I am running out of ghee soon and would like to use the organic butter in my freezer to make some homemade ghee myself. I tried the stove-top method discussed on this forum last year. I think I overdid it a bit. It came out brown. But still usable.

One time I heated up some butter in the oven and noticed that there was some whitest glob floating on the surface. I wonder if that was lactose being separated from the milk? If so, can I just use a spoon to remove it and the rest (a really nice golden color) would make a ghee? Suggestions anyone?

first was usable

second is the way it should be golden amber color (the white is the dairy cooking out of it, settles to the bottom, and when you strain it, it doesn't go back into it. Pour into a jar that you have a lid for (I put a butter knife in it so the jar won't crack from the heat. ( I also do it on top of the stove )

how long did you heat it up?

I like the stove top method, gives me more control over my ghee, and all the
white glob floating on the surface eventually sinks to the bottom, once done....

sounds like your oven ghee was not quite there yet.....
it takes longer to make ghee, than simply heating it

I don't remember how long I heated it up. It was probably just about 5 minutes. I thought the oven was easier to control as I can see the butter melt and become entirely liquid but not boiling. The color is easier to detect as I had the butter sitting in a white bowl. On the stove top, I have only a black pot and when it bubbles I can hardly see the color of the liquid. But you're right... the oven method may not be give it long enough time to get all the dairy part out, eh? The white glob was floating and not sinking to the bottom. If I keep the butter in the over longer until it bubbles, would that be long enough time?

Quoted from balletomane

I don't remember how long I heated it up. It was probably just about 5 minutes. I thought the oven was easier to control

I use a much longer time than this. On the stove top it is between twenty minutes and an hour (at as low a temperature as I can get).

In the oven it is more like an hour or two (at around 250 F).

I try to be sure that I get all the moisture out.  

Yes, it needs to bubble, Balletomane.  If you simmer it stove-top you can hear popping noises.  It should just be a bare simmer, though, not a roiling boil.  The white glob on top has to sink to the bottom.  It solidifies into bits that stay behind when you strain your ghee.  I've made ghee in the oven - as a matter of fact I thought that was how it was supposed to be made - but everybody here said they did theirs on the stove top and strained it, so I tried that and I find it easier because I can see it, and I can *hear* when it's ready, but I can't leave the room or I'll forget about it entirely.

Thanks all for your opinions and suggestions. I'll go back to the stove-top style then  

Don't give up on the stovetop method.  Put your heat at a simmer instead of low.  The goal is NOT to boil the butter.  Do it sometime when you are going to be in the kitchen anyway, for about 25 minutes.  It goes through a few stages so it's telling you what it's doing.  

First the ghee is very noisy and the white foam (milk solids) are rising to the top.

Then the ghee starts to get more quiet.  On my stove, it's after 10 to 15 minutes.  It's not a time thing, but an individual matter.  Each time, it can be different.  

Once the ghee starts to get quiet, the foam on the top will begin to thin out.  This lets you know the milk solids are dropping to the bottom.  At this point, you'll need to tilt the pot and look at the sediment to see what color it is.
At first, it's white (milk).  Then as it continues to heat, the sediment begins to darken.

I like to take my ghee off the burner when the sediment turns golden brown.  When it turns darker brown, the ghee is still edible, but in my opinion is overdone.  It's an individual matter, however.

Let the pot sit for a few minutes to cool down.  Then strain through your finest stainless steel mesh strainer.  This way, no cloth is needed.  That's all there is to it.  

Thanks for your detailed description, Victoria.  
I will try it and it may take a while to make the perfect batch but I will keep on experimenting.

Quoted Text

I can see it, and I can *hear* when it's ready

and you can smell when......

I have made ghee twice since I started the BTD in October.

My co worker is Eastern Indian and she said it was perfect the first time, golden yellow and clear before it solidified.  

My second batch looks the same but it is a little granular, don't know why.  Took about the same time, 30 minutes, for 1 pound.  I tend to scoop off the milk solids as it is simmering and I don't have to filter, just pour the clear ghee into my bottle.

Any idea why my second batch was granular?

Quoted from Lola

and you can smell when......

Oh, yes!  That heavenly smell!!  

when cooked at the lowest setting for over an hour, mine doesn't turn granular

Maybe it's important for all of us to slow it down on the ghee making.  It just seems to turn out better cooked longer on really low heat.

