If you follow the Paleo or Whole30 diet plans, you know that normal butter is not allowed. Let’s learn how to make clarified butter, which is allowed on both diets.
What is clarified butter? Simply put, it’s butter that has been processed to remove water and milk solids, leaving behind pure butterfat.
It is often used by those following the Paleo diet because it is mainly free from lactose and casein, making it suitable for those who want to avoid dairy.
Fortunately, learning how to make clarified butter is easy to do. Just melt the butter and allow the milk solids to float to the surface. Then skim them off and strain the mixture.
Voila! You’ve made clarified butter!
How to make clarified butter
I’ve been following the Whole30 plan for the last few weeks. Clarified butter is a staple on the Whole30 diet, so I have made it several times with this method.
To make clarified butter, start by adding butter to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Be careful not to have the heat turned too high, or you will end up with browned butter.
This recipe calls for four sticks of unsalted butter. Get the printable recipe for how to make clarified butter at the bottom of the page.
When the butter starts to melt, you will see it pop and bubble slightly. Milk solids will rise to the surface in a light foam.
The bubbling and popping noises mean that the water is being removed from the butter.
Keep heating gently and use a spoon to skim these milk solids off the top of the butter. You will see a nice golden layer of pure butter fat as the solids keep getting removed.
The milk solids will also sink to the bottom under the pure golden butterfat. You will know that it is done when the bubbling slows down. This means the water is gone.
When you are done skimming, you will notice that there are very few visible milk solids left.
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Time to strain the mixture
The final step is to strain the mixture through a cheesecloth to make sure that all the remaining milk solids stay out of the clarified butter.
Once it has been strained, pour the clarified butter into a container.
It has a lovely golden color and will keep for 3 to 4 months. Since the milk solids that can make butter go rancid have been removed, clarified butter can be stored for longer periods without refrigeration.
Clarified butter uses
You can use clarified butter in much the same way as regular butter, but I save it for those foods where I really want the flavor of the butter fat to shine. It is silky, rich, and has a lovely flavor but is not quite as creamy as butter.
Clarified butter is great to use for sauteing and frying, as used in this dish for spinach and mushrooms. It is perfect for making eggs, cooking steak, and other proteins.
Clarified butter has a very high smoke point (up to 450°F- 232°C) compared to normal butter (350°F – 177°C.) This makes clarified butter suitable for high-temperature cooking.
Don’t use this in baked recipes unless it is specifically called for. Most normal recipes ask for regular butter and if you substitute clarified butter, the recipe could taste flat and oily.
Clarified butter is Paleo, Whole30 compliant, and almost dairy-free.
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Admin note: this post for making clarified butter first appeared on the blog in May of 2017. I have updated the post to add more tips, and a video for you to enjoy.
How to Make Clarified Butter
Clarified butter is made by separating the milk solids from melted butter. This makes it suitable for Paleo and Whole30 diet plans.
Fortunately for home cooks, this clarified butter recipe is super easy to make.
Ingredients
- 4 sticks of unsalted butter
- Cheesecloth
Instructions
- Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and allow it to cook until the butter starts to bubble and the milk solids rise to the surface.
- Scoop the milk solids off with a spoon and continue cooking until most of the solids appear to be gone.
- The bubbling will just about stop when the water has been mostly removed.
- To ensure that all solids are gone, strain the butter through some cheesecloth into a container.
- Clarified butter keeps well in the fridge for 3 to 4 months and can also be frozen.
- It has a very high smoke point and will not burn as easily as normal butter.
Notes
The milk solids left over from butter can be used in various ways.
- Add them to sauces, gravies, and soups for extra flavor.
- Use them in baking recipes for an extra boost of buttery flavor.
- Add to scrambled eggs and vegetables for a luxurious boost.
- And the best tip? Use as a topping for freshly popped popcorn!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
26Serving Size:
1 tbspAmount Per Serving: Calories: 125Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.