How to Make Ghee from Scratch at Home and its Benefits

Homemade ghee (also known as clarified butter) is extremely simple to make, much cheaper than store-bought versions, and ideal for those who are lactose intolerant. Plus, it has a delicious, nutty aroma that complements a variety of recipes. In this article, steps to make it at home and its benefits will be discussed.

Ghee

Ghee, an Indian traditional element, is present in Southeast Asia and Middle Eastern cuisines. Concerning the Indian household, it has become a global buzzword due to its health benefits, fragrant flavor, and slightly nutty taste. It contains saturated fats. And health experts continue to dwell on the role of saturated fats in cardiovascular disease. However, human beings also require them for proper functioning.

Most of the time, saturated fats are harmful when consumed in large amounts; thus, moderation is key. Saturated fats and normal brain function share a very close relationship. So even though it, is made of saturated fats, a small amount of it can make food taste nice by providing essential fats within the body.

Saturated fats are harmful in large amounts, but they are always good in moderation. Very closely associated are saturated fats and normal brain function. Although it consists of fatty saturates, a small measure of it can enhance the flavor of the food while also delivering essential fats to your body. 

This eating habit demonstrates that it can hardly cause health problems for a great number of people. This may not however apply to those who have a genetic predisposition to specific hereditary diseases, like heart disease. The development of such predispositions can be attributed either to genetics or environment.

Ghee Health Benefits

Ghee is more than just a cooking ingredient; it is also a part of India’s traditional medicine heritage, specifically the Ayurvedic healing tradition. It was once thought to be a sacred food of the gods. And so ghee began to be used in a variety of applications, including lighting lamps, religious rituals, and as a health supplement.

It also contains antioxidant and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. It is also rich in minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium.

However, it seems that the reason for it’s health benefits is primarily because of its high content of omega-3 and 6 fatty acids. These fatty acids are capable of boosting immune performance, enhancing digestive activity, and calming the walls of the intestines. Short-chain fatty acids in addition may benefit the brain and enhance memory and attention. Additionally, short-chain fatty acids serve great energy but benefit as well athletes who want to bulk up. Recently, a review stated, “The scientific community is paying on these fatty acids like they are important in our body for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action and association with brain health.”

Butyric acid, a short-chain fatty acid also found in it, protects intestinal cells against cancer.

Read our article, The Right Way to Add Ghee in Food for Maximum Benefits, to understand the benefits of ghee in depth.

Advantages of Making Ghee at Home

To prepare it, it is simmered with butter until reaching a high-temperature level of about 485°F. At that temperature, milk solids and water get separated, leaving behind a light-colored liquid, which is referred to as ghee. 

• Making your own is unquestionably less expensive, particularly if you begin with milk cream. Even if you use organic butter, it’s still less expensive than purchasing store-bought ghee.
• Making it is very simple, and burning a batch is challenging. If you push it too far, it turns a deep brown, toffee-scented substance that is still suitable for cooking.
• It is a long-lasting and shelf-stable fat; hence, bacteria cannot readily grow.
• Because of its high smoke point, it’s ideal for deep-frying, stir-frying, and cooking. Deep-frying with ghee has been a tradition among Indians for many generations.
• Vitamins A and K2 are present in this nutrient-dense cooking fat.
• Because the milk solids are removed during cooking, leaving only the remaining fat, ghee is ideal for those on a paleo or whole30 diet and those with mild dairy sensitivity.

Guidelines for Turning Cream Into Ghee

• Ghee, of course, is prepared from chilled cream. Cream would be churned with a hand blender over a wide bowl. In a few minutes, you notice the cream separating into liquid and butter pink. Max. Churning up until the other two to three minutes will continue until cream separates from everything else.
• Put a sieve lined with cheesecloth over another bowl. After the butter drips into the cheesecloth, you can collect the remaining liquid, which is called buttermilk, in the bowl. This buttermilk can be used in baking, or you can drink it.
• Squeeze any remaining liquid from the butter after gathering the edges of the cheesecloth. At this point, wash it almost entirely with half a cup of ice-cold water. This helps in removing sediment. Squeeze any extra water from the butter again. At this stage, the butter can either be converted into ghee or kept in the refrigerator.
• To make it from butter, put that butter into a saucepan and heat it on the stove. After melting the butter, allow it to simmer. The butter will start foaming and spluttering as it simmers. 
• In between, keep stirring. Reduce the flame and continue cooking the ghee for another 20 to 25 minutes. As it cooks, the color will shift from bright yellow to slightly greenish and finally to a light golden brown. 
• It will be ready as soon as the ghee clears up, stops foaming, and the milk solids at the bottom will be brown. Allow it to cool for a few minutes before straining it through cheesecloth. An airtight jar is ideal for storing.

Guidelines for Preparing Ghee from Butter

• Cut cold butter into cubes to ensure it melts uniformly. Place the butter in a saucepan, then put it on the fire; let it melt and reduce the fire to keep it simmering. 
• While the butter is simmering, it will bubble. It will be necessary, then, to make use of a spoon to skim the middle layer as such: repeat skimming every few minutes.
• After about somewhere from 20 to 25 minutes of cooking, the ghee will begin to clarify and turn into a golden brown color, with the milk solids finally settling at the bottom. The ghee will also elicit a particular sweet, nutty aroma. The ghee will be now ready for use. 
• Allow to cool for a few minutes before straining it through cheesecloth. Store in an airtight jar.

Read of this article Traditional Bilona Method of Making A2 Cow Ghee to know more about how to make A2 Cow Ghee.

Notes

• Preservation of Ghee: It boasts an amazing shelf life; if you keep it at room temperature, you can use it for 3 to 4 months. Alternatively, put it in the refrigerator for about 12 months. At room temperature, natural solidification will take place because cold environments will cause it to be completely solid.
• Cooking with Ghee: It is just like all cooking fats, such as stir-frying, sautéing, and sometimes deep-frying. For toasting or drizzling over soups, stews, dals, rice, and almost any other food, it is simply delicious.

Nutritional Information about Ghee

The nutritional information below is for two cups of it. The typical serving size is about one teaspoon.

Calories: 1725 kcal, carbohydrates: 14g, protein: 10g, fat: 185g. 115g saturated fat, 685mg cholesterol, 190mg sodium, 375mg potassium, 1g sugar, 7350IU vitamin A, 3mg vitamin C, 325mg calcium, and 1mg iron.

Conclusion

Beyond its taste and use as a culinary ingredient, ghee has much to offer in terms of its nutritional benefits. It promotes digestive health, supports cognitive function, and provides thousands for the skin. To live on the timeless wisdom of Ayurveda and to enjoy the bountiful gifts of nature, one can take goodness from pure cow ghee offered by Hitkram and thus commence on a journey of nourishment, vitality, and well-being like never before.

Welcome to the experience of real nourishment, vitality, and, for the first time, pure well-being from Hitkram as it welcomes you into the goodness of pure cow ghee.