How to Make Ghee

My first attempt at making ghee was way back when we were beginning to follow the gluten-free casein-free (GFCF) diet.  We could no longer eat butter, as it contained casein (a dairy protein), and so I was looking for an alternative that still tasted great.  I had seen at my first AutismOne conference a demonstration of how to make ghee on your stovetop, and so I hurried home, excited to try this new recipe.

I was very nervous to do it, as the presenter had mentioned that the difference between perfectly clarified butter and burnt ghee was within a matter of seconds, and I didn’t want to burn my $5 pound of butter.  My first attempt was a disaster to put it mildly, and I was unsure whether I had gotten out all of the casein, so the entire batch was wasted.  I couldn’t risk my son accidentally ingesting any casein, as it led to total behavioral chaos and loss of language, so I went back to buying my Earth’s Balance margarine and occasionally splurging on store-bought ghee.

Fast forward to GAPS™ and learning a way to make ghee in your oven.

The first time I tried it, I experienced sweet success and now ghee is a staple in our diet.  The boys eat it straight up by the spoonful.  Our morning eggs would be nothing without it.  When we go through Intro, I often find myself making between 5 and 6 lbs. of ghee a week.

So here is an easy, fail-proof way to make ghee in your oven.  If you are extremely sensitive to dairy, always do the skin sensitivity test prior to ingesting any dairy product.  Also, if you notice any reactions (including behavioral reactions) to ghee, discontinue use and try again in the future after you experience more healing.

 

Making Ghee

What you’ll need:

1 lb. organic grass-fed butter

stainless steel (or glass) oven-safe container

cheesecloth

pint-sized glass jar

 

 

Place your butter in a small oven-safe stainless steel pot (glass also works).  I use the little pot that Bosnians use for making Turkish coffee.  (It makes awesome coffee AND awesome ghee!  Who knew? 🙂 )

 

 

Put the butter in an oven heated between 200 and 225 degrees Fahrenheit for about 60-75 minutes. (When I use a large glass container, I make up two pounds of ghee at a time, at 200F for 75 minutes). When it is finished, it will look something like this:

 

 

All of the white solid parts could also sink to the bottom of your pan, depending on the butter that you are using.

At this point, I use a spoon to skim off the solids on the top.  Then, I place a piece of cheesecloth (doubled over) on top of a pint-sized glass Mason jar.  I pour the ghee through the cheesecloth, which catches any remaining milk solids.  The finished product is a lovely golden color.

 

 

You can store the ghee at room temperature.  It will solidify into a soft, scoopable texture.  You can also store it in the fridge, which is what I do, because I like to spoon out a solid chunk at a time to cook with, with less ghee sticking to my glass jar or my spoon.

 

Ghee adds a wonderful buttery flavor to any dish and is great to cook and bake with.  Unlike butter, ghee can be heated to higher heats when frying without burning.  It’s quickly become one of my favorite fats to cook with; I’ve long ago said goodbye to margarine!

 

 

~ Alicia