There is a recent thread that I can't find now about the delights of cooking with ghee. Since ghee is almost entirely a saturated fat, isn't that a bit of a concern? I would think that an unsaturated fat would be preferable, although I'm sure I would love the taste.
I'm still looking for an answer to this question about saturated fats. BTD doesn't seem to address it.
The concern about saturated fats, to me, is centered around one size fits all diets. The fact that Ghee has so many benefits for our health means it must be a fat that, even though "saturated," is very healthy for us.
Dr. D has recommended taking as much as two tablespoons of ghee a day on an empty stomach to heal leaky gut. (Recommended for a Type O; found it in the archives. It was a patient of his posting.) Because Ghee is loaded with butyric acid, which is the main ingredient in Dr. D's Intrinsa formula.
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The ghee on an empty stomach is more of a "treatment", for such things as candida, and other gut issues. You will definately gain benefits from just cooking with it or putting it on foods as you might use butter! It's a very beneficial fat.
There are fats and there are fats. Dr. D even tells us to remove all visible fats from the meat we use. Even so, many of us carefully following the BTD to the letter have been extremely successful in altering our blood lipid levels for the better (while eating ghee daily). My total cholesterol has dropped from 288 to 214, with a strong shift in the ratios to a healthy range for the HDL/LDL.
One of the keys is eating NO transfats, as in margarines, commercial foods, fast foods, commercial bakery items etc. I'll see if I can come up with any more info on unsaturated vs. saturated, although I'm not the best expert on that subject. I know the topic has been discussed on this Forum before and there are some folks who have some great information to share. Hopefully they will spot the thread and chip in. If not, it might be necessary to start another thread entitled saturated fats vs. unsaturated.
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Just gotta know, when those of you who are taking ghee on an empty stomach, do you melt it and let it cool to a temp you can swallow it or do you eat it more on the solid side?
Just gotta know, when those of you who are taking ghee on an empty stomach, do you melt it and let it cool to a temp you can swallow it or do you eat it more on the solid side?
I know I tried it first solid. I could barely get it down. Melted was a bit easier....however, I switched to taking Dr. D's Intrinsa vs the cheaper method of eating ghee on an empty stomach.
Totally unrelated, sorta. My kitty had been having IBS problems off and on over the past two years. The accupuncturist would try a homeopathic and it would work for a short time, but then not. So, I came upon the brilliant (to me) idea of giving him a small dab of ghee every morning, and a tiny amount of ARA6 in his wet food. Both amounts, less than 1/16th of a teaspoon.
It's working fine. His bowel movements are way better than they have been in a long time.
Knowledge is power. SWAMI gives you the diet that will unlock the key to better health, and it's all based on your unique individuality.
Ha! Funny KK, cause I had some ghee left in my bowl that still had some faint traces of dairy solids. I warmed it up and gave it to Rosco w/ some meat. If it's so good for us, we can only hope it's so good for them too.
Just gotta know, when those of you who are taking ghee on an empty stomach, do you melt it and let it cool to a temp you can swallow it or do you eat it more on the solid side?
I've wound up using solid from time to time, since I keep it in the fridge and don't always remember to take it out when I plan to use it. It's not too bad to put the solid in your mouth and let it melt. It melts very quickly.
Personally, I find ghee absolutely disgusting. I bought one jar and will use it, but then I'm done. I'll use sparing amounts of butter, or none at all, but no ghee for me!
I've wound up using solid from time to time, since I keep it in the fridge and don't always remember to take it out when I plan to use it. It's not too bad to put the solid in your mouth and let it melt. It melts very quickly.
I hope that I can convince you to not put it in the fridge anymore! I've been really reading a lot about ghee before dishing out for the Ancient Organics brand, and, universally, the ruling on refridgeration is NO! However, it is also important to use clean utensiles when dipping into the ghee and to not contaminate it with anything if possible. I guess it depends on how quickly you use it.
I hope that I can convince you to not put it in the fridge anymore!
It's not in the frig section at WF's. I wrote in a dif thread that I stick NOTHING but clean spoon/fork/whatever into my ghee. Others were not so careful and to each their own. I tend to think, however, that if you should happen to put something into it that has something else on it, including saliva, I could see that altering the taste, not to mention possibly ruining it. Think about baby food. If you don't use the whole jar and feed baby from jar, when you get it out of the frig again, it's got watery substance in it. I hear that is caused by the baby's saliva and breaks down the food as well.
Personally, I find ghee absolutely disgusting. I bought one jar and will use it, but then I'm done. I'll use sparing amounts of butter, or none at all, but no ghee for me!
Maybe you're so disgusted you don't even want to talk about it.. but I'm curious how you tried to use it. ? ? Dis you spread it on things as if it was butter, or have you tried it for sauteeing?
My reason for asking is that using it as a butter substitute for spreading can take some getting used to. I love it, but I'm a dairy fiend anyway!
