Why Make Clarified Butter: Benefits And Nutritional Value

2023 Author: Lynn Laird | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:49

In the morning, accompanying breakfast with butter and milk seems the most ordinary thing to you when you wake up. Long ago, putting butter on toast was considered to be proof of good nutrition and well-being. Except that today, morals changed, we take a malicious look at dairy products, especially butter, because of a quantity of cholesterol and palmitic acid. On the other hand, no obvious link between the consumption of butter and cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Despite the minimal risk, rather zero, it is better to learn how to make clarified butter with eliminated whey and casein. Knowing about dairy products low in lactose will save you a lot of worries.

Why make clarified butter?

What are the factors for estimating the usefulness of clarified butter? Of course, in the first place, its gastronomic use in certain culinary preparations such as curries and stir-fries. Indeed, since it improves the taste, purified butter (after its second name) is very popular in national kitchens. Another advantage is that it can be stored for a long time, much longer than fresh butter. Thanks to purification, clarified butter is easier to digest and represents a great health benefit, especially for people who suffer from lactose intolerance.

After decantation, a process in which the casein is skimmed and the whey filtered, butter is obtained with a higher smoke point than the conventional product.

A popular use of clarified butter is in the manufacture of sauces, especially emulsified butter-based sauces like hollandaise and béarnaise. Water in plain butter can destabilize the emulsion and break it. Since its water content has been removed, clarified butter eliminates this problem.

Regional variations of clarified butter

As we have already mentioned, to make clarified butter, you have to melt the classic butter in a double boiler and then decant it to remove the casein and whey. Even after skimming and filtration only one product results, it has various names and uses in different countries.

Certainly, the most famous clarified butter is known as "ghee" or "ghi" in India and around the world as an alternative to cocoa butter and shea butter.

The healing properties of ghee

Apparently, one of the most valuable foods in Ayurveda, ghee has incredible healing properties. Being a staple food that you will never get tired of, ghee is made up of fat soluble vitamins. In fact, replacing ghee with refined fattening oils has perhaps been one of the biggest blunders of modern cooking. According to nutritionists, ghee plays a key role in balancing hormones and maintaining healthy cholesterol. According to some, it helps in weight loss and having a high heat point, it prevents the production of free radicals which damage cell function.

Making clarified or stretched butter, especially ghee, is a benefit that originated in Indian cuisine. Clarification is the cooking process that separates the solids from the milk and the water from the fat. In ghee, butter is cooked longer than in clarified butter, allowing the milk solids to brown before draining. This gives the ghee a richer, more nutty flavor than traditional clarified butter.

For thousands of years, ghee has been used in Ayurvedic medicine as a cure for a number of ailments. It is believed that the clarification process removes impurities, leaving behind a healthier product.

This may offer benefits to people who are allergic or sensitive to milk. However, research is underway to see if ghee is better over regular butter. Either way, it should always be used in small amounts to improve other foods, like you would with butter or oils.

Body heat in winter

According to Ayurveda, ingesting ghee helps you maintain good body heat in winter. This fact can be explained by its wide use in many winter preparations like legajar ka halwa, moong dal halwa, pinni and panjeeri. Namely that ghee is a good source of energy because it contains medium and short chain fatty acids including lauric acid is a potent antimicrobial and antifungal substance.

To soothe a stuffy nose

If you have difficulty breathing and your sense of taste is hampered, without ignoring the headache and exhaustion that comes with it, there is an interesting nasal remedy that can soothe a stuffy nose. Ayurvedic experts call it the Nyasa Cold Treatment and it involves pouring a few drops of warm pure cow's ghee into the nostrils first thing in the morning. This can provide quick relief as the ghee travels down to the throat and soothes the infection. Make sure the ghee is pure and reheated to lukewarm temperature.

Source of good fat

Are you losing weight? Many pro tips, the most common of which is to avoid fat. For this purpose, you may have even considered eliminating all sources of fat from your diet. But it can do you more harm than good since fats, carbohydrates and protein are three macronutrients that are essential for maintaining a healthy life. Removing a food group from your diet is never a sustainable way to lose weight. However, what you need to do is choose wisely. Avoid all the bad fats in French fries, burgers, and processed waste. Certainly one of the best alternatives is ghee as one of the most preferred vehicles for oleation. It actually helps extract fat soluble toxins from cells and trigger fat metabolism, a process where the body begins to burn its own fat for fuel.

Guaranteed for good intestinal health

Since the Indian wonder contains the highest quality butyric acid, it ensures the health of the intestinal walls. Colon cells use it as a preferred energy source. You can apply it on your roast to lower the glycemic index. Additionally, the latest research indicates that around 4 tablespoons of oil is the adequate amount of saturated fat per meal, so one percent of saturated fat could come from sources like ghee. Ayurvedic medicine promotes ghee as a natural way to support healthy digestion. Taking 1 or 2 teaspoons of ghee in a cup of warm milk at bedtime is an effective yet gentle way to relieve constipation.

Good for the heart

Compared to refined oil, clarified butter has a better chance of being invested in heart health and good cholesterol levels because long chain fatty acids are used directly for energy by the body and are not stored as fat.

Modern science has proven that people who consumed higher amounts of ghee had a lower incidence of coronary heart disease and lower LDL cholesterol.

