Question about Clarified Butter

"nancree" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have just read the thread about clarified butter, but none of it
answered what puzzles me about it. I have made clarified butter twice.
Both times in small a small quantity {1/4 or 1/2 pound). It worked
fine, I skimmed off the foam and the clear clarified butter remained.
But when I poured it into a small bowl to chill and store, it got very,
very hard. So hard that you couldn't scoop it out of the dish at all.
Not even with a sharp spoon, or knife.
It as hard as the porcelain dish was. The second time, I poured it
into a small dish with sloping sides, thinking that I could slide a
small knife down along the side and loosed the butter. No luck--it
would have broken the dish. Letting it come to room temperature wasn't
much better.
Surely someone else has had this experience. How do you store and
use clarified butter after you have made it? I would appreciate any
comments.
TIA Nancree

As I mentioned in my previous email, my bought butter labeled 'ghee' was
this way, and there was no way that I would microwave the whole 8oz-1# to
get out a spoonful. When I was able to remove some, it disgusted DH anyway,
so out it went.
But my thinking cap goes on, and this thought arrives:
I suppose after making it, one could contain it in small measured amounts,
then microwave it as needed. But what? would be the container? I don't
think one would want to measure out more than 1/4 cup (4 T) for use, would
you?
Dee Dee

Dee Randall said:

"nancree" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have just read the thread about clarified butter, but none of it
answered what puzzles me about it. I have made clarified butter twice.
Both times in small a small quantity {1/4 or 1/2 pound). It worked
fine, I skimmed off the foam and the clear clarified butter remained.
But when I poured it into a small bowl to chill and store, it got very,
very hard. So hard that you couldn't scoop it out of the dish at all.
Not even with a sharp spoon, or knife.
It as hard as the porcelain dish was. The second time, I poured it
into a small dish with sloping sides, thinking that I could slide a
small knife down along the side and loosed the butter. No luck--it
would have broken the dish. Letting it come to room temperature wasn't
much better.
Surely someone else has had this experience. How do you store and
use clarified butter after you have made it? I would appreciate any
comments.
TIA Nancree

As I mentioned in my previous email, my bought butter labeled 'ghee' was
this way, and there was no way that I would microwave the whole 8oz-1# to
get out a spoonful. When I was able to remove some, it disgusted DH anyway,
so out it went.
But my thinking cap goes on, and this thought arrives:
I suppose after making it, one could contain it in small measured amounts,
then microwave it as needed. But what? would be the container? I don't
think one would want to measure out more than 1/4 cup (4 T) for use, would
you?
Dee Dee

You can used 1/2 cup Ball canning jars or Glad Ware 1/2 cup plastic
containers. Not necessary to fill them

--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974

Susan wrote:

"You can used 1/2 cup Ball canning jars or Glad Ware 1/2 cup plastic
containers."

-----------------------------
No, Susan, but thanks. You'd never be able to get it out of a Ball
canning jar with its narrowed top. It would have to be a
straight-sided container. And even then, what if you want just a
spoonful or two, to fry an egg, or baste something. It's just not
worth it, IMO. It gets to hard you can't even get a knife tip into
it.
Thanks for answering.
Nancree

Dee said:

As I mentioned in my previous email, my bought butter labeled 'ghee' was
this way, and there was no way that I would microwave the whole 8oz-1# to
get out a spoonful. When I was able to remove some, it disgusted DH
anyway, so out it went.
But my thinking cap goes on, and this thought arrives:
I suppose after making it, one could contain it in small measured amounts,
then microwave it as needed. But what? would be the container? I don't
think one would want to measure out more than 1/4 cup (4 T) for use, would
you?

Why not use ice cube trays to chill them, then when they're solidified, just
put them into freezer bags?+

(Fact is, though, I've never encountered ghee or clarified butter which was
NEARLY as hard as you've described. If I did, I'd be inclined to go after
it with an ice pick to extract whatever small amount I needed at the time.)

Bob

nancree said:

Susan wrote:

"You can used 1/2 cup Ball canning jars or Glad Ware 1/2 cup plastic
containers."

-----------------------------
No, Susan, but thanks. You'd never be able to get it out of a Ball
canning jar with its narrowed top. It would have to be a
straight-sided container. And even then, what if you want just a
spoonful or two, to fry an egg, or baste something. It's just not
worth it, IMO. It gets to hard you can't even get a knife tip into
it.
Thanks for answering.
Nancree

The 1/2 cup jars are tapered for canning or freezing.
http://www.jardenhomebrands.com/homecanning.html
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974

Dee Randall said:

I suppose after making it, one could contain it in small measured
amounts, then microwave it as needed. But what? would be the
container? I don't think one would want to measure out more than 1/4
cup (4 T) for use, would you?
Dee Dee

Dee Dee,

You could use those paper cupcake thingys.

--
Andy
http://tinyurl.com/dzl7h

"nancree" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Susan wrote:

"You can used 1/2 cup Ball canning jars or Glad Ware 1/2 cup plastic
containers."

