The benefit of making a larger amount at once is that it can be stored and used as your main cooking fat. Always use a dry utensil when extracting ghee from its container in order to avoid bacterial growth. You can refrigerate if you’d like but it’s not necessary. If kept out, it is best to store in a dark place such as a cupboard.

Ingredients

Directions

1 lb unsalted butter=1 3/4 cups ghee time to make: 30 minutes

2 lbs. unsalted butter= 3 1/2 cups ghee time:1 hour

5 lbs. unsalted butter= 9 cups ghee time: 2-3 hours

Over moderate heat, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the butter to a gentle boil. It will froth and foam at first, wait for it to settle down and then reduce the heat to low. Stir it occasionally and cook until a thin, white crust begins to form at the top and milky white solids fall to the bottom of the pan. They will eventually turn to a very pale brown. Once the ghee is translucent, clear and fragrant, it’s done though be careful as it is easy to burn near the end of the process. Pour the hot ghee over a sieve that has been lined with two thicknesses of unbleached paper towels (make sure there are no dyes in them) into the container you want to store it in. Let cool completely until a solid mass form again, then seal and store, again taking care not to let in any moisture or water. Feel free to experiment with flavoring the ghee as well. Try adding any of the following to the butter while it’s boiling:

these proportions are for each pound of butter

6 sprigs of fresh curry leaves 20 whole cloves 3 inch cinnamon stick 1 1/2 tbsp whole peppercorns 2 inch piece of ginger root 1 or 2 dried chili pods of any kind