Ghee or Clarified butter is one of the most simple, beautiful, delicious and nutritious things I keep on hand.

It is great for baking, sauteing, and making your favorite bulletproof beverages.

Ghee is the pure golden butter oil that results when you remove all of the milk solids and proteins that are found in butter.

If you cannot tolerate dairy, you can likely tolerate Ghee and may greatly benefit from the butyric acid and fat soluble vitamins that are present in it. Those of us that have dairy intolerance or sensitivities can usually do fine with good quality Ghee as it has no more lactose or casein in it, these are the two usual culprits – the milk sugar and protein respectively – that can cause gas, allergies and otherwise negative responses.

The process is simple and can easily be done at home over the course of an afternoon.

 

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The Finished Product Left. Starting to Melt on the top right. Ready to Strain on bottom right.

Here are 4 Basic Steps you can follow to Make Stove top Ghee at Home. 

  1. Throw a big hunk (usually 1 lb or more) of the best quality butter you have (Grassfed, organic, local etc.)  into a medium sized stainless steel pot.
  2. Heat on low-medium, stirring often until melted and then reduce to a minimum temperature that allows it to continue to gently bubble.
    You will see the particles rise and fall as it separates, this is what we want.
  3. Allow it to continue until three distinct layers have formed. The first will be the butter solids on top, then a golden liquid layer, and finally a milky white layer. After the top becomes golden brown it is ready
  4. Remove from heat and let cool slightly or wear gloves and be careful while you pour it through a fine sieve or double layered cheesecloth into your glass storage container.

And that’s it. Now you have homemade, delicious, nutrient dense Ghee that you can use in a myriad of ways.

You can throw in a couple organic cloves to prevent rancidity and impart a gentle flavor as well.

Extra Tip: The golden brown milk solids on top are delicious and rich and if you can tolerate dairy are a treat when spread across chips, potatoes, or toast.