| dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com |
As I understand it, clarifying butter is a quasi-distilling process,
akin to petroleum refining, which renders out the fat from the milk
solids.
I'm sure many people enjoy that tedious process, but all I see is
sloppy product standardization!
Does any dairy sell butter which has no such impurities?
|
|
|
| Dave Fawthrop |
On 8 Oct 2005 01:50:22 -0700, dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com wrote:
| As I understand it, clarifying butter is a quasi-distilling process,
| akin to petroleum refining, which renders out the fat from the milk
| solids.
|
| I'm sure many people enjoy that tedious process, but all I see is
| sloppy product standardization!
|
| Does any dairy sell butter which has no such impurities?
Ghee which is clarified butter a staple of Indian cooking and is available
in all Asian Supermarkets, at least in the UK.
fu set to rec.food.cooking
--
Dave Fawthrop <dave hyphenologist co uk>
"Intelligent Design?" my knees say *not*.
"Intelligent Design?" my back says *not*.
|
|
|
| JP in Lon |
<dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1128761422.189092.134770@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> As I understand it, clarifying butter is a quasi-distilling process,
> akin to petroleum refining, which renders out the fat from the milk
> solids.
>
> I'm sure many people enjoy that tedious process, but all I see is
> sloppy product standardization!
>
> Does any dairy sell butter which has no such impurities?
Ghee?
--
J.P. in London.
|
|
|
| Paul M. Cook |
<dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1128761422.189092.134770@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> As I understand it, clarifying butter is a quasi-distilling process,
> akin to petroleum refining, which renders out the fat from the milk
> solids.
>
> I'm sure many people enjoy that tedious process, but all I see is
> sloppy product standardization!
>
> Does any dairy sell butter which has no such impurities?
>
I was on an Indian food kick for a while recently. Must admit I find the
cuisine to be a real challenge. Anyway, ghee is clarified butter and a
common ingredient in Indian food. I don't know how pure you want your
clarified butter to be but I made a pretty passable version by just melting
the butter very slowly then poring through a few layers of cheese cloth.
Then I just poured it into pint glass jars, let it sit a bit, then into the
fridge. After the butter had set there was a thin layer of milk solids left
which I skimmed off. Pretty passable ghee was the result.
Paul
|
|
|
| Jen |
"Paul M. Cook" <pmBERMUDA_SHORTScook@gte.net> wrote in message
news:XIM1f.433$A52.82@trnddc02...
>
> <dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com> wrote in message
Anyway, ghee is clarified butter and a
> common ingredient in Indian food. I don't know how pure you want your
> clarified butter to be but I made a pretty passable >
>
I'm probably wrong but I thought "ghee" and "clarified butter" were actually
different things. Somehow they're processed differently or something??
--
Jen
|
|
|
| Paul M. Cook |
"Jen" <anyofusNo@SPAMbigpond.net.au> wrote in message
news:Y_M1f.10704$U51.4003@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
>
> "Paul M. Cook" <pmBERMUDA_SHORTScook@gte.net> wrote in message
> news:XIM1f.433$A52.82@trnddc02...
> >
> > <dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> Anyway, ghee is clarified butter and a
> > common ingredient in Indian food. I don't know how pure you want your
> > clarified butter to be but I made a pretty passable >
> >
>
>
> I'm probably wrong but I thought "ghee" and "clarified butter" were
actually
> different things. Somehow they're processed differently or something??
No, it's clarified butter. "Real" ghee, the kind you buy in specialty
stores, has been cooked down to the point where there is practically no
water present. It's hard to do without burning unless you make very large
quantities.
http://www.food-india.com/ingredien...1_i025/i007.htm
Paul
|
|
|
| Jen |
>
> No, it's clarified butter. "Real" ghee, the kind you buy in specialty
> stores, has been cooked down to the point where there is practically no
> water present. It's hard to do without burning unless you make very large
> quantities.
>
> http://www.food-india.com/ingredien...1_i025/i007.htm
>
> Paul
>
>
Maybe that's what I heard.
--
Jen
|
|
|
| Dick Margulis |
Paul M. Cook wrote:
> "Jen" <anyofusNo@SPAMbigpond.net.au> wrote in message
> news:Y_M1f.10704$U51.4003@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
>
>>"Paul M. Cook" <pmBERMUDA_SHORTScook@gte.net> wrote in message
>>news:XIM1f.433$A52.82@trnddc02...
>>
>>><dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>
>> Anyway, ghee is clarified butter and a
>>
>>>common ingredient in Indian food. I don't know how pure you want your
>>>clarified butter to be but I made a pretty passable >
>>>
>>
>>I'm probably wrong but I thought "ghee" and "clarified butter" were
>
> actually
>
>>different things. Somehow they're processed differently or something??
>
>
>
> No, it's clarified butter. "Real" ghee, the kind you buy in specialty
> stores, has been cooked down to the point where there is practically no
> water present. It's hard to do without burning unless you make very large
> quantities.
>
> http://www.food-india.com/ingredien...1_i025/i007.htm
>
> Paul
>
>
Really? I never had any trouble. But then I didn't try to boil off the
water. I just poured off the separated fat. What burns is the milk
solids (creating beurre noire [sp?]). A gravy separate works well, if
you have one.
But speaking of butter, does anyone here know anything about Australian
butter? I just came back from a trip to Australia. They serve lots of
heavy cream in various ways, and the cream is noticeably yellow
(presumably because of Jersey cows on early spring grass, because there
was no indication of added color on any labels I checked). The butter is
a darker yellow than we normally see in the US, too. It is labeled as
80% fat, same as ours. But the texture is quite waxy, suggesting they
produce it by a somewhat different method. I didn't cook with it; so I
can't say whether there were any milk solids visible when it melted.