The skin benefits

For centuries, ghee has been an integral part of various beauty care rituals. Its vital fatty acids act as a nourishing agent doing wonders to breathe life into dull skin. Pure Desi Ghee is made from cow's milk and is extremely potent to give you soft, supple skin. It can be adapted to all skin types and in addition, it contains essential fatty acids which help hydrate skin cells, improve psoriasis and heal wounds.

In addition to eating ghee, some people apply it topically as a creamy ointment for sores, burns, or rashes. Research confirms that ghee contains skin healing properties due to its antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, possibly due to its content of vitamins A and E. However, some studies have looked at ghee in combination with honey which has its properties. own beneficial properties.

How to make a ghee face mask for supple and glowing skin

1. Combine 2 tablespoons of ghee, 2 tablespoons of besan or haldi and water in a bowl. Stir the mixture well. Make sure the consistency is firm but not dry. If you find the mixture too watery, add besan or haldi to it.
2. Mix the paste well and apply it on your face. Let sit for 20 minutes and then rinse off with cold water. Repeat three times a week for best results.

Namely, homemade ghee can easily be stored outdoors for three months. Provided it is protected from direct sunlight and stored in an airtight container.

Manufacturing features

Ghee, a form of clarified butter, is different from regular butter in that it is made by first boiling traditional butter until the water in the butter has evaporated. You only have three layers left: whey protein, liquid fat, and casein particles. After shaving off the top protein layer, you can pour and separate the liquid fat layer.

Due to the nutty flavor of ghee, higher density, and fatter texture, you might not want to use it the same way you use regular butter, especially spreading it on bread. grilled or bake it in pastries. Replacing the ghee with shortening in the pie crust can give a richer flavor but a fatter texture. Using ghee in baked goods sometimes results in a crispier end product. Enjoy the flavorful quality of ghee by using a small portion to enhance veggie dishes.

Making clarified butter is quite easy

To start, gently melt a stick or two of unsalted butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. If you're new to ghee, apply it like it's been done for centuries: in an Indian main dish recipe, like chicken palak. Or, experiment with it as an alternative to another cooking oil in a stir-fry, like Chicken Fried Rice with Asparagus. Once you are comfortable with cooking with ghee in curries, stir-fries, or vegetable dishes, you may decide to go for other uses like baking or other baked goods.

As the butter melts you will see a layer of foam rise to the surface. The bubbles are the water content of the boiling butter and the white residue represents the milk proteins separating from the fat and water. If you've ever cooked milk for too long and it has curdled, the same goes. Curdling occurs when the milk solids break away from the emulsion, either from heat or from the introduction of an acidic ingredient like lemon juice.

E stages of manufacture

While the butter continues to simmer, use a ladle to skim the foam and milk proteins from the surface of the liquefied butter. Notice the clear, golden liquid under the frothy residue. This is different from the technique of making ghee, in which the milk solids can settle to the bottom and turn slightly brown. It adds a nutty flavor to the ghee, which isn't bad, but it's not what you want for clarified butter.

Keep a separate bowl for frothy and buttered milk solids that are skimmed as they can be used to coat other foods. On the other hand, it's fantastic on popcorn. It can also be added to mashed potatoes or served with overcooked vegetables and fish, even as a garnish for pancakes, waffles, etc. Within minutes, most of the milk solids will have been skimmed off, leaving only the pure, yellow fat.

Nutritional value and useful element content

In general, a tablespoon containing 15 g of ghee provides 130 calories, 15 g of fat. Since it is almost entirely pure fat, it contains no carbohydrates. No sodium, fibers, sugars. As for protein, traces may remain if the milk solids (whey) are not completely removed during the clarification process.

Like most cooking oils, ghee is very close to 100% dietary fat. One tablespoon contains 15 grams of fat, including 9 grams of saturated fat. The remaining fat content is divided between about 5 grams of healthier monounsaturated fat and less than one gram of polyunsaturated fat.

The micronutrient content of ghee can vary depending on the brand and diet of the cows that provided its milk. In general, a one tablespoon serving contains about 8% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDI) of vitamin A, 2% of vitamin E, and 1% of vitamin K.

However, you will need to eat more fat than recommended to get enough of these nutrients from ghee. So it is better to use a small amount of ghee in cooking vegetables and other foods with fat soluble nutrients so that your body can better absorb the nutrients. Don't eat with a spoon in a jar, no matter how tasty it tastes and the many health benefits you can derive from it.

Side effects

Despite acrylamide which is a potentially toxic and carcinogenic compound, produces cooking fats exposed to high heat, a study published in 2016 shows that compared to vegetable oils and even other saturated fats, ghee provides much less acrylamide when heated.

Like a milk-based product, clarified butter can elicit an immune response in people who are allergic to milk protein and are intolerant to lactose. Rash, hives, vomiting, or diarrhea are side effects, along with symptoms of bloating, gas, or upset stomach from consuming the ghee.

Storage and food safety

Usually, it is best to deliver the ghee in a resealable glass jar. Depending on how quickly you use it, you can store it in a cool, dark place at room temperature where it will be good for about three months. To extend its shelf life, you can store in the refrigerator for up to a year. Although it solidifies when cooled, it will soon return to a liquid state when taken out of the fridge.