-----------------------------
No, Susan, but thanks. You'd never be able to get it out of a Ball
canning jar with its narrowed top. It would have to be a
straight-sided container. And even then, what if you want just a
spoonful or two, to fry an egg, or baste something. It's just not
worth it, IMO. It gets to hard you can't even get a knife tip into
it.
Thanks for answering.

I think the little ones are straight sided, but whatever ... is there a
reason you can't just zap it for a few seconds to soften it?

nancy

" If I did, I'd be inclined to go after
it with an ice pick to extract whatever small amount I needed at the
time.)
------------
I think you would surely shatter the glass jar or bowl that the hard
clarified butter is stored in.
Thanks, though
Nancree

Dee Randall said:

"nancree" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have just read the thread about clarified butter, but none of it
answered what puzzles me about it. I have made clarified butter
twice. Both times in small a small quantity {1/4 or 1/2 pound). It
worked
fine, I skimmed off the foam and the clear clarified butter remained.
But when I poured it into a small bowl to chill and store, it got
very, very hard. So hard that you couldn't scoop it out of the dish
at all. Not even with a sharp spoon, or knife.
It as hard as the porcelain dish was. The second time, I poured it
into a small dish with sloping sides, thinking that I could slide a
small knife down along the side and loosed the butter. No luck--it
would have broken the dish. Letting it come to room temperature
wasn't much better.
Surely someone else has had this experience. How do you store and
use clarified butter after you have made it? I would appreciate any
comments.
TIA Nancree

As I mentioned in my previous email, my bought butter labeled 'ghee'
was this way, and there was no way that I would microwave the whole
8oz-1# to get out a spoonful. When I was able to remove some, it
disgusted DH anyway, so out it went.
But my thinking cap goes on, and this thought arrives:
I suppose after making it, one could contain it in small measured
amounts, then microwave it as needed. But what? would be the
container? I don't think one would want to measure out more than 1/4
cup (4 T) for use, would you?
Dee Dee

Why not measure out 4 Tbs. for use? There are tiny sealed containers
available for such small quantities. I have several in my cabinets.

Jill

"Andy" <q> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Dee Randall said:

I suppose after making it, one could contain it in small measured
amounts, then microwave it as needed. But what? would be the
container? I don't think one would want to measure out more than 1/4
cup (4 T) for use, would you?
Dee Dee

Dee Dee,

You could use those paper cupcake thingys.

Thanks, Andy.
1) Pour 2 T cb into Parchment paper cupcake thingies [thingies contained in
a ramekin]
2) Freeze cb which are in ramekins
3)Remove thingies containing 2T cb each
4)Put multiple 2Tb thingies in freezer in one bag

As some French say, when asked, "Can you do this"?
"It's a possibility."

Dee Dee

Bob Terwilliger said:

Dee said:

As I mentioned in my previous email, my bought butter labeled 'ghee' was
this way, and there was no way that I would microwave the whole 8oz-1# to
get out a spoonful. When I was able to remove some, it disgusted DH
anyway, so out it went.
But my thinking cap goes on, and this thought arrives:
I suppose after making it, one could contain it in small measured amounts,
then microwave it as needed. But what? would be the container? I don't
think one would want to measure out more than 1/4 cup (4 T) for use, would
you?

Why not use ice cube trays to chill them, then when they're solidified, just
put them into freezer bags?+

(Fact is, though, I've never encountered ghee or clarified butter which was
NEARLY as hard as you've described. If I did, I'd be inclined to go after
it with an ice pick to extract whatever small amount I needed at the time.)

Bob

I did the ice cube tray thing the last time I made clarified butter; it
worked pretty well (better than my attempt to store it in a glass jar,
at least :> )

--

saerah

"It's not a gimmick, it's an incentive."- asterbark, afca

aware of the manifold possibilities of the future

"I think there's a clause in the Shaman's and Jujumen's Local #57 Union
contract that they have to have reciprocity for each other's shop rules."
-König Prüß

nancree wrote on 09 Oct 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

I have just read the thread about clarified butter, but none of it
answered what puzzles me about it. I have made clarified butter twice.
Both times in small a small quantity {1/4 or 1/2 pound). It worked
fine, I skimmed off the foam and the clear clarified butter remained.
But when I poured it into a small bowl to chill and store, it got very,
very hard. So hard that you couldn't scoop it out of the dish at all.
Not even with a sharp spoon, or knife.
It as hard as the porcelain dish was. The second time, I poured it
into a small dish with sloping sides, thinking that I could slide a
small knife down along the side and loosed the butter. No luck--it
would have broken the dish. Letting it come to room temperature wasn't
much better.
Surely someone else has had this experience. How do you store and
use clarified butter after you have made it? I would appreciate any
comments.
TIA Nancree

AFAIK Ghee doesn't need to be refridgerated. It should keep as well as
olive oil, corn oil, peanut oil or canola oil does without refridgeration
in a darkened room temperature-ish cupboard. You might consider a screw cap
container, something that would stop light...say a metal or a non-
transparent plastic bottle. Ghee has been in use in India long before there
were fridges in India, just the same as olive oil in Italy or Greece.

