Ghee: Benefits and How to Make

Welcome to my Ayurveda & Yoga blog! I’m Evangeline and I’m an RMT and holistic health coach. I started my blog during covid to stay connected to my clients and share my love of cooking healthy, AYURVEDIC INSPIRED meals.
Ayurvedic cooking is a conscious approach to preparing and cooking tasty, nutritious, balanced meals using spices and herbs, and taking into consideration the external conditions- the season, time of day, and how you are feeling and the state of your health.

Updated: AUGUST 6, 2023

Ghee has gained positive ground over the last few years. Ghee is clarified butter, where butter is warmed, evaporating the water, and milk solids discarded. Ghee is a nourishing fat with many proven health benefits.

The low-fat trend that governed mainstream choice since the 1960s has been debunked since studies now show the health benefits of good fats, such as ghee and olive oil. In addition it is a well known fact that artificial trans fats, found in margarine, are not fit for human consumption. Found in most packaged and processed food, labeled as partially hydrogenated oil (adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them stable), trans fats/hydrogenated oils are considered an unsafe food to eat according to the FDA as of 2013.

Modern science tells us ghee is a “neutral food” which has not been proven to contribute to heart disease. Though ghee is high in saturated fat, medical science is yet unclear as to how and why some saturated fat is good, and which unsaturated fat is ideal for cooking. The latest research on the bad cholesterol, LDL (low-density lipoprotein) shows it is the oxidized cholesterol that is a major risk factor in atherosclerosis. The ancient seers who cognized Ayurveda observed that butter was a heavy fat and needed to be clarified. Thus, we can turn to ghee as it has been heralded for thousands of years in Ayurveda as the finest fat for human consumption, nourishing all our bodily tissues, and as research is discovering has numerous health benefits.

Making ghee from grass-fed butter will provide more Vitamin K2 which is responsible for supporting the health of your brain and heart and building strong bones. Ghee is very low on lactose and casein, and may be tolerated by those allergic to dairy. The research into ghee points to its nutritional value and several health benefits.

Every month or so I make a jar of ghee. When time allows I make cultured butter from scratch, by culturing the cream before making butter. Otherwise, I would get store bought grass-fed organic butter. I first learned how to make ghee when my Ayurvedic teacher, Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra, was teaching a marma course in Sarnia. I remember him saying the stove had to be set at a very low temperature the whole entire time. Slow cooking cultured butter at a very low temperature is the traditional way of making ghee.

Since introducing ghee into my diet over twenty years ago it has not caused excess weight gain, nor heart health issues- the latter a genetic trait on my Dad’s side of the family. And my fitness routine is far from rigorous- yoga and walking, and I’m nearing 60, with part of my constitution prone to weight gain being more kapha than vata, from an Ayurvedic perspective. My husband too has not developed any heart health issues though it also runs in his family. I also find, my skin has maintained a smooth feel, not rough or dry, considering I am now in my vata stage of life, when dryness predominates. Though I must add, if you practice abhyanga, self-massage with oil, especially in the vata stage of life, it is highly effective in pacifying vata disturbances such as dull dry skin, restlessness, muscle fatigue, anxiety and sleep disturbances.

What the Science Says About Ghee

1. A “neutral food”- not proven to increase risk of heart disease.

2. Has a high smoke point 485F / 252C.

3. High in short-chain fatty acids that quickly get converted to energy, thus not settle readily in the fat tissue.

4. Rich in butyrate, or butyric acid, one of most beneficial short- chain fatty acids, which has shown to help decrease inflammation, promote good bacterial growth, but inhibit bad bacterial growth in the gut, and therefore promotes brain health.

5. Contains good cholesterol. The brain and hormones are made of cholesterol, so we must think differently now about cholesterol. Not all cholesterol is bad for you. Only the oxidized cholesterol is proving to be problematic.

6. Contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 helps decrease levels of unhealthy cholesterol.

7. Rich in fat soluble Vitamins A, D, E and K2. Vitamin K2 is critical in supporting the health of your brain and heart and building strong bones.

8. Contains CLA, conjugated linoleic acid, which helps prevents inflammation in arterial walls and hardening of arteries.

9. Very low in lactose and casein and may be tolerated if allergic to milk.

What Ayurveda Says

What renowned Ayurvedic doctor and teacher, Vaidya Mishra, says about ghee:

1. Ghee pacifies pitta and vata, and is not kapha aggravating - given proper preparation and combining.

2. Cleansing, alkalizing and cooling.

3. Enhances digestive fire.

4. Cools and lubricates the stomach wall.

5. Nurtures and cleanses blood tissue.

6. Ghee is a great rasayana, or rejuvenator, for the eyes.

7. Increases physical stamina.

8. Supports mental function: learning, memory and recall, nourishing to the brain (medhya)

9. Nourishes all the bodily tissues- rasa (plasma), rakta (blood), mamsa (muscle), meda (fat), asthi (bone), majja (nerve tissue), shukra (reproductive tissue).

9. Enhances complexion and glow of the face and body.

10. Increases longevity because it helps make ojas, the most subtle element of the body. Ojas gives us strength and immunity

11. Charak Samhita, an ancient Ayurvedic text, describes ghee as the best fat for human consumption- snehuttamam, as it has the perfect balance of soma and agni.

Over a period of about 4 hours, the temperature of ghee will rise gradually. Here at 200°F most of the water has evaporated and milk solids are floating at the top and some at the bottom, revealing ghee’s liquid golden colour. At this point it the ghee is almost done.

In Vaidya Mishra’s, SVA (Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda) family tradition, he spoke of three types of ghee used for different purposes:

1. Mridhu paka- soft cooked ghee containing some water used in celebrations and for Ayurvedic medicinal ghee; this ghee has a shelf life of only 2 weeks.

2. Madhya paka- has no water and should not be eaten raw; for everyday cooking and can be kept at room temperature for up to 6 months.

3. Khar paka- ghee that is slightly toasted, but not burnt; can be eaten raw and is good for travelling.

When making ghee let the butter slow cook in very low heat, stirring occasionally. Bubbles will rise naturally, and more so when stirred. Notice the light golden brown milk solids that have separated. Stop stirring when most of the solids are at the bottom. This ghee is ready to strain.

As with any food, ghee should be enjoyed in moderation. Fats, along with protein and carbohydrates are the three essential macronutrients your body needs. The wall of every single one your trillions of cells are made of a fat and protein compound and your hormones are made up of cholesterol. It is unfortunate that cholesterol is thought of as a “bad thing”, when in fact it is, once again, it is only the oxidized cholesterol that is bad. Fats are found in foods rich in protein like meat, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts and seeds. Depending on your lifestyle and routine, fats can be 20-30% of your meal.

How to Make Ghee & Cultured Ghee

Ingredients

Grass-fed, organic butter, or ideally organic cultured butter, and if possible grass-fed. If you would like to make **cultured butter yourself, follow my recipe on how to make yogurt, but instead of using milk you would culture whipping cream (35% milk fat) to make yogurt cream. Scroll down below on how to make **cultured butter from scratch.

Instructions

1. Place butter in a stainless steel pot on the lowest heat setting of your stove top. I find with my stove 1 pound to 1 ½ pounds of butter will take about 6-8 or up to 12 hours to turn into ghee. The more butter the longer the time.

2. During the process of making ghee, milk solids will rise to the top and settle at the bottom, and water will evaporate. Stir only occasionally. Bubbling can occur when stirred. Foaming will appear, but let that naturally disappear. This is all good. Just don’t let the butter burn. When most of the solids are at the bottom, don’t stir down at the bottom any longer.

