What is Clarified Butter?

‘What is clarified butter’ is a common question by dairy lovers. There is also confusion among people whether clarified butter and dairy butter are the same. The answer is no, clarified butter and butter are not the same. Clarified butter is another name of ghee which is made by melting butter in a slow cooking process. However, both the dairy products are suitable as cooking oil, clarified butter and butter are quite different from each other.

The word ‘clarified’ adds a focus on its simplicity. In the production process, butter is boiled to that extent until the milk proteins like lactose and casein get eliminated from it. The butter without the milk protein content is called clarified butter.

What are some characteristics of clarified butter

1. Clarified butter offers a higher smoking point. If we compare clarified butter and dairy butter, we will observe that calcified butter offers a higher smoking point, which is 482 degrees Fahrenheit. On the contrary, dairy butter smoking point is around 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Its higher smoking point is safer for high-temperature cooking as clarified butter stays stable against higher temperatures and poses a lesser health risk.   

2. To know what is clarified butter, you should know its storage friendliness. It doesn’t need any refrigeration support and offers a longer shelf life. Dairy butter may get spoiled without storage in refrigeration

3. You can use clarified butter over veggies, toast, pancakes, waffles, grain dishes, fish, poultry, and meats instead of dairy butter. The fat content of this dairy staple works wonder for maintaining skin glow and sheen and shine of the hair as well as it helps in preserving the natural hydration of skin and hair.

4. clarified butter (ghee) smells with a yummy nutty aroma, and texture-wise it feels like roasted and caramelized. 

Health Benefits of clarified butter:

1. Clarified butter contains vitamins A, D, E, and K. These vitamins are helpful to hair and skin health, maintaining heart health, keeping free radicals of body neutralized, etc.

2. Clarified butter contains CLA which is the short form of Conjugated Linoleic Acid, a medium-chain fatty acid. CLA helps in preventing carcinogenic diseases as well as it helps in maintaining a healthy heart.

3. Takes care of skin and hair: Ghee in the diet, as well as external ghee massage, takes care of skin and hair. According to Asian folk remedies, ghee massage prevents hair fall, premature ageing.

4. Retains memory: Ghee’s diet is good for the human brain. According to Ayurveda, ghee in the diet is good for retaining memory and it prevents dementia for elders.

5. The saturated fat content of ghee helps maintain the flexibility of bone joints for elders.