--
The eyes are the mirrors....
But the ears...Ah the ears.
The ears keep the hat up.

nancree said:

I have just read the thread about clarified butter, but none of it
answered what puzzles me about it. I have made clarified butter twice.
Both times in small a small quantity {1/4 or 1/2 pound). It worked
fine, I skimmed off the foam and the clear clarified butter remained.
But when I poured it into a small bowl to chill and store, it got very,
very hard. So hard that you couldn't scoop it out of the dish at all.
Not even with a sharp spoon, or knife.
It as hard as the porcelain dish was. The second time, I poured it
into a small dish with sloping sides, thinking that I could slide a
small knife down along the side and loosed the butter. No luck--it
would have broken the dish. Letting it come to room temperature wasn't
much better.
Surely someone else has had this experience. How do you store and
use clarified butter after you have made it? I would appreciate any
comments.
TIA Nancree

Chill it in an ice cube tray. Then pop 'em out and store them in the
freezer in a baggie. They'll last pretty much forever.

In article <[email hidden]>,

nancree said:

Susan wrote:

"You can used 1/2 cup Ball canning jars or Glad Ware 1/2 cup plastic
containers."

-----------------------------
No, Susan, but thanks. You'd never be able to get it out of a Ball
canning jar with its narrowed top. It would have to be a
straight-sided container. And even then, what if you want just a
spoonful or two, to fry an egg, or baste something. It's just not
worth it, IMO. It gets to hard you can't even get a knife tip into
it.
Thanks for answering.
Nancree

What's wrong with just using butter?
Clarified butter, imho has no flavor.
Might as well use corn oil. :-P

I use olive oil or grapeseed oil for frying
and if I'm sautee'ing shrimp or other foods I
might want a buttery flavor in, I still use
olive oil, and just mix a little butter in with
it.

As for dipping shrimp, crab or lobster, again,
I don't see what the attraction in using clarified
butter is.

It's just yucky. Regular melted butter is sooooo
much tastier!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

In article <[email hidden]>,

jmcquown said:

Dee Randall said:

"nancree" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have just read the thread about clarified butter, but none of it
answered what puzzles me about it. I have made clarified butter
twice. Both times in small a small quantity {1/4 or 1/2 pound). It
worked
fine, I skimmed off the foam and the clear clarified butter remained.
But when I poured it into a small bowl to chill and store, it got
very, very hard. So hard that you couldn't scoop it out of the dish
at all. Not even with a sharp spoon, or knife.
It as hard as the porcelain dish was. The second time, I poured it
into a small dish with sloping sides, thinking that I could slide a
small knife down along the side and loosed the butter. No luck--it
would have broken the dish. Letting it come to room temperature
wasn't much better.
Surely someone else has had this experience. How do you store and
use clarified butter after you have made it? I would appreciate any
comments.
TIA Nancree

As I mentioned in my previous email, my bought butter labeled 'ghee'
was this way, and there was no way that I would microwave the whole
8oz-1# to get out a spoonful. When I was able to remove some, it
disgusted DH anyway, so out it went.
But my thinking cap goes on, and this thought arrives:
I suppose after making it, one could contain it in small measured
amounts, then microwave it as needed. But what? would be the
container? I don't think one would want to measure out more than 1/4
cup (4 T) for use, would you?
Dee Dee

Why not measure out 4 Tbs. for use? There are tiny sealed containers
available for such small quantities. I have several in my cabinets.

Jill

Those little ziplock brand (or other brand) of disposable snack
containers should work. They are better IMHO that rubbermade brands. ;-)
I use a lot of those! They are handy, and cheap!

And despite being "disposable", can often be used several times.
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

As for dipping shrimp, crab or lobster, again,
I don't see what the attraction in using clarified
butter is.

It's just yucky. Regular melted butter is sooooo
much tastier!

It sounds fancier; more pretentious. And it works better for frying at
high temperatures than regular butter, but that's what peanut oil is for.

Best regards,
Bob

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

What's wrong with just using butter?
Clarified butter, imho has no flavor.
Might as well use corn oil. :-P

Clarified butter does have more flavour than corn oil. The thing about clarified
butter is that the milk solids are separated and removed, so it can be heated to a
higher temperature without smoking.

nancree said:

How do you store and
use clarified butter after you have made it?

At room temperature. It doesn't need to be chilled. I just leave mine
out on the counter in a wide-mouth jar with a lid. It never lasts more
than a couple weeks because we use it. The flavor will subtly change and
get more rounded, richer.

The reason it's so hard when refrigerated is that it's pure fat with no
water (normally about 20% of volume) and no milk solids. Milkfat is one
of the ones that gets hard at fridge temps.

Pastorio

In article <[email hidden]>,

zxcvbob said:

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

As for dipping shrimp, crab or lobster, again,
I don't see what the attraction in using clarified
butter is.

It's just yucky. Regular melted butter is sooooo
much tastier!

It sounds fancier; more pretentious. And it works better for frying at
high temperatures than regular butter, but that's what peanut oil is for.

Best regards,
Bob

Kinda what I figured. ;-)

Whenever I do eat seafood "out", I always request fresh melted butter.

I really do hate clarified butter!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson