There’s nothing like homemade ghee – so fresh and pure! Making homemade ghee/clarified butter in a slow cooker is so much easier than you think. How to make ghee in slow cooker
Ghee, a type of clarified butter is an essential part of Indian cooking. It is used in day to day cooking ranging from sweet to savory. Ghee is digestible, healthy and full of essential nutrients. How to make ghee in slow cooker
Its rich, nutty flavor makes it a perfect accompaniment to curries and other foods. Add a tablespoon to your soups and curries and it adds an outstanding flavor to any dish. How to make ghee in slow cooker
But did you know?
Ghee and butter are made up of different components. Butter on its own is made of butterfat churned from cream, water, and milk solids. And ghee which is reduced from butter is nothing but pure, aromatic butterfat – or sudh makhan.
How to make Ghee in a Slow Cooker?
Ghee is made using regular, unsalted butter from grass-fed cow’s milk and in some cases, buffalo milk. To make ghee, butter is slowly cooked in a pan or in a slow-cooker until all the water and casein (a protein found in all mammals’ milk) is removed.
Proteins (milk solids) coagulates at the bottom of the pan and all that is left behind is a delicious fat that is low in lactose and is casein-free. This healthy fat (ghee) can now be used for frying or high-temperature cooking as it has a very high smoking point.
Similar to coconut oil, ghee has a high nutritional value and is a rich source of vitamin A, D, E and K. Because of these fantastic properties, ghee is both healthy and great to cook with.
I like to call it G – Ghee is, H- Heaven sent, E- Extraordinary, E – Elixir (medicinal potion). w to make ghee in slow cooker
Other ways to make ghee! How to make ghee in slow cooker
Rice cooker – You can cook ghee in a rice cooker too. Put it in the RICE /COOKING setting and follow the recipe below. Cooking time may vary depending on the make and model.
Cooktop/Stove – FOR STEP BY STEP COOKTOP GHEE RECIPE FOLLOW THIS LINK.
Instant pot – How to make Ghee in an Instant Pot?
Some tips to keep in mind!
- After butter has melted, keep the lid slightly open for rest of the time. Butter contains water and there will be some foaming and bubbling, therefore keep the lid slightly open for the steam to escape.
- For me, total cook time was 4.5 hours – 3 hours on HIGH and 1.5 hours on LOW setting. Depending on the model and temperature of the slow cooker it may take longer for ghee to cook.
- Straining ghee in a glass jar- allow it to cool completely or the hot ghee will break the jar.
- If all the water from the butter, is evaporated and milk solids are browned properly then ghee stays good for long. If there is any water left behind, ghee will become rancid (rotten).
- Clarified butter/ghee has a longer shelf life, both in the refrigerated (6 months or more) and at room temperature (2 months).
Hope you like this simple ghee recipe and give it a try. Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe. If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them. Would love to hear from you. 🙂
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How to make ghee in slow cooker
Instructions
- I have used a programmable 6 quarts slow cooker for making ghee. Before you begin, please read all the tips above.
- Heat the slow cooker on high. Unwrap butter blocks and add it to the heated slow cooker.
- Slightly cover the slow cooker with lid and set the timer to 4-6 hours. Why cover the lid slightly? Because butter contains water and there will be some foaming and bubbling, therefore keep the lid slightly open for steam to escape. Butter after 50 minutes - white foam has settled to the base of slow cooker.
- By boiling butter, milk solids will separate. Let it simmer until the white foam starts to turn light brown in color. It took me 3 hours (depending on the model of the slow cooker it may take longer).
- After 3 hours of continuously boiling on HIGH, milk solids are settled at the bottom and lightly toasted. Because the inside pot is stoneware milk solids will not stick to the bottom.
- LOWER the settings. Set it on LOW and let it simmer uncovered for another 1.5 hours. Water and milk solids separate and settle at the bottom. Milk solids have turned dark brown in color - all toasty and gritty. The end result is a nutty flavored golden colored puree ghee that is totally water-free. This is what gives ghee a longer shell life and distinguishes it from clarified butter. Allow it (ghee) to cool ( as in comfortable to touch).
- Line a strainer with cheesecloth or you can use a coffee filter.
- Line the coffee filter with a liner. Filter the ghee through it.
- Milk solids will collect on top and ghee will filter through.
- Once all the ghee is strained through, milk solids will remain in the cheesecloth/coffee filter and can be discarded.
- Look at that beautiful color. As ghee cools, it will turn lighter in color.
- Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place. This recipe yields 4 cups or appx. 800 grams of ghee.
- If cooked well, ghee can be stored at room temperature for long.
Debora says
Hmmm…. so I did this but within 2 hours of slow cooking it on high it started smelling very nutty and dark… so I lowered it to low and ultimately decided to just shut it off and strain as the grit had turned black. My color was not golden but a beautiful amber — dark amber color. I strained it twice. Is it still ok?
Ruchi says
Yes, that’s absolutely fine. Dark amber is a beautiful tone for ghee. You can use that in your day to day cooking.
Every slow cooker is different. Maybe next time you can reduce the cooking time. Hope that helps!
Awesome Dairy says
Awesome! so easy to make ghee. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Ruchi says
Pleasure is all mine, thank you!
Mom Mashhood says
Hi Ruchi,
I liked the idea of making bhee out of molten butter , I didn’t know it before. I usually make bhee out of malai, collected from boiled buffalo milk. It’s properly strained. Then I put this malai in a non sticking vessel and cook it on a low flame till malai dissolves and start to look as in a form of bhee. Then I squeeze ghee through strainer by gently pressing with the help of spoon in a plastic jar. It becomes like a tasty ghee. My questions is my ghee does not taste well after two weeks. Is it because of my incorrect method of making ghee or what else could that be. I keep my ghee in a room temperature.
Ruchi says
That’s how ghee is made, traditionally.
Ghee tasting bad.
If the milk solids were not thoroughly cooked or in other terms if there was moisture left in the ghee then ghee will go rancid and taste bad. Just make sure that milk solids are cooked well and strained properly. Ghee has a long shelf life. If milk solids are burned well, ghee can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 months.
Emma says
I never thought to use a coffee filter to strain ghee before! So clever, thanks for the post!
Ruchi says
Pleasure is all mine.
Thanks, Emma. 🙂
LR says
Thanks for your instructions! I’m worried that the water is not going to boil off. I’ve had my crockpot on high for 2 1/2 hours (with regular salted butter from costco) and there seems to be separation of fat & solids-good, but no bubbling, so no water escaping, right?
Ruchi says
Butter starts to bubble after 45 minutes into cooking. So I am a little confused here. Do you mean the butter didn’t bubble and you got the milk solids?
Also, have the milk solids turned dark brown in color?
Marilyn says
Help! My ghee is dark brown in color and not golden. Did I burn the entire contents? Help!
Ruchi says
Marilyn, if the ghee is dark brown in color it is still consumable. It’s just overcooked.
But if the ghee is black in color and has a burnt smell then it’s burnt. For how long did you cook?
Michelle says
I’m excited to try this method. When filtering do you pour the entire contents of what remains in the crock pot or just try to get the top layer? Thanks for the input!
Ruchi says
Thanks for stopping by Michelle.
I strain the entire content of crock pot through the filter. All that burnt milk solids holds plenty of ghee/clarified butter. So why leave behind the goodness. I squeeze everything to the last drop and then discard the burnt milk solids. Hope that helps. 🙂
paya says
Hello,
Thanks for a nice and clear guidelines on ghee.
I also made very similar product using the slow cooker. But I use more simpler procedure:
1. From beginning I do not put slow cooker to high, but keep it low.
2. When I reach same step as it can been seen on your picture number 3, my job is done.I then turn off the slow cooker and let it cool down in the fridge.
3. After a while in cool place you get two layers:
1] Top solid one : Almost 100 % pure milk fat.
2] Bottom water solution of milk protein and fats
The advantages are clear:
Much less time and effort and energy is needed for the whole process since:
There is no need for time consuming filtration and letting the milk proteins and milk sugars to get brown because after cooling down you simply pour away the “milky part” from bottom. As well you can use the milky byproduct part for as an ingredient for some other dish. E.g. I often add it to the mashed potatoes, or used it for as ingredient for some baking some cakes.
The product might not smell like famous Indian “ghee” (since it does not contains any burned proteins or sugars that gives the ghee its distinctive nut flavor), but it has the other same properties that the ghee is valued for:
1. The smoke point when frying is high (it does not over burn)
2. It does not get bad as quickly as butter since it is pure fat. So it can be stored in fridge for few months.
Have fun while cooking !
Pavel
Ruchi says
Thanks for sharing Pavel.
Bridgett says
is this basically the same as clarified butter? how long can this be stored at room temperature? and at what point would it require refrigeration?
Ruchi says
Yes Bridgett, this is clarified butter.
