DIY How to Make Ghee from Milk

There are very many products that we can get from milk. One of these products is ghee and like many milk products, is rich in nutrients which are of great benefit to the body. Ghee is made and used in many parts of the world for cooking and as a delicacy in itself. In this article, we shall explore how to make ghee from milk.

What is ghee?

Ghee is a staple ingredient in most traditional Asian dishes especially Indian cuisine. It has also gained popularity in most parts of Europe with people even adding it to their morning coffee.

Ghee is mostly made from clarified butter which is simply unsalted butter that has been gently heated. This makes milk solids to separate from the liquid and sink to the bottom of the pan once the butter has been melted. All the foam that may occur is usually skimmed off, leaving only the liquid behind.

Once all the milk solids are removed from the melted butter, the clarified butter is left which is suitable for high-temperature cooking because of its high smoke point. This will also have the added advantage of increasing the shelf life of the butter, with the only disadvantage being that it will have fewer flavors than regular butter.

Ghee is made by further heating the clarified butter until all the liquid evaporates to leave behind a brown solid which has a nutty, caramel-like aroma and flavor. This solid is what is called ghee. Ghee usually has a significantly longer shelf life compared to regular butter. It can also withstand cooking at really high temperatures.

3 Top Health Benefits of Eating Hhee

Ghee is a natural by-product from animals and it is a type of cooking fat. This makes it a great option for cooking as it contains a number of important nutrients when compared to other fats that are derived from plants.

The following are some of the health benefits we stand to gain from consuming ghee regularly by integrating it into our cooking:

1. It Contains No Lactose

Ghee is a great product as it does not contain either lactose or casein and can, therefore, be consumed by everyone including those who are lactose intolerant. These two elements are usually removed during the clarification process.

It is however very important that if you have an issue consuming dairy products to consult your doctor before using ghee as not all lactose intolerant people can consume it without getting an allergic reaction.

2. It Helps Boost Our Metabolism

Ghee has been shown to contain medium-chain fatty acids which are directly absorbed by the liver and are thus digested more quickly and converted into energy. This helps to boost your body’s metabolism while still maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.

3. Ghee Is Great for Alkalizing

Studies have shown that ghee is rich in short-chained alkalizing fats also known as butyrates which set it apart from butter. These fats are known to increase the growth of healthy bacteria in the intestines. This is the reason why it has traditionally been used to treat bowel enemas in India.

These healthy bacteria are used to convert fiber consumed into the body into butyric acid which then provides the energy necessary for intestinal wall support. This helps to promote healthy digestion.

4. It Provides Us With Vitamins A, E, and K

Provided that the ghee has been made from high-quality butter, it will provide us with a lot of vitamins A, K, and E. When the volume of milk solids are reduced from the butter, the concentration of these vitamins increases. The healthy fats contained in ghee also help with the absorption of these vitamins in the body.

How to Make Ghee From Milk at Home

Making ghee is a fairly simple process; use whole milk, preferably the one that comes directly from the cow. This will probably contain more cream compared to the store bought milk which has been skimmed of most of the fat content.

The first step is collecting as much cream from the milk as possible which may take about 10 days of boiling the milk and collecting the cream layer that forms on top when cooled and storing the milk in a stainless steel container and refrigerating it.

The second step would be making butter from the collected cream. Here you will need to put your cream into a mixer jar and add a cup of water to it. Process the butter using a food processor of churning blade until you can see the butter has separated from the whey which is the milk water. Transfer the butter into another clean container.

The third step, wash the butter at least three times to ensure that you have gotten rid of all the whey.

How to make ghee from the homemade butter

Soak about 4 curry leaves in some buttermilk and set aside.
Take a pinch of rock salt and keep it nearby to help the milk solids settle down once preparing the ghee.
Heat a heavy bottomed vessel then transfer the butter into it and heat it over a low-medium flame.
The butter will soon melt and form bubbles which will then become frothy.
A few minutes later you will observe that the clear ghee will separate from the milk solids which will be at the bottom.
The ghee will turn a light golden brown color while the milk solids will stick to the heavy-based pan and they will appear brownish.
Add your rock salt and curry leaves to the ghee and then switch off your heat.
Once the ghee has cooled down enough, you can filter it and place it in a glass container or stainless steel container and store it.
The ghee will be in liquid form when making it but will turn semi-solid after it rests for some time.

Note: Don’t stir the ghee when making it unless it starts burning.

The ghee may have a slight smell of milk solids after freshly making it but the smell will disappear after a week.

Conclusion

From the health benefits information above, it is clear to see that ghee is a healthier alternative to using butter. Ghee does not contain any lactose which is great news for those people who get allergic reactions from consuming dairy products.

Ghee has very many uses which include deep frying food, toasting spices and it is also used in alternative medicine. In Indian tradition, ghee is used to treat skin and also heal lips as it is associated with regeneration.

Like other natural oils found in olives and coconuts, when you apply a few drops of ghee on your lips before bed, it will moisturize your lips throughout the night leaving you with soft supple lips in the morning. This is all thanks to the many vitamins that ghee contains.

Ghee can also be used to perform ayurvedic massages due to its regenerating qualities. It is put into a lot of use in Ayurvedic medicine which is an alternative form of medicine that originates from Indian tradition. Ghee has gained a lot of popularity all over the world as people have recently come to appreciate the nutritional value that ghee adds to our daily diet.

People are finding more creative ways to incorporate it into their diets including adding it to their coffee. You can also apply ghee on your toast instead of butter but please do it sparingly as it has a richer taste than that of butter and thus putting too much can be overwhelming.

If you had not yet considered using ghee in your diet then it is about time you started. You can choose to buy store bought ghee but the best would be one that is homemade.