Ghee?

[Martyn]

Anyone use this?

I mean in preference to oil - it lasts forever, doesnt need refrigeration, tastes great, even spread on bread, great for cooking with, is a solid, so easy to carry, it's a better food source than other oils and it's fairly easy to make at home.

Thoughts?

 

[Hogan]

Anyone use this?

I mean in preference to oil - it lasts forever, doesnt need refrigeration, tastes great, even spread on bread, great for cooking with, is a solid, so easy to carry, it's a better food source than other oils and it's fairly easy to make at home.

Thoughts?

Never heard of it. How do you make it?

The only 'solid' thing good for cooking in, and spread on sandwiches that I can recall was 'dripping'. Ah! memories.... bread and dripping..... (although I'm sure it's one of those things which improve with nostalgia, I don't know if I could bring myself to eat it now).....these youngsters today don't know they're born.

 

[Buckshot]

Not heard of this before, what is it?

Cheers

Mark

 

[steve a]

ghee is commercially available clarified butter, used in indian cooking, if you have a local indian shop you can buy it very cheaply, they sell it in upto 25l containers!!.
http://www.culinarycafe.com/Eggs-Dairy/Ghee.html

 

[Martyn]

Yeah, it is Steeve, and i've had the stuff. It's OK, but it's made from milk from indian cows and not always to our tastes. The homemade ghee is tons nice and you can get better quality and clarity. I made a pint of it today from Country Life butter. brill.

Watch the how-to movie...
http://www.leeveal.com/Ghee.mov

(bit corny, but you get the idea)

Think of it as Lard from cows that you can spread on yer bread, deep fry, put in yer baked taters, it sets solid in the fridge, indefinate shelf life (fridged), months un-fridged.

It's basically clarrified butter and is the staple oil used in Indian cooking (but also used a lot in French cooking and English too, they just call it clarified butter).

 

[Stew]

I've seen this recommended somewhere before but never tried it.
Does it set solid or does it stay liquid?

 

[Martyn]

I've seen this recommended somewhere before but never tried it.
Does it set solid or does it stay liquid?

If you leave it at room temperature after you make it, it stays liquid, but if you fridge it, it goes solid and stays solid at room temperature, then you have to heat it up to make it liquid again.

If you think in survival situaltions, butter rolled in sugar is one of the fastest ways to get some useable calories in. Also, buttermilk is used as aid relief in famine areas - it's basically a really good calorie source. Far better than vegetable oils - something to do with it being a short chain fat. As I've already mentioned, you can saute with it (and food tastes like it's beed sauted in butter), deep fry with it (one clarified, it doesnt burn like butter and will tolerate much higher temperatures). Or you can use it cold, as a butter-oil dressing for baked spuds and the like.

 

[Stew]

If you leave it at room temperature after you make it, it stays liquid, but if you fridge it, it goes solid and stays solid at room temperature, then you have to heat it up to make it liquid again.

 

[Justin Time]

I've seen vegetarian Ghee in the supermarkets but it's made out of Hydrogenated Vegetable oils (vegetable fat) which is thought to be the worst fat health-wise - linked with greater risk of heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimers than any other fat. Even the natural saturated fats like butter seem safer.

 

[Martyn]

Even the natural saturated fats like butter seem safer.

If you've ever seen an arctic explorers kit list, take a look at how much butter gets pulled in that sled.

These guys burn many 1000's of calories per day and really struggle to replace it. Butter is a crucial component.

 

[Burnt Ash]

Anyone use this?

I mean in preference to oil - it lasts forever, doesnt need refrigeration, tastes great, even spread on bread, great for cooking with, is a solid, so easy to carry, it's a better food source than other oils and it's fairly easy to make at home.

Thoughts?

It certainly won't last forever. Like any fat/oil it will oxidize and go rancid in time.

Burnt Ash

 

[Justin Time]

If you've ever seen an arctic explorers kit list, take a look at how much butter gets pulled in that sled.

These guys burn many 1000's of calories per day and really struggle to replace it. Butter is a crucial component.

True, but I guess it's also fair to say they are prepared to accept a higher level of risk to achieve their goals.... Future possibility of clogged arteries v being the first people to walk across the Antarctic.....

Mike Stroud's book " Survival of the fittest" gives good example of the value of fats for energy, it was this book which first alerted me to the dangers of bydrogenated vegetable oil/vegetable fat/vegetable suet

 

[Stuart]

I've never eaten it, but i have seen it used in Hindu cremations burns really hot and long

 

[Ed]

I made some ghee today... just letting it set in the fridge. Never taken it out with me... I usualy have suet for dumplings and frying but i think ghee will make the fried stuff taste much better than being freid in beef suet. I'll let you know.

Ed

 

[Adi007]

I've seen vegetarian Ghee in the supermarkets but it's made out of Hydrogenated Vegetable oils (vegetable fat) which is thought to be the worst fat health-wise - linked with greater risk of heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimers than any other fat. Even the natural saturated fats like butter seem safer.

Not to mention the fact that they hydrogenate fats using nickel catalysts that can contaminate the food stuff and build up in the body.