3. As the water gradually evaporates the ghee will become more clear and the milk solids will turn a golden brown colour. The ghee will heat up quickly as temperature maintains at about 100° C/212°F, and once all the water has evaporated. I’ve had this happen before when the most of the milk solids became quite dark, almost black, which meant the ghee had burned, and unfortunately I had to throw it out.

4. Strain when the ghee is clear and milk solids are golden brown colour. If the ghee drops below 200F the fat will crystallize, so only wait a few minutes after ghee is done to strain. Strain ghee into a glass jar, filtering the solids with an 8 layer cheese cloth or a piece of plain neutral fabric covering a small strainer. Discard the milk solids.

5. Rinse the cloth with hot water, and soak with soapy hot water, to reuse for future.

6. Do not cover until the ghee cools to keep moisture from getting into the ghee. Once covered and completed, store ghee in the refrigerator to evenly solidify the ghee, preventing layers.

STORAGE
Keep unused ghee covered in the refrigerator.
Ghee can be kept at room temperature in the cupboard for several months for use in your cooking. If you plan on using ghee only once in a while, keep in the refrigerator, only taking out what you need at the time to prevent condensation going back and forth.

**How to Make Cultured Butter

To make cultured butter, first, follow the recipe on how to make yogurt, but use 1 L whipping cream (organic, grass-fed if you can get) with 1 cup of yogurt starter to culture it, or follow instructions on your powder yogurt starter. After making yogurt cream, follow the steps below:

Refrigerate the (cultured) yogurt cream for at least 6 hours to let cool. I find doing this overnight is best so when you wake up in the morning the yogurt cream is set, then you cover it and put in the fridge to cool for the day. When you’re done work, or you are ready to spend 4 minutes to process the yogurt cream into butterfat and buttermilk, and another 10 minutes to separate the two componenets, then begin Step 2.
Remove from the fridge and transfer to a food processor, and check the temperature. You can also use a mixer using 2 regular blades for the separation. I have used an electric hand mixer, and it works, but I prefer to use my food processor using a dull edge blade. Check the temperature of the yogurt cream to ensure the temperature is not over 55°F.
When the yogurt cream is between 55-57°F turn food processor or mixer on medium speed to begin the separation. The transformation should only take about 4-5 minutes and you will see the butter separate from the buttermilk. If the yogurt cream is too cold the transformation will take longer; if the yogurt cream is too warm, the butterfat will not separate from the buttermilk, however, just put the yogurt cream back in the fridge to cool at the desired 55-57°F and pick up where you left off.
Scoop out chunks of butter to transfer onto a saucepan, pressing on each chunk of butter to separate more of the buttermilk. Then pour the butter milk over a fine strainer into a container. Strain the buttermilk further using a cheesecloth or a plain fabric square cloth to further separate the buttermilk.
Refrigerate the buttermilk.
Follow the instructions #1-6 above on “How to Make Ghee”, but you will be using cultured butter instead to make your cultured ghee.

1 L of whipping cream, made into cultured cream or yogurt cream yields about 500 grams cultured butter along with 2 ⅓ cups buttermilk. 500 grams cultured butter yields about 475 grams cultured ghee. Buttermilk made this way from yogurt cream is high in friendly bacteria. Refrigerated buttermilk is good for no more than 2 weeks, but keep in mind the friendly bacteria die off gradually. Once buttermilk becomes very sour, do not consume.

Making your own cultured butter from scratch is time consuming, I agree. But much of the work is done when you’re sleeping, at work, or doing other things. It is a multi-step process, but like anything with practice it gets better. I find there is a lightness to home made cultured butter, that you will not find in regular store bought butter, even with store bought cultured, grass-fed butter. Then when made into cultured ghee, even better! Fundamentally, the lightness, and freshness from making cultured butter yourself is because it is high in prana. I have made ghee, from store bought organic butter, and organic grass-fed butter, but when you make your own cultured butter from the best quality cream, the results speak from themselves, and the benefits of ghee outlined above is magnified!