Ghee (clarified butter)

Ingredients

500gm unsalted organic butter

Method

• Take 500gm of unsalted organic butter and put into an medium-sized heavy based saucepan

• Bring the butter to a low boil on a medium heat and then turn temperature down until the butter and gently cook for approximately 15 minutes. It will bubble and sputter, and a white foam will form at the top, this will disappear as the ghee processed

• Whitish sediments will form at the bottom of the pan and will let off a sweet popcorn like smell

• As the ghee forms it will become a clear golden colour, ensure that it does not burn. With a clean spoon, check that the ghee is clear through to the bottom

• When the colour is golden and and it has stopped sputtering take off the heat and allow to cool

• While the ghee is luke warm pour through a cheesecloth into a clean air tight jar

• Discard the sediments in the saucepan.

• Store ghee in a dry place, it does not need to be refrigerated.

Why use ghee?

By clarifying butter, all milk solids are removed. It can be used in cooking in place of butter and oil in cooking as it does not easily burn. Ghee is an extremely versatile as it is the most heat stable and acts as a digestive by aiding absorption and assimilation. It can be used as a base for body massage and is a common base for herbal ointments. The medicinal properties are known to improve with age and has rejuvenating properties. Ghee has catalytic properties and is able to carry the medicinal properties of herbs to all the tissues of the body without producing any effects of its own. It helps to pacify vata and pitta and kapha in small quantities and congestion in blood and plasma. Ghee helps to keep the body supple and lubricates the connective/nerve tissues in the body, protects bone marrow. It aids in the promotion of immunity, fertility, intelligence, vision, liver/kidney/brain function, enzyme function in intestines.

Use ghee with caution in obesity, high cholesterol and high ama conditions.