# Clarified Brown Butter? Anyone?



## cave76 (Apr 11, 2014)

I saw a recipe on a cooking show yesterday that  used clarified brown butter.

Has anyone ever made this? I make my ghee in a slow cooker and would prefer to make the Brown Butter Ghee in the slow cooker also.


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## Kayelle (Apr 11, 2014)

Interesting concept Cave. I was under the impression that clarified butter won't brown so I'm confused.


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## Andy M. (Apr 11, 2014)

I'm not sure your slow cooker gets hot enough to brown butter.  In a pan, melt and simmer the butter until it browns to the color you want then strain it through cheesecloth or similar and you have clarified brown butter.


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## cave76 (Apr 11, 2014)

@ Andy and Kayelle------I think my slow cooker, set on high, will brown butter. I may just have to 'waste' a pound of unsalted butter to experiment. And  try to be careful I don't overheat the butter, but in a slow cooker that may be preventable.

After asking the experts here I turned to Google:

"The intensity of flavor of the clarified butter depends on how long you cook the melted butter.  If you continue to cook  the butter once it has melted and separated, the milk solids at the bottom of the saucepan will start to brown.  Once the milk solids turn a golden brown color the clarified butter will take on a rich fragrant nutty flavor that is called "noisette butter" or "beurre noisette" which is a French name for "brown butter" or "hazelnut butter".  (So named because the the butter turns the color of noisettes (hazelnuts)). * However, be very careful not to overheat the butter or it will become bitter tasting.*"

Clarified Butter - Joyofbaking.com


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## taxlady (Apr 11, 2014)

I thought that was the difference between plain clarified butter and ghee. I may be mistaken.


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## cave76 (Apr 11, 2014)

taxlady said:


> I thought that was the difference between plain clarified butter and ghee. I may be mistaken.



I looked at Google and found this:

_Clarified Butter: 

Also called drawn butter. Regular butter is made up of butterfat, milk solids, and water. Clarified butter is the translucent golden butterfat left over after the milk solids and water are removed. In short, clarified butter is just butter that contains only pure butterfat. It has a higher smoke point than regular butter, thus allowing you to be able to cook at higher temperatures, and won't spoil as quickly.


Butter Ghee:

*Clarified butter and ghee are not the same.* Ghee is clarified butter that has been cooked longer to remove all the moisture, and the milk solids are browned (caramelized) in the fat and then strained out. This gives a rich nutty taste. Ghee has a longer shelf life, both refrigerated and at room temperature. It is traditionally used in Indian cuisine."_

Butter Ghee Recipe, Clarified Butter Recipe, How To Make Clarified Butter, How To Make Butter Ghee

I always thought ghee and clarified butter were the same. Silly me

But I'm still confuse because when I make ghee in my slow cooker I don't let it brown (usually) and I call that ghee.

So, I'm gonna call MY ghee----- ghee OR  clarified butter. Until I brown some then I'll call it _browned ghee_. 

That's my decision and I'm sticking with it.


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## Oldvine (Apr 11, 2014)

Different slow cookers have different temperatures.  I'm sure I could brown clarified butter in one of my "slow" cookers and probably not in the other one.


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## cave76 (Apr 11, 2014)

Oldvine said:


> Different slow cookers have different temperatures.  I'm sure I could brown clarified butter in one of my "slow" cookers and probably not in the other one.



Yes, you're right.


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## bakechef (Apr 11, 2014)

You could always brown the butter and then filter the milk solids out of it.  Butter separates when you are browning it.


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## GB (Apr 12, 2014)

I still do not see the difference between clarified butter and ghee. According to your post, clarified butter is butterfat with the water and solids removed and ghee is clarified butter that has been cooked longer. That is what I call browned clarified butter. How is one different than the other?

Why do you use a slow cooker to make your ghee? It is so quick and easy to make it on the stovetop. What benefit do you get from making it in the slowcooker?

I used to make what I called browned clarified butter all the time. The trick is to not take your eyes off it because it goes from browned to burnt very quickly. Also, it is hard to do in a non-stick pan as it is hard to see the color change. A silver colored pan is much easier.


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## Andy M. (Apr 12, 2014)

GB said:


> I still do not see the difference between clarified butter and ghee. According to your post, clarified butter is butterfat with the water and solids removed and ghee is clarified butter that has been cooked longer. That is what I call browned clarified butter. How is one different than the other?...




You explained the difference nicely.  Ghee is a type of clarified butter that has been cooked longer, resulting in a darker color and different flavor.


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## GB (Apr 12, 2014)

So are ghee and clarified brown butter synonymous? According to the post Cave make they are not the same thing. Was that just saying that non-browned clarified butter and ghee are not the same, but once you brown it they are the same? This question (is ghee and clarified butter the same) seems to come up every few years and I have never felt like I have gotten a grasp on the actual answer.


