Ghee preparation

How to prepare Ghee at home?

I am going to explain, the traditional lengthy method of preparing Ghee as well as the short cut method here.

In my childhood days, especially when my grandmother was there she used to prepare Ghee the traditional authentic way. This a lengthy process because the cream must be collected from fresh, organic milk and this takes several days. 

First, you are required to collect the fresh cream. For this, organic raw milk of cow is boiled in medium flame and when it boils and raises to top, simmer and boil for another 2 minutes. Allow this milk to cool and refrigerate it. A thin layer of cream floating on the top can be seen after 3 to 4 hours of refrigeration. Scoop out this layer of cream and collect it in an airtight container. Like this collect fresh cream from around 4 gallons of raw organic cow’s milk which takes around couple of weeks. 

Next step is the preparation of butter using cream. Add the collected cream along with one and half cups (around 360 mL) of water and churn well using a blender. You should remember not to heat up the cream. Blending for 15 seconds will be enough, so that the cream is not heated up and gets churned well. Using a strainer, separate the blob of butter and butter milk. Wash this butter with water and again blend by adding 1 cup (240mL) of water. Repeat straining and drain the butter milk in another container. Now the remaining butter will be pure. 

Next step is the making of ghee from butter. In a thick bottomed pan, add the collected butter and heat in a low medium flame. White milk solids will be floating on the top of the pan initially and then the liquid will become foamy and frothy. Continue heating in low flame. You can see the milk solids settling down and the foams disappear. The liquid will become thinner and clearer. Again, continue heating for few more minutes. You can see the milk solids turning golden brown and clear bubbles are appearing. The sweet aroma of fresh ghee will also be there. Turn off the flame. Once cooled, strain it and keep in an airtight container. 

There is another short cut, easier method of preparing ghee.  

Step 1 here is to get unsalted, grass fed, organic butter. The store-bought ones.  

Cut in to roughly 1-inch squares. The quantity will be dependent on the quantity of ghee you must make. Let’s say 1 pound of butter sticks cut in to 1-inch squares. Set your butter to melt in a thick bottomed pan at medium low flame. Remember to stir in between. A thick white foam appears on the top after few minutes. Keep stirring in between. You can see bubbles emerging from the thick foam. More bubbles which are clearer will appear and you can see the milk solids curdling on the sides of the pan. Scrape the sides of the pan and the milk solids will settle down. You can notice the butter clearing in the top. The foam disappears gradually and the layer will be translucent at the top. Make sure the milk solids turn golden brown but does not gets burned. The bubble appears again and the aroma of ghee spreads and at this time you can switch the flame off and can strain the fresh ghee from the underlying milk solids. Store in an airtight container.