Anyone know what's different about it?
|
|
|
| Smokey |
"Dick Margulis" <margulisd@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:11kfa7viiduee6f@news.supernews.com...
> Paul M. Cook wrote:
>> "Jen" <anyofusNo@SPAMbigpond.net.au> wrote in message
>> news:Y_M1f.10704$U51.4003@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
>>
>>>"Paul M. Cook" <pmBERMUDA_SHORTScook@gte.net> wrote in message
>>>news:XIM1f.433$A52.82@trnddc02...
>>>
>>>><dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>>
>>> Anyway, ghee is clarified butter and a
>>>
>>>>common ingredient in Indian food. I don't know how pure you want your
>>>>clarified butter to be but I made a pretty passable >
>>>>
>>>
>>>I'm probably wrong but I thought "ghee" and "clarified butter" were
>>
>> actually
>>
>>>different things. Somehow they're processed differently or something??
>>
>>
>>
>> No, it's clarified butter. "Real" ghee, the kind you buy in specialty
>> stores, has been cooked down to the point where there is practically no
>> water present. It's hard to do without burning unless you make very
>> large
>> quantities.
>>
>> http://www.food-india.com/ingredien...1_i025/i007.htm
>>
>> Paul
>>
>>
>
>
> Really? I never had any trouble. But then I didn't try to boil off the
> water. I just poured off the separated fat. What burns is the milk solids
> (creating beurre noire [sp?]). A gravy separate works well, if you have
> one.
>
> But speaking of butter, does anyone here know anything about Australian
> butter? I just came back from a trip to Australia. They serve lots of
> heavy cream in various ways, and the cream is noticeably yellow
> (presumably because of Jersey cows on early spring grass, because there
> was no indication of added color on any labels I checked). The butter is a
> darker yellow than we normally see in the US, too. It is labeled as 80%
> fat, same as ours. But the texture is quite waxy, suggesting they produce
> it by a somewhat different method. I didn't cook with it; so I can't say
> whether there were any milk solids visible when it melted. Anyone know
> what's different about it?
In the spirit of learning something every day, I googled "Australian butter"
and found some with this description at
http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/sear...ScrollAction=2:
Richer and creamier than American butter, it is made in the style of
European plugra butter. As a result, this butter contains more butterfat and
less moisture than American butter. Use this butter to make cakes rise
higher, sauces smoother and richer, pastry fluffier, and when frying you
will find it has a higher smoking point than regular American butter.
Not knowing what plugra butter is, I searched and found this:
The secret of fine bakers all over America, Plugra butter was finally
introduced to the rest of America's food professionals in 1989. We use six
tons of it at the Zingerman's Bakehouse every year. The name means,
literally, "more fat," which is exactly what it has. Made without salt,
Plugra has ten percent less water than standard butter-a butterfat content
of 82 percent. (Standard American butter has 80 percent.) Its mildness and
consistency make it ideal for excellent baking. Taste it next to unsalted
supermarket butter and you'll immediately notice the bigger flavor, nice
finish, and increased richness. Writing in Fine Cooking, Molly Stevens
stated, "Plugra is remarkably smooth and satiny. Its lower melting point
caused it to melt immediately in our mouth. The flavor is complex and rich,
with a pleasant, tangy finish."
Smokey
|
|
|
| Dick Margulis |
Smokey wrote:
> "Dick Margulis" <margulisd@comcast.net> wrote in message
[snip]
>>
>>But speaking of butter, does anyone here know anything about Australian
>>butter? I just came back from a trip to Australia. They serve lots of
>>heavy cream in various ways, and the cream is noticeably yellow
>>(presumably because of Jersey cows on early spring grass, because there
>>was no indication of added color on any labels I checked). The butter is a
>>darker yellow than we normally see in the US, too. It is labeled as 80%
>>fat, same as ours. But the texture is quite waxy, suggesting they produce
>>it by a somewhat different method. I didn't cook with it; so I can't say
>>whether there were any milk solids visible when it melted. Anyone know
>>what's different about it?
>
>
> In the spirit of learning something every day, I googled "Australian butter"
> and found some with this description at
> http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/sear...ScrollAction=2:
>
> Richer and creamier than American butter, it is made in the style of
> European plugra butter. As a result, this butter contains more butterfat and
> less moisture than American butter. Use this butter to make cakes rise
> higher, sauces smoother and richer, pastry fluffier, and when frying you
> will find it has a higher smoking point than regular American butter.
>
> Not knowing what plugra butter is, I searched and found this:
>
> The secret of fine bakers all over America, Plugra butter was finally
> introduced to the rest of America's food professionals in 1989. We use six
> tons of it at the Zingerman's Bakehouse every year. The name means,
> literally, "more fat," which is exactly what it has. Made without salt,
> Plugra has ten percent less water than standard butter-a butterfat content
> of 82 percent. (Standard American butter has 80 percent.) Its mildness and
> consistency make it ideal for excellent baking. Taste it next to unsalted
> supermarket butter and you'll immediately notice the bigger flavor, nice
> finish, and increased richness. Writing in Fine Cooking, Molly Stevens
> stated, "Plugra is remarkably smooth and satiny. Its lower melting point
> caused it to melt immediately in our mouth. The flavor is complex and rich,
> with a pleasant, tangy finish."
