Recipe for Ghee and Upcoming Ayurveda Support Circle!

I hope everyone is enjoying the spring season so far!    If you would like to learn about and share practices that help keep us healthy in the spring (Kapha) season please join us for the next Ayurveda Support Circle.   It is at my house in Silver Spring on Monday, April 8th from 7:30 to 9.  These gatherings are free and open to anyone who has an interest in or passion for Ayurveda.  If you have any questions or are interested in coming, please send me an email or text.

 

About Ghee:  A few weeks ago, I sent a link to an article that was in the Post about the benefits of Ghee.   If you would like to make your own, my recipe is below.  

 

Ghee has many health benefits which is why it is used in a Spring Cleanse as well as for daily use. To recap, here are some of its wonderful properties:  It has a very high smoke point so it will not break down into free radicals like other oils; because the milk solids have been taken out it is fine for those who are lactose intolerant and it is stored in a dark cool place, not in the refrigerator; it is nutritionally rich, including vitamins A, D, E and K2; and it is high in butyric acid (more concentrated than butter) which is very important for supporting gut health and keeping the immune system strong.

 

Ghee

Start with 1 to 2 pounds of unsalted, organic butter made from milk of pasture-raised cows.

Put the butter in a heavy, large saucepan. I use a wide soup pot. Heat on low heat. Once you start hearing the crackling, popping sounds, which is the noise of moisture evaporating from the butter, take a look at it, and gently stir with a wooden spoon. 

Throughout the process, you can stir it occasionally. It can take up to 1 hour.  Make sure to keep listening for the sounds, and when the popping is infrequent, watch the ghee carefully. Turn the heat off as soon as the sounds stop so you do not burn the ghee. There may be a little foam on top, and particles will be at the bottom of the pot.

Let it cool slightly for about 10 minutes. Then pour the contents through a fine metal strainer, lined with cheese cloth, into a bowl. Let it sit for about 10 to 30 minutes, and then strain again into a glass measuring cup. Pour the liquid into a glass jar that holds about 2 cups (or 2 jars if you used 2 pounds of butter). Put the lid on when it is cooled to lukewarm and store in a closed cupboard away from heat.

Do not refrigerate. The liquid ghee will solidify (in the hot weather it remains a little liquidy) and be a beautiful bright yellow color.  I put some ghee in one of my hand made covered ghee holders and keep it on the counter next to the stove for everyday use, replenishing it when needed.

Here are pictures of my ghee.