The aroma is tantalizing.  

use unsalted organic butter.

the oven method sounds way too difficult, and it will be 4 times more expensive using the oven.

the trick is to not walk away, that is when the stuff burns.

Quoted from labrat

Any idea why my second batch was granular?

Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't, even using the same brand of butter. Once it liquifies, it's no longer gritty, though.

My last batch almost burned after 25 minutes! Some flames can't go low enough (like mine).

I wrote a blog a while back about making ghee, including photos - find it here.  You need to make it a few times before you get the hang of it, but once you do, it is really easy!  Probably takes me about 30 minutes total.

I've made a couple of batches of ghee in the oven, but that was back when I had a reliable (temp-wise) oven. I like to be able to monitor the progress, so the stove top is the way to go (for me). Whimsical's tutorial is very well done. I recommend it.

Quoted from Drea

My last batch almost burned after 25 minutes! Some flames can't go low enough (like mine).

I don't think I have ever simmered mine longer than 20 min. or so.  After that, the sediment begins to get dark.

When I used to make it in CA, on a gas stove, I could cook it as long as 45 minutes before it was done. I use a propane stove now, and I've used an electric stove top as well as a ceramic top electric...they all needed different times to cook the ghee.

Just made ghee for the very first time ever! I didn't know you could make it at home. I put it on a double boiler, took about an hour, then put it on the stove by itself and in a few minutes the solids turned brown. Next time I'll prob just do it on the stove w/o the double boiler). Now I'm straining it through a coffee filter. Thank you ladies! The pot I made it in smells delicious (so does my house!).

Thanks, Whimsical, for posting your instructions. Very clear and the photos are great. I'm going to give it a try. However, I wonder if it is absolutely necessary to use unsalted butter. Last time I used salted one. Also, my stove doesn't let me go very low on the flame. Only 15 minutes and my ghee was brown already  

If one absolutely has to use unsalted butter, then I only have a piece that's half a pound. So should I expect to use half the time as suggested?

Unsalted is always recommended, but I always use salted, because the only local brand of organic butter from grass-fed cows (in my area) is salted.  I find that the salt ends up on the bottom and the ghee doesn't taste salty.

I haven't used salted butter, but most of what I've read about ghee recommends unsalted.  But, make do with what you have!  

Quoted from balletomane

If one absolutely has to use unsalted butter, then I only have a piece that's half a pound. So should I expect to use half the time as suggested?

I started using salted butter as well, but now use unsalted..  The ghee tastes the same either way...  The salt stays with solids...

Thanks for your replies.

I have made the ghee now... the second batch I've ever made. Turned out to be brown as well  

I already set the gas stove at the lowest heat. It took only 10 minutes for the sizzling sound and steams to disappear. At this point, when I removed the foam on the surface, the liquid underneath is already a medium dark shade of brown. Does it mean my stove is just too hot for this job   I did taste a bit of the ghee thus made, and it seems totally fine. The smell is heavenly!

why not get a small portable electric burner for the job? i have seenthem in catalogs like fingerhut and even jcpenny. i think i have seen then in places like walmart and target as well. i don't recall them as beong very exspensive and you would be able to git the lower heat. it dose sound like your stove is just too hot to handle  

Hmm, I won't be able to buy those you mentioned here in Asia... but maybe a very small slow burner similar to crockpot... the modern ones people use to make Chinese medicinal soup with electricity, perhaps. Need to experiment more!

10 minutes is too short and your low setting might be way too high

the oven method might be best for you then

Oh I see. But by now I figure it would probably be best to buy ghee directly from the store because it costs about the same amount to buy the organic butter that would yield the amount of ghee in the ready-made bottle . Both need to be imported. It's only when they do a sale on the butter that I stock up and put in the freezer, then it would be more economical to make my own ghee. I guess I can still put this ghee into homemade chocolate?

I wonder if one of those cup warmers would work for you Ballet? If you could get a very small pot it might be slow enough to work?!

What about something to set over the burner to lift the pot up higher?  Some kind of ring?  I used to see those for use with glass coffee pots.

If you don't have a simmer feature on your stove you could try a heat diffuser or flame tamer. An example is found on the following link. They can be found in a wide variety of prices and quality.

http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=190609

balletomame use a double boiler like I did...just remember to keep adding water to the bottom pot...I'm not an expert but the double boiler is always good for that kind of stuff (like melting chocolate, etc) if your flame doesn't get very low.

This is the link I used:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/ButterGhee.htm

Making Clarified Butter and Ghee Tips and Hints:

Always use unsalted butter. Use organic butter or the best butter you can buy. Cheap butter contains lots of water and chemicals, plus it burns much faster.

When making clarified butter always start with at least 25% more unsalted butter than the amount of clarified butter needed, as the volume is reduced during the melting and straining process.


    1 pound of butter = about 1 1/2 cups clarified butter or ghee.

Use a heavy bottomed and deep stainless steel pan. Make sure the pan you will be using is clean and dry.

Use low heat so the butter will not burn. Yes, turning up the heat will melt the butter faster, but the milk solids may begin to burn. For fast melting, cut the unsalted butter into pieces and melt slowly in a heavy saucepan for approximately 30 minutes.

Never cover the pan during the whole cooking process.

Chef's Tip - use a double boiler. This let you safely clarify your butter while busy elsewhere in the kitchen.


How To Make Clarified Butter and How To Make Butter Ghee

The only difference in making both clarified butter and ghee, is the length of the cooking time. The additional Ghee directions are in blue print below.

Place one (1) pound of unsalted butter in your pan. Over low heat, melt the butter. When the butter has completely melted, continue to heat it over low heat.

When the melted butter starts boiling, it will begin to foam and sputter a lot at first as the water boils off. Continue boiling the butter, uncovered.

As the butter melts, it will slowly separate into three (3) layers:

    The top layer is a thin layer of foam (this is the butter's water content boiling off.

    The middle layer contains the liquid.

    The bottom layer is where most of the milk solids are.

Slowly the liquid on top becomes more and more transparent. When the clarified butter has a golden transparent color, there is very little foam left on the surface, and the solids have settled on the bottom, the clarified butter is ready. The cooking time is approximately 30 minutes, depending on the heat source and the kind of pot that you use.

Remove from heat immediately as it can burn easily at this point.

Ghee:  Continue to slowly cook over low heat, watching carefully and stirring occasionally, until solids on the bottom of the pan turn light brown and the liquid deepens to golden and turns translucent and fragrant. Also a rich aroma ( aroma smells like popcorn) arises in the air. Immediately remove from the heat. Important - If you leave it on the heat too long, you will burn the residue and all of the ghee will have a burnt taste.


Ways to remove the foam and solids:

Skim off the foam after removing from heat. Let the butter cool awhile to let more of the solids settle, and then pour or spoon out the clarified butter, leaving the remain milk solids in the pan.

Pour the hot melted cutter through cheesecloth, fine-mesh skimmer, or tea strainer to filter out the foam and solids that have settled, letting the clarified butter flow into a jar.

My favorite way - Pour the hot melted butter into a container and allow it to separate on its own while cooling, and then refrigerate. After it has solidified, you can easily scrape off the hardened foam on top.

Use a gravy or fat separator to make the skimming easier.

Strain the melted butter through a typical coffee filter.

Different brands of butter have different water contents.  I have tried several brands of organic butter and noticed how much volume I lose from the process.  The one I currently use has such a low moisture content, I end up with just a couple of Tb short of what I originally started out with.

Thanks everyone for all your wonderful suggestions. I will definitely look into the different tools to lower the temp of my ghee boiling in the future . I did put some of that brown ghee into my homemade chocolate and it was yummilicious  

just a word of warning re double boilers, many are made from aluminium, which i would avoid at all costs.

Quoted from Jesi

Just made ghee for the very first time ever! I didn't know you could make it at home. I put it on a double boiler, took about an hour, then put it on the stove by itself and in a few minutes the solids turned brown. Next time I'll prob just do it on the stove w/o the double boiler). Now I'm straining it through a coffee filter. Thank you ladies! The pot I made it in smells delicious (so does my house!).

I think that's a very good way to make it.
When the butter melts in the double boiler, don't the solids sink to the bottom?  So if you then carefully decant the liquid into a saucepan and raise the temperature to boil off the water, there shouldn't be any solids to burn.  Adn then you won't have to strain, which, to me, is the worst part.