>
> Smokey
>
Well, I've heard someone described as "so cold butter wouldn't melt in
his mouth," but I don't think that's meant to be taken literally.
Nonetheless, the last sentence strikes me as not applying to Australian
butter, as I found it difficult to get it to melt on warm bread or in my
mouth. As I said, the texture was somewhat waxy, suggesting a finer
crystalline structure than US butter. But, if anything, I'd say it has a
higher melting point. Otherwise, I think the above description is pretty
close.
I think maybe it was unsalted, but it did not have the flavor of
US-style sweet butter. As noted in your description, it had a more
complex flavor. Perhaps, as with traditional European-style butters, it
is churned from sour cream rather than sweet cream (couldn't tell from
the labeling). The main thing I found odd was the texture.
|
|
|
| OmManiPadmeOmelet |
In article <Y_M1f.10704$U51.4003@news-server.bigpond.net.au>,
"Jen" <anyofusNo@SPAMbigpond.net.au> wrote:
> "Paul M. Cook" <pmBERMUDA_SHORTScook@gte.net> wrote in message
> news:XIM1f.433$A52.82@trnddc02...
> >
> > <dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> Anyway, ghee is clarified butter and a
> > common ingredient in Indian food. I don't know how pure you want your
> > clarified butter to be but I made a pretty passable >
> >
>
>
> I'm probably wrong but I thought "ghee" and "clarified butter" were actually
> different things. Somehow they're processed differently or something??
Not as far as I know...
I've seen instructions for making Ghee at home.
They are identical to making clarified butter.
Personally, I HATE clarified butter!
Might as well dip the shrimp in cooking oil. :-P
It's the milk solids that give it the flavor!!!
--
Om.
"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson
|
|
|
| Sheldon |
OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
> "Jen" wrote:
> > "Paul M. Cook" wrote
> > > <dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > Anyway, ghee is clarified butter
> >
> > I'm probably wrong but I thought "ghee" and "clarified butter" were act=
ually
> > different things.
>
> Not as far as I know...
> I've seen instructions for making Ghee at home.
> They are identical to making clarified butter.
Actually they're not identical.
ghee [GEE]
Butter that has been slowly melted, thereby separating the milk solids
(which sink to the bottom of the pan) from the golden liquid on the
surface. This form of CLARIFIED BUTTER is taken a step further by
simmering it until all of the moisture evaporates and the milk solids
begin to brown, giving the resulting butter a nutty, caramellike flavor
and aroma. This extra step also gives ghee a longer life and much
higher SMOKE POINT than regular clarified butter. Because the smoke
point is raised to almost 375=B0F, ghee is practical for a variety of
saut=E9ing and frying uses. Although it originated in India, the best
commercially available ghee comes from Holland, followed closely by
products from Scandinavia and Australia. It's quite expensive, but can
be purchased in Middle Eastern, Indian and some gourmet markets.
Whereas ghee was once made only with butter derived from water buffalo
milk, today it can be made with any unsalted butter. Making it at home
is not a difficult task, and flavored ghees are created by simply
adding ingredients such as ginger, peppercorns or cumin at the
beginning of the clarifying process. Tightly wrapped ghee can be
refrigerated for up to 6 months and frozen up to a year.
=A9 Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD
LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.=20
---
Sheldon
|
|
|
| John R. Levine |
>Not knowing what plugra butter is, I searched and found this:
Skipping the hype, it's a brand of butter made by Keller's Creamery,
who also make more familiar brands including Breakstone's and Hotel
Bar. The company is in Pennsylvania, their main production plant is
in Texas, and I don't know where they make Plugra. According to their
web site, it has more butterfat and less moisture than regular butter
and is available at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. I've seen it at
Wegmans, but it's so expensive I've never bought it.
The web site says they also sell Plugra Clarified in fussy little 12
oz jars at places like Williams Sonoma and in 5lb tubs for real
bakers.
They also make butter sculptures in the shapes of turkeys, lambies,
and Christmas trees, sold during the appropriate season. The little
lambie is just adorable, particularly if you eat it as part of a
metaphor-heavy Easter dinner. The only stores that sell them in
Mass. appear to be Shoprite, with the closest to Boston being Seekonk,
New Bedford, and Springfield.
R's,
John
|
|
|
| MG |
<snip>
"Dick Margulis" <margulisd@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:11kfdnh8a9uqj64@news.supernews.com...
> Smokey wrote:
>> "Dick Margulis" <margulisd@comcast.net> wrote in message
>
> [snip]
>
>>>
>>>But speaking of butter, does anyone here know anything about Australian
>>>butter? I just came back from a trip to Australia. They serve lots of
>>>heavy cream in various ways, and the cream is noticeably yellow
>>>(presumably because of Jersey cows on early spring grass, because there
>>>was no indication of added color on any labels I checked). The butter is
>>>a darker yellow than we normally see in the US, too. It is labeled as 80%
>>>fat, same as ours. But the texture is quite waxy, suggesting they produce
>>>it by a somewhat different method. I didn't cook with it; so I can't say
>>>whether there were any milk solids visible when it melted. Anyone know
>>>what's different about it?
>>
>>
>> In the spirit of learning something every day, I googled "Australian
>> butter" and found some with this description at
>> http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/sear...ScrollAction=2:
>>
>> Richer and creamier than American butter, it is made in the style of
>> European plugra butter. As a result, this butter contains more butterfat
>> and less moisture than American butter. Use this butter to make cakes
>> rise higher, sauces smoother and richer, pastry fluffier, and when frying
>> you will find it has a higher smoking point than regular American butter.