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## Andy M. (Apr 12, 2014)

GB said:


> I still do not see the difference between clarified butter and ghee. According to your post, clarified butter is butterfat with the water and solids removed and ghee is clarified butter that has been cooked longer. That is what I call browned clarified butter. How is one different than the other?...




You explained the difference nicely.  Ghee is a type of clarified butter that has been cooked longer, resulting in a darker color and different flavor.


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## GB (Apr 12, 2014)

Andy M. said:


> Ghee is a type of clarified butter





			
				cave76 said:
			
		

> Clarified butter and ghee are not the same



This is were I am confused. Which is it?


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## cave76 (Apr 12, 2014)

GB said:


> I still do not see the difference between clarified butter and ghee. According to your post, clarified butter is butterfat with the water and solids removed and ghee is clarified butter that has been cooked longer. That is what I call browned clarified butter. How is one different than the other?
> 
> Why do you use a slow cooker to make your ghee? It is so quick and easy to make it on the stovetop. What benefit do you get from making it in the slowcooker?
> 
> I used to make what I called browned clarified butter all the time. The trick is to not take your eyes off it because it goes from browned to burnt very quickly. Also, it is hard to do in a non-stick pan as it is hard to see the color change. A silver colored pan is much easier.



That post was quoted from the Internet---- and you know that the next hit at Google will say they're the same! 

I clarified (pun intended) my position later in that post:
Quote:
"So, I'm gonna call MY ghee----- ghee OR clarified butter. Until I brown some then I'll call it browned ghee." 

GB, you asked me* "Why do you use a slow cooker to make your ghee? "* then you answered your question in the next paragraph:

*"The trick is to not take your eyes off it". 
*

Someday when you're old and grey you'll understand my reason better. 

But you have some good points for others.


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## GB (Apr 12, 2014)

If your slow cooker is hot enough to brown it then it is hot enough to burn it so I still don't see the reason you use.


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## cave76 (Apr 12, 2014)

GB said:


> If your slow cooker is hot enough to brown it then it is hot enough to burn it *so I still don't see the reason you use*.



That's O.K.  

But if you really want an explanation: 

Pick one:

1. "Because it's there" ~George Mallory

2. I have to justify buying one so I use it for a lot of things

3. It was on sale and now I have to use it (See Point #2)

4. A friend makes her ghee in her slow cooker and I just had to do it. Her last name is Jones.

5. How silly  would I look if I bought a slow cooker and didn't use it like the Internet said I could?


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## GB (Apr 12, 2014)

OK. I was just wondering if I was missing something. Seemed like you were saying there might be a benefit over stovetop. I now understand it is just personal choice.


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## cave76 (Apr 12, 2014)

gb said:


> ok. I was just wondering if i was missing something. Seemed like you were saying there might be a benefit over stovetop. I now understand it is just personal choice.



*bazinga! *


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## Andy M. (Apr 12, 2014)

Quote:
 	 	 		 			 				 					Originally Posted by *Andy M.* 

 
_Ghee is a type of clarified butter_

 	Quote:
 	 	 		 			 				 					Originally Posted by *cave76* 
_Clarified butter and ghee are not the same_


Originally Posted by *GB*
This is were I am confused. Which is it?

Ghee is a subset of clarified butter.

All ghee is clarified butter but not all clarified butter is ghee.


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## GB (Apr 12, 2014)

Thanks Andy. So ghee is browned clarified butter.


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## cave76 (Apr 12, 2014)

GB said:


> Thanks Andy. So ghee is browned clarified butter.



Well, yes and no.  I'm off for a nap so perhaps Andy can clarify that.


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## JMediger (Apr 12, 2014)

GB said:


> Thanks Andy. So ghee is browned clarified butter.



This is where I'm getting confused too GB.  I've never tasted ghee ... does it taste like brown butter?  

I never thought about straining it and keeping it because it's so easy to make BUT I have burnt my fair share of butter getting the right shade of brown so ...


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## Andy M. (Apr 12, 2014)

I wouldn't say brown.  The key seems to be that you continue to cook the butter until the crud on the bottom of the pan turns brown.  By then it has imparted flavor to the butter fat which has turned a darker yellow.  If you google images of ghee you'll see yellow, not brown.


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## cave76 (Apr 12, 2014)

JMediger said:


> This is where I'm getting confused too GB.  I've never tasted ghee ... *does it taste like brown butter*?
> 
> I never thought about straining it and keeping it because it's so easy to make BUT I have burnt my fair share of butter getting the right shade of brown so ...



There's ghee and there's browned ghee. I haven't made browned ghee yet but yes, I think the taste would be somewhat like browned butter.

