We support flower-based infused-butter testing.
Question: I made clarified butter out of salted butter instead of unsalted. Could that make a difference in my results?
Answer: Yes, you'll want to make sure you use clarified, unsalted butter for testing.
Question: Will regular butter work or does it have to be clarified?
Answer: All butter tested in our device needs to be clarified butter or you can use ghee. Salted butter products will not work with our device. Clarified butter has a higher smoke point (485 °F or 252 °C) than regular butter (325-375 °F or 163-190 °C), and is therefore preferred. Clarified butter also has a much longer shelf life than fresh butter. It has negligible amounts of lactose and casein.
Question: What is ghee?
Answer: Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in India and is commonly used in South Asian (Indian, Bangladeshi, Nepali, Sri Lankan, and Pakistani) cuisine and rituals.
Question: What is the difference between butter and ghee?
Answer: A comparison of the two is provided below, and while some may say they are similar the two ingredients are actually very different. Ghee is butter minus the milk solids and water. During the cooking process, milk proteins and water are removed, resulting in a butter-like spread made of almost 100 percent pure butterfat.
Question: What is so special about ghee?
Answer: While ghee takes longer to make than some other types of clarified butter, it retains more vitamins and nutrients thanks to its low-heat preparation. Ghee also tastes good, so it can make some healthy but unappetizing foods more palatable.
Question: Do I need to refrigerate ghee?
Answer: Ghee Is Extremely Shelf Stable. Because there is no water in ghee, bacteria won't grow there, so you can skip refrigeration. If your ghee gets tainted with water or food, then refrigerate; it'll be fine for future use.
Question: What is clarified butter
Answer: Clarified butter is milk fat rendered from butter to separate the milk solids and water from the butterfat. Typically, it is produced by melting butter and allowing the components to separate by density. The water evaporates, some solids float to the surface and are skimmed off, and the remainder of the milk solids sink to the bottom and are left behind when the butterfat (which would then be on top) is poured off.
- Melt the butter in a pot on the stove (ideally, the pot should be tall and narrow to make skimming easier), let it sit, and skim off the froth with a ladle.
- Discard the froth and ladle out the pure, golden clarified butter. Don’t reach too far down in the pot with the ladle or you’ll bring up water and milk solids that have settled to the bottom.
It’s worth making more than you need since clarified butter keeps for months in the fridge and forever in the freezer. If you’re only clarifying a pound or two [450 to 900 g] of butter, cook the butter over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. - The butter will froth and bubble as the water in the butter boils away. (Butter is about 30 percent water.) After about 5 minutes, keep a close eye on the butter—tilt the pan and look at the bottom, where some of the milk solids will cling.
- When the milk solids coagulate, first into white specks, then lightly brown ones, remove the butter from the heat and set the bottom of the saucepan in a bowl of cold water for a few seconds to stop the cooking.
- Pour the butter into another container, leaving the golden brown milk solids clinging to the saucepan. Or if you’re being fastidious, strain the butter through a fine-mesh strainer, a triple layer of cheesecloth, or a coffee filter.
or
For smaller batches here's how:
- Place the butter in a 2-quart saucepan and set over medium heat.
- Once the butter has liquefied, decrease the heat to the lowest setting then adjust to maintain a low boil.
- Cook for approximately 45 minutes or until the butter reaches 260 degrees F, is clear, and the foam on top is slightly browned.
Clarified Butter vs. Ghee
Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in India and is commonly used in South Asian (Indian, Bangladeshi, Nepali, Sri Lankan, and Pakistani) cuisine and rituals.
Ghee, although a type of clarified butter, differs slightly in its production. The process of creating traditional clarified butter is complete once the water is evaporated and the fat (clarified butter) is separated from the milk solids. However, the production of ghee includes simmering the butter along with the milk solids so that they caramelize, which makes it nutty-tasting and aromatic. Spices can be added for flavor. The texture, color, and taste of ghee depend on the quality of the butter and the duration of the boiling.
Comparison Chart | ||
Clarified Butter | Ghee | |
Method of Preparation | Clarified butter is usually prepared by melting butter and allowing all the ingredients to separate by density. Commercially prepared by direct evaporation, decantation, and centrifugation. | Ghee is prepared by simmering unsalted butter in a cooking vessel until all water has evaporated and the milk solids, or protein, have settled to the bottom. |
Definition | Clarified butter is anhydrous milk fat rendered from butter to separate the milk solids and water from the butterfat. | Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in South Asia and is commonly used in South Asian (Indian, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani), North African (Egyptian and Berber), and Horn African cuisine. |
Note: Water and milk solids in your butter will affect all results/tests in our device. Make sure your butter/ghee testing material is void of them.
Comments
1 comment
When clarifying my unsalted butter for my MB2, I slow melt 3 pounds in a medium pot without stirring and once the milk product settles at the bottom it can be easily removed with a turkey baster, then a low simmer to evaporate remaining water and milk products.
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