>>
snipped again
>
> Well, I've heard someone described as "so cold butter wouldn't melt in his
> mouth," but I don't think that's meant to be taken literally. Nonetheless,
> the last sentence strikes me as not applying to Australian butter, as I
> found it difficult to get it to melt on warm bread or in my mouth. As I
> said, the texture was somewhat waxy, suggesting a finer crystalline
> structure than US butter. But, if anything, I'd say it has a higher
> melting point. Otherwise, I think the above description is pretty close.
>
> I think maybe it was unsalted, but it did not have the flavor of US-style
> sweet butter. As noted in your description, it had a more complex flavor.
> Perhaps, as with traditional European-style butters, it is churned from
> sour cream rather than sweet cream (couldn't tell from the labeling). The
> main thing I found odd was the texture.
well, I don't know the specifics of how aussie butter is made, but I can
tell you that most "normal" butter IS salted (ie the stuff that's bought for
normal cooking, buttering toast etc); the market for unsalted or European
style cultured butter seems rather smaller
found the following on the Bega (a dairy products manufacturer) website
The cream is separated from the milk. It is then vacreated to pasteurise and
deodorise the cream.
The cream is pumped through pipes to the continuous Butter Maker. In the
Butter Maker, it's beaten until it separates as solid butter and liquid
buttermilk. The buttermilk is drained off and is pumped to the Whey Plant.
The butter is worked to remove excess water. Salt is added at this stage,
for Salted Butter. The butter flows out of the machine and is packaged.
|
|
|
| Victor Sack |
[F'ups set to rec.food.cooking]
<dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com> wrote:
> As I understand it, clarifying butter is a quasi-distilling process,
> akin to petroleum refining, which renders out the fat from the milk
> solids.
>
> I'm sure many people enjoy that tedious process, but all I see is
> sloppy product standardization!
>
> Does any dairy sell butter which has no such impurities?
Depends on where you are located. It seems you are posting from the
Philippines... is this also your physical location? Maybe someone from
the Philippines can help? Here in Germany, clarified butter is sold in
every supermarket.
Making clarified butter at home is easy and not at all tedious, as far
as I'm concerned. BTW, please ignore all the unqualified comments about
clarified butter being the same as ghee - it isn't. They cannot always
be substituted for one another, though often it can - it depends on the
recipe.
Victor
|
|
|
| Kenneth |
On Sat, 8 Oct 2005 23:52:49 +0200, azazello@koroviev.de
(Victor Sack) wrote:
> BTW, please ignore all the unqualified comments about
>clarified butter being the same as ghee - it isn't.
Howdy,
How do they differ?
Thanks,
--
Kenneth
If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."
|
|
|
| Karen |
Victor Sack wrote:
> Depends on where you are located. It seems you are posting from the
> Philippines... is this also your physical location? Maybe someone from
> the Philippines can help? Here in Germany, clarified butter is sold in
> every supermarket.
>
> Making clarified butter at home is easy and not at all tedious, as far
> as I'm concerned. BTW, please ignore all the unqualified comments about
> clarified butter being the same as ghee - it isn't. They cannot always
> be substituted for one another, though often it can - it depends on the
> recipe.
This thread was originally cross-posted to ba.food so am guessing op is
around the bay area ca.
I bought clarified butter at Trader Joe's (San Antonio and El Camino) a
while ago. I was surprised that it wasn't in the refrigerated section.
It was near the spices or sauces, iirc.
Karen
|
|
|
| Dee Randall |
"Victor Sack" <azazello@koroviev.de> wrote in message
news:1h45413.57ogcouz9v5sN%azazello@koroviev.de...
> [F'ups set to rec.food.cooking]
>
> <dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> As I understand it, clarifying butter is a quasi-distilling process,
>> akin to petroleum refining, which renders out the fat from the milk
>> solids.
>>
>> I'm sure many people enjoy that tedious process, but all I see is
>> sloppy product standardization!
>>
>> Does any dairy sell butter which has no such impurities?
>
> Depends on where you are located. It seems you are posting from the
> Philippines... is this also your physical location? Maybe someone from
> the Philippines can help? Here in Germany, clarified butter is sold in
> every supermarket.
>
> Making clarified butter at home is easy and not at all tedious, as far
> as I'm concerned. BTW, please ignore all the unqualified comments about
> clarified butter being the same as ghee - it isn't. They cannot always
> be substituted for one another, though often it can - it depends on the
> recipe.
>
> Victor
A while ago, Whole Foods carried, and probably still does carry, Ghee
(labeled "Ghee"). DH didn't/doesn't like it for whatever reason. I kept it
in the jar it came in, in the refrigerator. It was in a pint jar and really
hard, and hard to get out of the jar. DH said there was no reason I
couldn't clarify my own butter for Indian food. Here is a site re ghee &
clarified butter and the difference thereof:
http://asiarecipe.com/clarbutter.html
"The smoking point of ghee is slightly higher than that of regular clarified
butter."
Dee Dee
|
|
|
| Victor Sack |
Kenneth <usenet@soleSPAMLESSassociates.com> wrote:
> azazello@koroviev.de (Victor Sack) wrote:
>
> > BTW, please ignore all the unqualified comments about
> >clarified butter being the same as ghee - it isn't.
>
> How do they differ?
This has been discussed many times on rfc over the years and this is
what I always posted:
Clarified butter and ghee are not the same thing. The taste is
definitely different. You clarify butter by just getting rid of its
solids; you make ghee by first allowing these solids to brown and
add a nutty taste to the resulting ghee.
