A Naturopathic doctor I saw last year introduced me to ghee. This is clarified butter, used in a lot of Ayurveda cooking. What's great about ghee is that it is lactose and casein free. I prefer the taste to butter, as it is a bit sweeter. It also has a very high melting point, and can be used in a variety of cooking. In addition, there are a lot of health benefits from it. In the book "Healing with Whole Foods" by Paul Pitchford, he says this about Ghee,
"A unique feature of clarified butter (ghee), which is butter with the milk solids removed, is a healing property not found in other saturated fats. According to Ayuvedic teachings, clarified butter enhances the ojas, an essence that governs the tissues of the body and balances the hormones. Ample ojas ensures a strong mind and body, resistance against disease, and is essential for longevity. Clarified butter promotes the healing injuries of gastro-intestinal inflammations such as ulcers and colitis.
The ability of clarified butter to support physical and mental renewal has been substantiated to some degree by science. According to Rudolph Ballentine, M.D., clarified butter contains butyric acid, a fatty acid that has some antiviral and anti-cancer properties, and which raises the level of the antiviral chemical interferon in the body. Butyric acid also has characteristics found to be helpful in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Ayureveda also describes clarified butter as one of the finest cooking oils; it increases "digestive fire" and thereby improves assimilation and enhances the nutritional value of foods... Can be used when cooking with high temperatures, especially abaove 320F."
I had been buying ghee at the stores, as someone told me that it was difficult to make. Recently I have been learning how easy it is to make. I made my first batch last Friday. It turned out great! And now it will only cost me 1/2 as much instead of paying for it at the stores. You just need butter and time.
Ghee (recipe adapted from the book "The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia" by Rebecca Wood)
Ingredients
1 pound cultured unsalted organic butter
Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and slowly melt over medium heat. When the butter comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered and undisturbed, for about 30 minutes. As the temperature reaches the boiling point of water, the butter's water content vaporizes, foaming and making tiny, sharp crackling noises. It will be ready when the crackling noise stops and the sound becomes a rounder, boiling sound. The foaming almost ceases; the butter turns a lovely, clear golden color and the white sediment (milk proteins and salts) that forms on the bottom turns a light tan color. Immediately remove from the heat since the ghee can easily burn. (If it burns it will begin to foam rapidly again and turn brown instead of golden.) Cool slightly. Pout hot ghee through a stainless steel mesh strainer (or place paper towels or a coffee filter in a colander to help strain it.) When cool, cover tightly. This will stores for 4 months or more at room temperature. Can also be refrigerated - but will become solid (which is what I do anyway). Makes 1 1/2 cups or 13 oz.
Here are some additional sites that have posted pictures on how to do it, and a video:
