The key to making yummy ghee is to just dive in and practice a lot – each time it gets easier!

To prepare:

• Place a pound of organic unsalted butter in a saucepan and melt over medium-low heat.
• Maintain a gentle boil until the liquified butter becomes transparent. The time this stage takes depends on the type of pan and the flame/level of heat, but it should be around 10 to 25 minutes. Adjust the  heat level so the boiling doesn’t feel frantic.
• The ghee will bubble and foam as it cooks down, and the solids will sink to the bottom. The primary signs of readiness are 1) when it becomes transparent, and 2) when the sediment on the bottom turns a toasty light brown (which may or may not be visible depending on the type of pan you use – you may need to blow the foam aside to see). It also releases a distinct “buttered popcorn” smell when it’s done, which is slightly different from the scent when the butter first boils. Watch closely – when it’s almost done, it can burn quickly.
• While the ghee is cooking, prepare a pint jar by pre-heating it with warm tap water (so it doesn’t break when the boiling ghee is poured in). Dry the jar completely. Place the jar in the sink and cover with a small sieve lined with cheesecloth. (If I don’t have any cheesecloth handy, I just use the sieve and it turns out ok.)
• When the ghee is ready, remove from heat. Note that if you are using a pan that holds heat particularly well, such as some ceramic or cast iron pans, the ghee will continue cooking even off the burner, so you may need to work swiftly here.
• Pour the ghee into the pre-heated jar. Don’t remove any foam from the top – it’s good for you. The solids, however, are not – they should stick to the bottom of the pan, and any loose bits will be caught by the cheesecloth.
• You can keep ghee in an air-tight container outside of the refrigerator without it spoiling. The key is to make sure you use only clean utensils to remove the ghee so no food particles and no water get into the jar.
• The final product should be a golden yellow color. If it’s been cooked a little longer, it will be a dark amber as liquid and will set to a duller, slightly brown color. I happen to love the nutty taste of well-done ghee, although my teacher Dr. Lad calls it “burned” in this state. Experiment to find your preference!

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