However, it is always useful to have something confirmed by someone who
really should know, in this case a native Indian interested in cooking,
and it was indeed confirmed by Shankar Bhattacharyya who used to post on
rfc regularly (but unfortunately no longer does :-(( ). See
<http://groups.google.com/group/rec....779178417bfe084>.
Victor
|
|
|
| Victor Sack |
Dee Randall <deedovey@shentel.net> wrote:
> Here is a site re ghee &
> clarified butter and the difference thereof:
> http://asiarecipe.com/clarbutter.html
> "The smoking point of ghee is slightly higher than that of regular clarified
> butter."
It only takes a look at the site you quoted to see that the citation is,
well, selective... So, why post it?
Victor
|
|
|
| gkm |
Dee Randall wrote:
> "Victor Sack" <azazello@koroviev.de> wrote in message
> news:1h45413.57ogcouz9v5sN%azazello@koroviev.de...
>
>>[F'ups set to rec.food.cooking]
>>
>><dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>As I understand it, clarifying butter is a quasi-distilling process,
>>>akin to petroleum refining, which renders out the fat from the milk
>>>solids.
>>>
>>>I'm sure many people enjoy that tedious process, but all I see is
>>>sloppy product standardization!
>>>
>>>Does any dairy sell butter which has no such impurities?
>>
>>Depends on where you are located. It seems you are posting from the
>>Philippines... is this also your physical location? Maybe someone from
>>the Philippines can help? Here in Germany, clarified butter is sold in
>>every supermarket.
>>
>>Making clarified butter at home is easy and not at all tedious, as far
>>as I'm concerned. BTW, please ignore all the unqualified comments about
>>clarified butter being the same as ghee - it isn't. They cannot always
>>be substituted for one another, though often it can - it depends on the
>>recipe.
>>
>>Victor
>
>
> A while ago, Whole Foods carried, and probably still does carry, Ghee
> (labeled "Ghee"). DH didn't/doesn't like it for whatever reason. I kept it
> in the jar it came in, in the refrigerator. It was in a pint jar and really
> hard, and hard to get out of the jar. DH said there was no reason I
> couldn't clarify my own butter for Indian food. Here is a site re ghee &
> clarified butter and the difference thereof:
> http://asiarecipe.com/clarbutter.html
> "The smoking point of ghee is slightly higher than that of regular clarified
> butter."
> Dee Dee
>
>
I'd be sceptical of the site. The provenance of some of the recipes are
simply wrong. e.g. some on the list of main dishes from Bangladesh.
|
|
|
| MasterChef |
The "impurities" you refer to (milk solids) provide much flavor. You
would not want to toss your vegetables in clarified butter, but rather
in whole butter, softened.
Butter has a high water content, and clarified butter is cooked for
extended periods until the water evaporates. For this reason, clarified
butter has a higher smoke point and will not splatter when used in a
heated saute pan.
Clarifying your own butter is a painless process, you just have to do a
lot of it at a time (say, 4-pounds or so). Place it in a pot and bring
it to a slow simmer. Skim off the surface skum and basically, forget
about it. Within about 2-hours or so, it will be crystal clear. It can
then be stored in a clean container with a tight lid, and refrigerator
(more or less) forever.
-Ron
|
|
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| Phred |
In article <1128780610.835326.35500@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
"Sheldon" <PENMART01@aol.com> wrote:
>OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
>> "Jen" wrote:
>> > "Paul M. Cook" wrote
>> > > <dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > > Anyway, ghee is clarified butter
>> >
>> > I'm probably wrong but I thought "ghee" and "clarified butter" were
>> > acually different things.
>>
>>Not as far as I know...I've seen instructions for making Ghee at home.
>>They are identical to making clarified butter.
>
>Actually they're not identical.
>
>ghee [GEE]
>Butter that has been slowly melted, thereby separating the milk solids
>(which sink to the bottom of the pan) from the golden liquid on the
>surface. This form of CLARIFIED BUTTER is taken a step further by
>simmering it until all of the moisture evaporates and the milk solids
>begin to brown, giving the resulting butter a nutty, caramellike flavor
>and aroma. This extra step also gives ghee a longer life and much
>higher SMOKE POINT than regular clarified butter. Because the smoke
>point is raised to almost 375=B0F, ghee is practical for a variety of
>saut=E9ing and frying uses. Although it originated in India, the best
>commercially available ghee comes from Holland, followed closely by
>products from Scandinavia and Australia. It's quite expensive, but can
>be purchased in Middle Eastern, Indian and some gourmet markets.
>Whereas ghee was once made only with butter derived from water buffalo
>milk, today it can be made with any unsalted butter. Making it at home
>is not a difficult task, and flavored ghees are created by simply
>adding ingredients such as ginger, peppercorns or cumin at the
>beginning of the clarifying process. Tightly wrapped ghee can be
>refrigerated for up to 6 months and frozen up to a year.
I think dear Sharon is too pessimistic.
>Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD
>LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.
Cheers, Phred.
--
ppnerkDELETE@THISyahoo.com.INVALID
|
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| Kenneth |
On Sun, 9 Oct 2005 06:18:07 +0200, azazello@koroviev.de
(Victor Sack) wrote:
>Kenneth <usenet@soleSPAMLESSassociates.com> wrote:
>
>> azazello@koroviev.de (Victor Sack) wrote:
>>
>> > BTW, please ignore all the unqualified comments about
>> >clarified butter being the same as ghee - it isn't.
>>
>> How do they differ?
>
>This has been discussed many times on rfc over the years and this is
>what I always posted:
>
>Clarified butter and ghee are not the same thing. The taste is
>definitely different. You clarify butter by just getting rid of its
>solids; you make ghee by first allowing these solids to brown and
>add a nutty taste to the resulting ghee.
>
>However, it is always useful to have something confirmed by someone who
>really should know, in this case a native Indian interested in cooking,
>and it was indeed confirmed by Shankar Bhattacharyya who used to post on
>rfc regularly (but unfortunately no longer does :-(( ). See
><http://groups.google.com/group/rec....779178417bfe084>.
>
>Victor
Hi Victor,
Thanks,
--
Kenneth
If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."
|
|
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| abc@def.org |
In article <4347976d$1_2@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com>,
JP in Lon <noone@tisali.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
><dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:1128761422.189092.134770@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>> As I understand it, clarifying butter is a quasi-distilling process,
>> akin to petroleum refining, which renders out the fat from the milk
>> solids.
>>
>> I'm sure many people enjoy that tedious process, but all I see is
>> sloppy product standardization!
>>
>> Does any dairy sell butter which has no such impurities?
>
>Ghee?
No, GTE. :-)
|
|
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| Dan Logcher |
MasterChef wrote:
> Clarifying your own butter is a painless process, you just have to do a
> lot of it at a time (say, 4-pounds or so). Place it in a pot and bring
> it to a slow simmer. Skim off the surface skum and basically, forget
> about it. Within about 2-hours or so, it will be crystal clear. It can
> then be stored in a clean container with a tight lid, and refrigerator
> (more or less) forever.
Forever? No chance of it going rancid?
--
Dan
|
|
|
| Dee Randall |
"Dan Logcher" <dlogcher*xspam*@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:43493c8e$0$562$b45e6eb0@senator-bedfellow.mit.edu...
> MasterChef wrote:
>> Clarifying your own butter is a painless process, you just have to do a
>> lot of it at a time (say, 4-pounds or so). Place it in a pot and bring
>> it to a slow simmer. Skim off the surface skum and basically, forget
>> about it. Within about 2-hours or so, it will be crystal clear. It can
>> then be stored in a clean container with a tight lid, and refrigerator
>> (more or less) forever.
Could you please give advice as to keep it from becoming so hard that you
can't dig it out of a container?
Thanks.
Dee Dee
|
|
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| Dick Margulis |
Dan Logcher wrote:
> MasterChef wrote:
>
>> Clarifying your own butter is a painless process, you just have to do a
>> lot of it at a time (say, 4-pounds or so). Place it in a pot and bring
>> it to a slow simmer. Skim off the surface skum and basically, forget
>> about it. Within about 2-hours or so, it will be crystal clear. It can
>> then be stored in a clean container with a tight lid, and refrigerator
>> (more or less) forever.
>
>
> Forever? No chance of it going rancid?
>
Dan,
First, he did qualify his "forever" with "more or less"; so cut him some
slack. But think about it. Rancidity is caused by oxidation, with
temperature a significant factor. If you have a lot of surface area (as
when you grind whole wheat and smear the wheat germ oil in a thin film
over lots of particles that have air between them) and store the food at
room temperature, rancidity is an issue. If you have a tiny bit of
surface area relative to the volume (as in the case MasterChef
describes) and keep the fat cold and well sealed, rancidity is really
not much of an issue. That said, I wouldn't recommend doing four pounds
at a time unless you planned to begin using it on a regular basis. A
year might be pushing the limit of "more or less forever" in the fridge.
Even at that, I'd suggest pressing a layer of plastic wrap tight
against the surface after each use. For longer storage, I'd suggest
wrapping blocks of the clarified butter tightly in plastic, then
double-bagging it and freezing it.
Dick
|
|
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| Dan Logcher |
Dick Margulis wrote:
> Dan Logcher wrote:
>
>> MasterChef wrote:
>>
>>> Clarifying your own butter is a painless process, you just have to do a
>>> lot of it at a time (say, 4-pounds or so). Place it in a pot and bring
>>> it to a slow simmer. Skim off the surface skum and basically, forget
>>> about it. Within about 2-hours or so, it will be crystal clear. It can
>>> then be stored in a clean container with a tight lid, and refrigerator
>>> (more or less) forever.
>>
>>
>>
>> Forever? No chance of it going rancid?
>>
>
>
> Dan,
>
> First, he did qualify his "forever" with "more or less"; so cut him some
> slack. But think about it. Rancidity is caused by oxidation, with
> temperature a significant factor. If you have a lot of surface area (as
> when you grind whole wheat and smear the wheat germ oil in a thin film
> over lots of particles that have air between them) and store the food at
> room temperature, rancidity is an issue. If you have a tiny bit of
> surface area relative to the volume (as in the case MasterChef
> describes) and keep the fat cold and well sealed, rancidity is really
> not much of an issue. That said, I wouldn't recommend doing four pounds
> at a time unless you planned to begin using it on a regular basis. A
> year might be pushing the limit of "more or less forever" in the fridge.
> Even at that, I'd suggest pressing a layer of plastic wrap tight
> against the surface after each use. For longer storage, I'd suggest
> wrapping blocks of the clarified butter tightly in plastic, then
> double-bagging it and freezing it.
So wait, forever suddenly became a year for you? That's what I was
getting at. Forever seems a bit long of an expression for something
like this. I would say months, or years.
Speaking of years. I was going thru my deep freezer and found a
chipotle pork loin that I bought from BJ's over three years ago.