*Ghee* is* unsalted* butter melted down *gently* until the 'solids' drop down to the bottom of the pan.  (What Andy aptly calls 'crud'.) What is left above is an almost clear, yellow 'liquid'.  The liquid is then poured gently through a muslin cloth or fine strainer so that any 'bits' don't get through.

It will harden a bit. Then it can be kept at room temp or in the fridge to be used as an 'oil' that tastes like butter but doesn't burn as quickly as plain butter would in a pan if left on high or too long.

*Browned ghee* is the same as above only it's heated a little longer until the 'crud' at the bottom turns brown but DOES NOT BURN. (That's a critical time slot and has to be watched carefully at the end.)

For ordinary use-----just plain ghee is what you would probably want. It would be good for dipping lobster into also..... Or boiled new potatoes. Or.......

Here is a video that shows it being made in a pan. I always use my slow cooker because I don't have to watch it as closely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pker6csSAg


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## Sprout (Apr 12, 2014)

So, from reading the thread, this is what I'm gathering:
Clarified butter is any butter that has gone through the heating/straining process to remove the milk solids.
Browned butter is clarified butter that was heated to a higher temperature during clarifying until it took on a golden brown color and nutty smell.
Ghee is clarified butter that was heated past the temperatures necessary to simply clarify until the milk solids have begun to brown, but removed before reaching the depth of color (and flavor) of browned butter. Or, in other words, Ghee is somewhere between basic clarified butter and browned butter.

Andy, did I follow that correctly?


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## Andy M. (Apr 12, 2014)

Sprout said:


> So, from reading the thread, this is what I'm gathering:
> Clarified butter is any butter that has gone through the heating/straining process to remove the milk solids.
> Browned butter is clarified butter that was heated to a higher temperature during clarifying until it took on a golden brown color and nutty smell.
> Ghee is clarified butter that was heated past the temperatures necessary to simply clarify until the milk solids have begun to brown, but removed before reaching the depth of color (and flavor) of browned butter. Or, in other words, Ghee is somewhere between basic clarified butter and browned butter.
> ...



It seems you have read and understood what I've been saying.


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## cave76 (Apr 12, 2014)

Sprout said:


> So, from reading the thread, this is what I'm gathering:
> Clarified butter is any butter that has gone through the heating/straining process to remove the milk solids.
> Browned butter is clarified butter that was heated to a higher temperature during clarifying until it took on a golden brown color and nutty smell.
> Ghee is clarified butter that was heated past the temperatures necessary to simply clarify until the milk solids have begun to brown, but removed before reaching the depth of color (and flavor) of browned butter. Or, in other words, Ghee is somewhere between basic clarified butter and browned butter.
> ...



And another *bazinga!*


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## taxlady (Apr 12, 2014)

Ghee is supposed to be cooked for a long time. I think that not only caramelizes, I think it drives off more water.


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## Kirsten (May 21, 2014)

*Clarified butter for shortening substitute (melting chocolate)?*

Can clarified butter be used as shortening to make melted chocolate smoother and easier to spread? I have a tight budget so buying a block of Copha/Lard when I only need a bit for one cake doesn't really seem worth all that money.

So can it be used as shortening for chocolate without causing the chocolate to seize or not set?

Also I think I saw a post/s saying that brown clarified butter tastes like (hazel?)nuts and was wondering how to tell when the brown clarified butter won't taste too strongly of nuts.

I'm going to make a orange cake drizzled with white chocolate for a special birthday and if I can get the white chocolate to have a slightly nutty taste, that'd be a bonus.


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## Addie (May 21, 2014)

Kirsten said:


> Can clarified butter be used as shortening to make melted chocolate smoother and easier to spread? I have a tight budget so buying a block of Copha/Lard when I only need a bit for one cake doesn't really seem worth all that money.
> 
> So can it be used as shortening for chocolate without causing the chocolate to seize or not set?
> 
> ...



Welcome to DC Kirsten. This is a fun place to be and full of very useful information as you can see on this subject.


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## Kirsten (May 21, 2014)

What would you use if you didn't have a ladel?


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## Addie (May 21, 2014)

Kirsten said:


> What would you use if you didn't have a ladel?



What are you needing a ladle for? You could pour the product into a container that has a lip meant for pouring.


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## Kirsten (May 21, 2014)

So a gravy jug (~100ml) will do fine? I've watched a few videos and they all used ladels so I thought that it was the best option.


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## Addie (May 21, 2014)

Kirsten said:


> So a gravy jug (~100ml) will do fine? I've watched a few videos and they all used ladels so I thought that it was the best option.



Sounds perfect as a substitute. Even a large milk pitcher with a pouring lip on it will do just fine.


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## Kirsten (May 21, 2014)

Do you know if clarified butter will make melted chocolate seize or prevent it from setting? Since I can't have the chocolate inside the cake I want to drizzle it on top and I wish to get a bit artistic with it, swirls, lines and the like.


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