Basically, ghee is just “filtered” butter that contains less milk proteins and water than regular butter. I am a fan, truly. It has been part of my life for about 3 years now, and I really can’t tell you how I lived prior to it, and how I would live without it.
Surprisingly, it’s not even some random trendy food item that has recently emerged into the wellness world. Ghee has actually been around for hundreds of years, rooting deep in Indian culture. It remains a modern-day pantry staple, and, thank gawd, has been adopted into the Paleo & Keto community’s pantries.
Making Ghee
The production process is pretty simple. Easy to make. Basically 1-2-3.
You basically just boil butter to where water evaporates, leaving behind the milk proteins and oil (ghee).
At this point, you filter the oil of its milk solids, and transfer the filtered ghee from the pot into a container. Then you leave it to cool off and solidify.
Because there is low water content, ghee also has a pretty impressive shelf life. It can last up to a year in the fridge (but no lie, you’ll finish before then), and three months at room temperature.
Health Benefits
As a candidate of a Nutritional Therapy program, I really do value understanding the benefits various foods can bring. My view on foods, ultimately, is that everything you put in your mouth will end up helping your body thrive, or just the opposite. Thankfully, ghee is good for you (and of course, moderation is key).
- Ghee is high in butyric acid, which is an integral factor of maintaining a strong intestinal tract. Scientists have seen butyrate build back up worn-down intestinal cell walls, additionally protecting against colorectal cancer.
- Ghee is rich in fat-soluble vitamins (A, K2, E). Vitamin A (in the form of Retinol) is a vision-protecting vitamin, whereas vitamin E is an extremely potent antioxidant that can protect against heart disease. Vitamin K is an important nutrient for bone health. Fat-soluble really just means that you need fats for these vitamins to be metabolized and processed, so really ghee is a win-win, kill-two-birds-one-stone type thing, ya feel?
- Ghee has a high smoke point of 480F. Long story short, higher smoke points will result less in burning your oils, prematurely burning and charring your food. Result? It will reduce the amount of carcinogenic compounds you ingest.
Using Ghee
- Butter coffee (“Bulletproof” coffee) – my absolute fave!
- Scrambled eggs
- Sautéing veggies
- Baking chocolate chip cookies – game changer…
- Pan searing meats
- Topping pancakes/waffles off
- Literally any time you use oil to cook
PS – one last thing I love about ghee is that I am lactose intolerant and I can still eat it 100% no problem
-grace