It looks in perfect condition, exactally as it was when frozen and
stored away. Think its ok to eat?
--
Dan
|
|
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| OmManiPadmeOmelet |
In article <43495dbd$0$573$b45e6eb0@senator-bedfellow.mit.edu>,
Dan Logcher <dlogcher*xspam*@comcast.net> wrote:
> Dick Margulis wrote:
> > Dan Logcher wrote:
> >
> >> MasterChef wrote:
> >>
> >>> Clarifying your own butter is a painless process, you just have to do a
> >>> lot of it at a time (say, 4-pounds or so). Place it in a pot and bring
> >>> it to a slow simmer. Skim off the surface skum and basically, forget
> >>> about it. Within about 2-hours or so, it will be crystal clear. It can
> >>> then be stored in a clean container with a tight lid, and refrigerator
> >>> (more or less) forever.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Forever? No chance of it going rancid?
> >>
> >
> >
> > Dan,
> >
> > First, he did qualify his "forever" with "more or less"; so cut him some
> > slack. But think about it. Rancidity is caused by oxidation, with
> > temperature a significant factor. If you have a lot of surface area (as
> > when you grind whole wheat and smear the wheat germ oil in a thin film
> > over lots of particles that have air between them) and store the food at
> > room temperature, rancidity is an issue. If you have a tiny bit of
> > surface area relative to the volume (as in the case MasterChef
> > describes) and keep the fat cold and well sealed, rancidity is really
> > not much of an issue. That said, I wouldn't recommend doing four pounds
> > at a time unless you planned to begin using it on a regular basis. A
> > year might be pushing the limit of "more or less forever" in the fridge.
> > Even at that, I'd suggest pressing a layer of plastic wrap tight
> > against the surface after each use. For longer storage, I'd suggest
> > wrapping blocks of the clarified butter tightly in plastic, then
> > double-bagging it and freezing it.
>
> So wait, forever suddenly became a year for you? That's what I was
> getting at. Forever seems a bit long of an expression for something
> like this. I would say months, or years.
>
> Speaking of years. I was going thru my deep freezer and found a
> chipotle pork loin that I bought from BJ's over three years ago.
> It looks in perfect condition, exactally as it was when frozen and
> stored away. Think its ok to eat?
It would be safe, and probably taste ok as long as it's not
freezerburned.
--
Om.
"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson
|
|
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| Charles Gifford |
"Penny C." <Cherubino@RCN.com> wrote in message
news:1128781662.625629.227870@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> O'Dell's is available on line or in some stores.
>
> http://www.ilovebutter.com/
>
> And, in most Indian markets you can buy ghee which is clarified butter.
>
Ghee and clarified butter are very different things. Ghee goes a step or
two past clarified butter and the solids are browned. The result contains
less water and has a nuttiness to it. Clarified butter is butter gently
heated until the solids settle to the bottom of the pan but not browned, and
the clear butter is poured off.
Charlie
|
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| Arri London |
dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com wrote:
>
> As I understand it, clarifying butter is a quasi-distilling process,
> akin to petroleum refining, which renders out the fat from the milk
> solids.
Hardly akin. Strange thing to say.
>
> I'm sure many people enjoy that tedious process, but all I see is
> sloppy product standardization!
Yes it's *really* tedious to make clarified butter.
1. Buy unsalted butter.
2. Melt unsalted butter over low heat.
3. Pour off the melted butter while leaving the solids in the pan or
bowl.
> Does any dairy sell butter which has no such impurities?
Indian ghee might work for you but it's cooked longer than simple
clarified butter.
|
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| Margaret Suran |
"Victor Sack" <azazello@koroviev.de> wrote in message
news:1h45413.57ogcouz9v5sN%azazello@koroviev.de...
>
> Depends on where you are located. It seems you are posting from the
> Philippines... is this also your physical location? Maybe someone from
> the Philippines can help? Here in Germany, clarified butter is sold in
> every supermarket.
Bubba, since I saw this post I have looked for clarified butter in all
neighborhood groceries, supermarket, gourmet markets and any place
else I could think of. There is none to be had. With shelf and
chiller space as precious as it is here, nobody wants to waste any on
something that is seldom requested.
Some of the stores had it at some time, but when the clarified butter
didn't move fast enough, it was not reordered.
Actually, I checked in four places, but they are the ones most likely
to carry something like this. For example, they all carry Creme
Fraiche and Demi Glace.
In the German stores, in which department can one find the clarified
butter? Is it expensive, compared to regular butter? Is it used
frequently by the average person who does the cooking?
|
|
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| Dee Randall |
"Margaret Suran" <margaret@no.spam.for.me.invalid> wrote in message
news:dido640m16@news2.newsguy.com...
>
> "Victor Sack" <azazello@koroviev.de> wrote in message
> news:1h45413.57ogcouz9v5sN%azazello@koroviev.de...
>
>>
>> Depends on where you are located. It seems you are posting from the
>> Philippines... is this also your physical location? Maybe someone from
>> the Philippines can help? Here in Germany, clarified butter is sold in
>> every supermarket.
>
>
> Bubba, since I saw this post I have looked for clarified butter in all
> neighborhood groceries, supermarket, gourmet markets and any place else I
> could think of. There is none to be had. With shelf and chiller space as
> precious as it is here, nobody wants to waste any on something that is
> seldom requested.
>
> Some of the stores had it at some time, but when the clarified butter
> didn't move fast enough, it was not reordered.
>
> Actually, I checked in four places, but they are the ones most likely to
> carry something like this. For example, they all carry Creme Fraiche and
> Demi Glace.
