Place butter in a large saucepan on low heat
- Step 2: Allow the butter to melt and froth. It will also splatter, be careful
- Step 3: When lots of froth accumulates to the top, gently scoop it out
- Step 4: Once the butter has stopped splattering and frothing, it will turn a deep golden colour. Remove from heat, cool, strain
Hint: use a medium to large saucepan, as the butter will splatter a little bit and large saucepan stops most of the mess coming out onto the stove.
Also, start making ghee using a small amount of butter like 250g, as per this recipe. It can take a little getting used to, a small amount makes the process much more manageable.
Equipment
The most important piece of equipment you'll need when making ghee is a good quality cotton cheesecloth. I have found cheesecloth to be so great when I need to clear impurities from stock, squeeze out water from zucchini and definitely the best way to ensure all the milk solids are removed from the ghee.
Here is a cheesecloth brand I love! Its organic cotton and easy to wash.
Storage
Store the ghee in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep in the fridge for up to a year.
Top Tip
Because the ghee keeps for so long, up to a year in the refrigerator, make large batches at a time. Then the jars of ghee can be stored in the fridge and they're ready to use when you need.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Ghee
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place the butter in a medium size pot, with a heavy base, on low heat on the stove. The melted butter will start to foam and bubble, continue to watch the pot as it remains on low heat.
- Once the foam starts to separate, gently skim the foam into a small bowl. Once the liquid turns a light golden brown, remove the pan from the heat.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes before pouring into a jar through a cheesecloth on a sieve. Continue to cool with the lid off. Once the jar has reached room temperature, put the lid on and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Let me know if you have tried this recipe