If you haven't used it for cooking, I hope you'll try that approach before giving up on it completely. If used in moderation, I think vegetables stir-fried in a tsp. of ghee are the best.
ok, I tried. You must do what you must do. Not pushing, here!
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Ill vote for ghee! I absolutely LOVE it! Especially on steamed or cooked veggies! What a spectacular flavour --I'll even drizzle a little on meat. (To help my digestion, of course.)
Personally, I find ghee absolutely disgusting. I bought one jar and will use it, but then I'm done. I'll use sparing amounts of butter, or none at all, but no ghee for me!
Hey Michele!
To me, it's not all that great either. I'm slowly getting used to it, but I can only take it in my polenta grits. I've tried it in my oatmeal, and it just did NOT taste right. I'm thinking maybe it goes with the corn (polenta grits) better, taste wise, than oats (oatmeal). I haven't tried to cook with it yet. I'm an olive oil girl.
However, it is also important to use clean utensiles when dipping into the ghee and to not contaminate it with anything if possible. I guess it depends on how quickly you use it.
Bingo!
BTW, you mention this stuff on refrigeration. I have not seen anything (haven't really looked.) Perhaps you might give sources/links when you make these kinds of statements?
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ghee is sterilized once the milk solids and the extra water have been extracted through the process.
any wet utensil will disrupt its sterile qualities...... ghee doesn t need to be refrigerated for that very reason.
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BTW, you mention this stuff on refrigeration. I have not seen anything (haven't really looked.) Perhaps you might give sources/links when you make these kinds of statements?
Sure! I think that some of it came from one of the other ghee threads, so I didn't think to post a link. Let me do a quick looksee over the stuff that I've read in the past couple of weeks and I'll post it here.
" It is clear to me that it is important to create and enjoy a beautiful and positive environment when making ghee. This subtle quality of ambiance is in line with cooking ghee on the flames of fire, it makes a difference. Once the butter begins to boil, reduce the flame to the lowest point at which the butter will continue to boil. As it boils, moisture evaporates off and it will begin to clarify and the butter will turn from cloudy yellowish liquid to a more golden color. Whitish cloudy milk solids will rise to the top and sink to the bottom. Do not stir. After a half hour to an hour and half to several hours, depending on the amount and the size of the pot and the amount of ghee compared to the flame, your ghee will be ready. The ghee will be a clear beautiful golden color with a wonderful smell that some have compared to popcorn. The moment ghee is ready is critical and lasts only a short time. If the ghee is cooked too little, moisture will remain in the ghee and it will lack in exquisite taste and qualities. Also, because of the moisture, it will tend to spoil or sour. If ghee is cooked too much, it will burn, turn slightly darker and have a certain nutty flavor. This does not ruin the ghee at all, but it is to be noticed, so that over time you will capture the ‘perfect’ ghee to be experienced between these two ‘extremes’. After the ghee is ready, skim off the top light crust of whitish milk solids. (These and the heavier ones at the bottom of the pot are traditionally used to make sweets. Children in India love them and always plead with their Mothers to have the leftovers when ghee is made. )
Then, pour the golden, sweet-smelling liquid through layered cheesecloth to catch any last impurities, into a bottle, leaving the slightly burned milk solids (caramelized lactose) on the bottom of the pot you cooked it in (ghee contains no lactose or milk sugars). Do not close the glass jar into which you pour the hot ghee until it comes to room temperature so that no moisture from condensation may form on the inside of the jar. Moisture spoils ghee, allowing a mold to grow which will sour the ghee. This is the reason that you always use a clean and dry spoon to take your ghee out of its container. For a similar reason do not refrigerate your ghee. First of all, it is not necessary. But, most importantly, condensation will form inside the jar as you take it back and forth between a refrigerator and a warm room."
I'm not too worried, since I won't leave any out that has been refrigerated. A key here is that once you refrigerate, you should continue to refrigerate that batch. Furthermore, if that small an amount of condensate can create havoc - I prefer to refrigerate. Peace of mind.
Another 'each to their own' where I will be away from the majority. At least I'm used to it.
Over in the "I made ghee for the first time" thread and some other ghee threads I think, I mention "If you keep it on the counter, please be mindful not to put spoons, forks, etc that already have food on them, into it. It will keep longer if it stays "uncontaminated". " (this also includes water/moisture) IMHO, keeping it uncontaminated is a huge factor. Not everyone was as concerned about that aspect, so maybe it's just my way of thinking, I don't know. ????? I just tend to think it's a huge problem, especially if you would put a utensil back into it that had been in your mouth. Your mouth harbors so much bacteria.
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pkarmeier - Wednesday, September 27, 2006, 12:04pm
IMHO, keeping it uncontaminated is a huge factor. Not everyone was as concerned about that aspect, so maybe it's just my way of thinking, I don't know. ?????
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If it's so good for us, we can only hope it's so good for them too. 
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I tend to think, however, that if you should happen to put something into it that has something else on it, including saliva, I could see that altering the taste, not to mention possibly ruining it. 
