In this Instructable, I will show you how to make clarified butter or how to clarify butter. It is almost identical to ghee, with only a slight difference in how it is prepared. Clarified butter is really easy to make and has a higher smoke point than normal butter. Regular butter burns easy so it is not great for sauteing or frying. But clarified butter can be used for frying, sauteing, it can be used in sauces (hollandaise), as a dip, on popcorn, anytime you want extra butter flavor. If I can do it, you can do it, let's get started!

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Follow the easy steps below or watch the short video tutorial or do both!

Step 1: Ingredients and Tools

Ingredients:

Butter (unsalted, the amount doesn't matter, I usually do a pound of it, and lasts me for quite a while)

Tools:

Medium pot
Slotted spoon or strainer
Mason jar with lid
Cheesecloth
Sieve/strainer

Step 2: Melt the Butter

Place the butter in your saucepot. Set the burner heat to low. You can also place the butter in an 8x8 baking pan, and do it in the oven on the warm/low setting.

Then just let the butter slowly reduce. Which will allow the milk solids or butter solids to separate from the milk fat/butter fat.

Tip: If you want the butter to melt a little faster, you can cut the butter up into small chunks. I don't normally do it, but you certainly can if you like.

Once it completely melts down, you may or may not have some foam or little floaters on the top. If you do, just use a slotted spoon or strainer and skim those off the top.

The clear oil looking liquid is the clarified butter. The white stuff on the bottom of the pot is the milk solids/butter solids.

Step 3: Separate the Clarified Butter

Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. You can ladle the clarified butter over a cheesecloth resting on a sieve/strainer and bowl or measuring cup which will catch any extra floaters you may have missed.

Or you can just pour it gently over the cheesecloth. Be careful, you don't want to pour any of the milk solids in there, they still might get through the cheesecloth and the sieve.

Then squeeze the cheesecloth to get any extra clarified butter that soaked it, into your bowl or cup, mason jar, etc.

You will be left with the milk solids/butter solids in the pot. Some people will throw that out, but it is great to be used in mashed potatoes, on popcorn, spread it on toast, etc.

Step 4: Storing the Clarified Butter

Pour the clarified butter into a container with a lid. This gets stored in the refrigerator. And it lasts a super long time, 8 months to a year. It will solidify in the fridge, which is normal, but will easily meltdown when heated up again.

Now you have essentially a butter-flavored oil that can be used for sauteing, deep-frying, frying, and many other things. Enjoy!

Print the recipe here if you like.