Make Your Own Shelf-Stable Clarified Butter (Ghee) at Home
If you're looking to save some money and create your own ghee, this guide is for you! Clarified butter, also known as ghee, is a staple in many kitchens. The great thing about ghee is that it is shelf-stable, meaning that you can keep it on your kitchen counter or in your cabinet for up to a year without any problem.
To start, you'll need unsalted butter. While you can also use salted butter to make ghee, the key will have a salted taste, so it's best to use unsalted butter. The cost of unsalted butter is 4.89 per pound, so for two pounds, the cost is 9.79. On the other hand, 32 ounces of organic ghee sells for 26.79.
Making Ghee
To make ghee, you'll need a pan with a very thick bottom and a wider opening. This will help to control the heat and evaporate the water. Turn the heat to low and add the butter to the pan. As the butter melts, it will create a white foam on top. The goal is to evaporate away this foam so that you are left with only the clarified butter.
Stir the butter every five minutes to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. After half an hour, the foam will start to condense. Keep stirring every three to five minutes to ensure even heating. After 50 minutes, the white foam will be almost gone, and the ghee will be ready for storage.
When making ghee, be careful not to keep the heat too low or too high. If the heat is too low, the ghee won't turn out well, and if the heat is too high, the ghee will burn. After one hour, the ghee should be golden in color.
Once the ghee is ready, strain it into a mason jar and store it in the jar. The ghee should fill up the jar to the brink, making calculations very easy. Weighing the jars before and after filling them with ghee will give you an idea of how much ghee you have created.
In Conclusion
Making your own ghee at home is a great way to save some money and have a staple in your kitchen that is ready to use right on the counter. Just be patient and take your time, and you'll have perfect ghee in no time!