Clarified butter/ghee has a longer shelf life, both in the refrigerated (6 months or more) and at room temperature (2 months).
If all the water from the butter, is evaporated and milk solids are browned properly then ghee stays good for long. If there is any water left behind, it will spoil at room temperature.
The only time I store ghee/clarified butter in refrigerator is when I am travelling or when the weather is extremely hot (40 degree C – above 100 degree F).
Megan says
I tried to make this, and my ghee turned out dark brown 🙁 Did I burn it? Can I still eat it?
Ruchi says
You mean the milk solid turned dark brown? If so than that’s perfect. Strain the ghee and use.
a says
I’m with Megan…My milk solid turned dark but as a result the remaining liquid was much darker than yours!
Ruchi says
Did the milk solid turn out like the one in pic. 12?
Jacquie says
Hello, can I use salted butter for this recipe? If so, is there anything different I should do during the cooking procedure?
Wonderful site by the way!
Ruchi says
Thanks Jacquie!
Yes, you can use salted butter. Only difference – ghee will turn out salty.
Deb says
I pour my ghee into small (about 2 tsp each, shaped like bullets) ice cube trays and freeze them. Then I remove them from the trays and store them in jars in the refrigerator. They are much easier to measure that way. Three bullets are 2 tablespoons.
Ruchi says
Deb, thanks a bunch for sharing your valuable feedback. Appreciate it. 🙂
Rach says
Great idea!!
Ruchi says
🙂
sarika says
Ruchi
which slow cooker brand you use.
Thank you
Ruchi says
Sarika, I have used Crock-pot.
Here is the link – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004P2NG0K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004P2NG0K&linkCode=as2&tag=ruchiskitchen-20&linkId=MIV2JCOUHMGA7UGJ
Christina says
Today was my 1st attempt and failed miserably. I did it way too long because there was brown stuff on the aurface and wasnt settling and just over did it. 😕 oh well wanna try again and get the right results.
Ruchi says
Christina,
Could you please clarify what do you mean by “failed miserably”. Did the ghee get burned?
At times the milk solids doesn’t settle to the bottom, they just float on top.
I hope you give this recipe a try again with a more successful outcome next time. Thanks. 🙂
Hamzay says
Oh, this looks easy, the method mum taught me was like keep watching, it shouldn’t turn brown, sprinkle water to slow the process etc.
So my questions are – do I ‘havvvve’ to strain it? And – can i use one big block instead of so many small sticks?
Ruchi says
This method is indeed very easy. The answer is yes to both your questions.
1. Yes, you have to filter the ghee to remove all the toasty and gritty milk solids.
2. And yes you can use a block of butter instead of sticks.
Natasha says
Do you do cheesecloth and then coffee filter? Or either one?
Ruchi says
Use either one of those.
Chris says
You filter the ghee twice?. Once when you take it out of the crockpot and again when you pour it into a jar?
Ruchi says
Chris, ghee needs to be filtered just once. Two ways on how to filter ghee are shown in the post.
1. ghee can be filtered either through a cheesecloth.
2. Or through coffee filter lined with a liner.
Sorry about the confusion.
cs says
Thank you! This is definitely an incredible site!.
Ruchi says
Thank you!
Life Diet Health says
Ruchi this had my best friend reminiscing about her childhood and dreaming of all the wonderful foods her Mum used to make with ghee 🙂 I love your step by step photos – very helpful.Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday 🙂 Don’t forget to add your links so everyone can see where you’re partying. If I attempt to make this is there anything I should be particularly careful of to ensure it turns out successfully?
Ruchi says
The pleasure is all mine! I don’t think there is anything that you should be careful about. Just toss everything in the slow cooker and let it simmer it’s way to a rich looking golden ghee. Thanks for stopping by!
Sahmaara says
lovely recipe. Have always made ghee on stove top, will try it in my slow cooker this time. thanks!
Ruchi says
Thanks Sahmaara! Do give it a try and you will be happy with the results.
Ruchi says
Wow ,will try it today .
Ruchi says
Thanks Ruchi. Sure, give it a try and share your feedback with me.
Isha says
This recipe worked like a breeze! THANK YOU Ruchi!
RK says
You are welcome Isha. 🙂
Ruksana says
Made this last night and it took 6 hours in slow cooker till I got brown milk solid. Smell heavenly thanks for sharing!
RK says
You are welcome Ruksana. Thanks for trying it out.
Nila R Chokshi says
Very nice& helpful.
RK says
Thanks Nila. 🙂