Straining is a simple one step procedure with a fine mesh strainer.
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=17379291&RN=212&

Nothing else is needed;  no skimming, no cloths, filters, etc.

Thanks to Wholefoodie and Victoria's suggestions, I have acquired the flame tamer and the fine mesh strainer in my new attempt to make ghee. And it was a success!!!

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm121/balletomanehk/Ghee.jpg

This time I spent just under an hour (instead of 15 minutes, !) to finish making the ghee. I kept the flame as low as possible to make sure the ghee didn't burn. I also used unsalted butter. I found no brownish sediments at the bottom though. The ghee came out so clear and golden. Love it!!!

Your ghee looks gorgeous, Balletmane!  

Another ghee gallery:  http://tinyurl.com/9e7zsc

I made my 2nd batch today and wasn't too happy... My first one overcooked I think, it came out pretty dark, but tasted ok. This one went dark really quick, but doesn't smell as nice.. I think it was on too hot   I hope to do better next time  

This guy knows his ghee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGBI4IKL58g

So what can the solids be used for?  Seems a waste to throw it away.

Is ghee pronounced with a soft "g" or hard "g"?  Phonetically it should be hard but I was curious.

I've only ever heard it pronounced with a hard "g"...rhymes with key.

Quoted from Leanne

So what can the solids be used for?  Seems a waste to throw it away.

If you can tolerate butter...these ladies have uses for the solids: Show Me The Curry

Quoted from Leanne

So what can the solids be used for?  Seems a waste to throw it away.

Is ghee pronounced with a soft "g" or hard "g"?  Phonetically it should be hard but I was curious.

The "g" is prounced like the "g" in the word Get.

I don't use the solids because that is all the stuff in ghee that I don't want to eat.

Quoted from Leanne

So what can the solids be used for?  Seems a waste to throw it away.

Is ghee pronounced with a soft "g" or hard "g"?  Phonetically it should be hard but I was curious.

Solids can be used for animal feed.  I wouldn't use them in personal food if butter is an avoid for you.

I've always pronounced it with the "g" sound like go or get, rather than the "j" sound like gee or general...

I've always discarded the solids. The whole point of making ghee is to turn the butter into something healthier- so why would I want to eat a concentrated form of the "bad part of butter"?

I made ghee again for the third time and this time I cooked it until the sizzling stopped.  It is much more brown, as were the solids on the bottom of the pan.  It tastes so different this time, almost like burnt caramel.  That was the first thing I thought when I stuck my finger in after it cooled.  It is heavenly!!!

Next time I cook it, I am going to try lowering the heat a little and cooking it for the full hour.  I forgot to time it because I was doing too many other things at once.

Quoted from Patty H

I made ghee again for the third time and this time I cooked it until the sizzling stopped.  It is much more brown, as were the solids on the bottom of the pan.  It tastes so different this time, almost like burnt caramel.  That was the first thing I thought when I stuck my finger in after it cooled.  It is heavenly!!!

Next time I cook it, I am going to try lowering the heat a little and cooking it for the full hour.  I forgot to time it because I was doing too many other things at once.

It is yummy! The hard part for me when I make ghee is consistently getting it to that darker color without burning it.  I think the butter taste is more concentrated when you achieve the caramel color.

Quoted from Kim

It is yummy! The hard part for me when I make ghee is consistently getting it to that darker color without burning it.  I think the butter taste is more concentrated when you achieve the caramel color.

Yes, it looks like caramel, too!  I used a different brand of organic butter as well.  It is a limited edition butter, so I may go and buy more and freeze it to have on hand.  Since I am the only one in my family who eats the ghee, a pound lasts more than a month.

Quoted from Whimsical

I wrote a blog a while back about making ghee, including photos - find it here.  You need to make it a few times before you get the hang of it, but once you do, it is really easy!  Probably takes me about 30 minutes total.

Thanks Whimsical, that's a very helpful page, especially with all the pics. I sent a link to my mother too, she and I are new to making ghee...I'm using the stuff from the store which is good so I can't wait to make my own...

Quoted from Victoria

Straining is a simple one step procedure with a fine mesh strainer.
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=17379291&RN=212&

Nothing else is needed;  no skimming, no cloths, filters, etc.

Thanks Victoria, I just ordered one, seems like it's gonna make it simple...