The yield depends greatly on the water content of your butter. Feel free to halve or double this recipe as desired.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (500 g) organic unsalted butter (do not use salted)
How to Make It
- Set a few layers of cheesecloth or gauze over a sterilized heatproof container, such as a canning jar, and secure them with a rubber band.
- Heat the butter in a heavy-duty saucepan over low-medium heat until it has melted. Let simmer gently, uncovered, until the foam rises to the top of the melted butter. The butter will make lots of spluttering sounds and perhaps splatter a bit, so be careful.
- Over the next 20 to 30 minutes (depending on the water content of your butter), watch the butter carefully as three layers develop: a foamy top layer, a liquid butterfat layer, and a milk solids bottom layer. You can remove the foamy top layer with a spoon if you like, which helps to see through to the bottom, but this is optional (it will be strained out in the end anyway).
- Once the butter stops spluttering and no more foam seems to be rising to the surface, check to see if the bottom layer has turned a golden-brown color. If so, the ghee is ready and must be removed from the heat immediately, or it will burn.
- Carefully pour the warm liquid butter through the cheesecloth into the container, leaving behind any solids on the bottom of the pan. Let sit at room temperature to cool and solidify before placing an airtight lid on the container. Store the ghee in the fridge for 1 year or in your pantry for 2 to 3 months.