>
> In the German stores, in which department can one find the clarified
> butter? Is it expensive, compared to regular butter? Is it used
> frequently by the average person who does the cooking?
>
Repeating myself, I found ghee in Whole Foods, Vienna, VA -- or Washington,
D.C.
Dee Dee
|
|
|
| Margaret Suran |
Dee Randall wrote:
> "Margaret Suran" <margaret@no.spam.for.me.invalid> wrote in message
> news:dido640m16@news2.newsguy.com...
>
>> "Victor Sack" <azazello@koroviev.de> wrote in message
>> news:1h45413.57ogcouz9v5sN%azazello@koroviev.de...
>>
>>
>>>Depends on where you are located. It seems you are posting from the
>>>Philippines... is this also your physical location? Maybe someone from
>>>the Philippines can help? Here in Germany, clarified butter is sold in
>>>every supermarket.
>>
>>
>>Bubba, since I saw this post I have looked for clarified butter in all
>>neighborhood groceries, supermarket, gourmet markets and any place else I
>>could think of. There is none to be had. With shelf and chiller space as
>>precious as it is here, nobody wants to waste any on something that is
>>seldom requested.
>>
>>Some of the stores had it at some time, but when the clarified butter
>>didn't move fast enough, it was not reordered.
>>
>>Actually, I checked in four places, but they are the ones most likely to
>>carry something like this. For example, they all carry Creme Fraiche and
>>Demi Glace.
>>
>>In the German stores, in which department can one find the clarified
>>butter? Is it expensive, compared to regular butter? Is it used
>>frequently by the average person who does the cooking?
>>
>
> Repeating myself, I found ghee in Whole Foods, Vienna, VA -- or Washington,
> D.C.
> Dee Dee
>
>
Dee Dee, I did not see your post. I do not get all posts, but I find
most of them repeated as quotations in other posts of the same thread.
I do not have a Whole Food Market near me. The next time I go to one,
I will certainly look for it. In which department was the clarified
butter? Both Whole Food Market to which I have been, are HUGE
establishments.
Thank you, M
|
|
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| Dee Randall |
"Margaret Suran" <margaret@no.spam.for.me.invalid> wrote in message
news:didvn10p9v@news2.newsguy.com...
>
>
> Dee Randall wrote:
>> "Margaret Suran" <margaret@no.spam.for.me.invalid> wrote in message
>> news:dido640m16@news2.newsguy.com...
>>
>>> "Victor Sack" <azazello@koroviev.de> wrote in message
>>> news:1h45413.57ogcouz9v5sN%azazello@koroviev.de...
>>>
>>>
>>>>Depends on where you are located. It seems you are posting from the
>>>>Philippines... is this also your physical location? Maybe someone from
>>>>the Philippines can help? Here in Germany, clarified butter is sold in
>>>>every supermarket.
>>>
>>>
>>>Bubba, since I saw this post I have looked for clarified butter in all
>>>neighborhood groceries, supermarket, gourmet markets and any place else I
>>>could think of. There is none to be had. With shelf and chiller space
>>>as precious as it is here, nobody wants to waste any on something that is
>>>seldom requested.
>>>
>>>Some of the stores had it at some time, but when the clarified butter
>>>didn't move fast enough, it was not reordered.
>>>
>>>Actually, I checked in four places, but they are the ones most likely to
>>>carry something like this. For example, they all carry Creme Fraiche and
>>>Demi Glace.
>>>
>>>In the German stores, in which department can one find the clarified
>>>butter? Is it expensive, compared to regular butter? Is it used
>>>frequently by the average person who does the cooking?
>>>
>>
>> Repeating myself, I found ghee in Whole Foods, Vienna, VA -- or
>> Washington, D.C.
>> Dee Dee
> Dee Dee, I did not see your post. I do not get all posts, but I find most
> of them repeated as quotations in other posts of the same thread.
>
> I do not have a Whole Food Market near me. The next time I go to one, I
> will certainly look for it. In which department was the clarified butter?
> Both Whole Food Market to which I have been, are HUGE establishments.
>
> Thank you, M
As I recall, it was in the aisles around the jarred honey; perhaps the
baking department, or the aisle where I buy the vegetable broths.
Yes, when I go to Whole Foods (too far away to go often) I remind myself of
a man and woman who were in line in front of me at Walmart around Christmas
time last year checking out all sorts of staples. They turned around and
grinned and said "thank heavens they wouldn't have to come back until
Spring.
Then when I come home from Whole Foods, I spread out all my goodies and
spend the next couple of days enjoying putting them in their proper places.
Dee Dee
|
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| Dog3 |
Margaret Suran <margaret@no.spam.for.me.invalid> wrote in
news:dido640m16@news2.newsguy.com:
>
> "Victor Sack" <azazello@koroviev.de> wrote in message
> news:1h45413.57ogcouz9v5sN%azazello@koroviev.de...
>
>>
>> Depends on where you are located. It seems you are posting from the
>> Philippines... is this also your physical location? Maybe someone from
>> the Philippines can help? Here in Germany, clarified butter is sold in
>> every supermarket.
>
>
> Bubba, since I saw this post I have looked for clarified butter in all
> neighborhood groceries, supermarket, gourmet markets and any place
> else I could think of. There is none to be had. With shelf and
> chiller space as precious as it is here, nobody wants to waste any on
> something that is seldom requested.
>
> Some of the stores had it at some time, but when the clarified butter
> didn't move fast enough, it was not reordered.
>
> Actually, I checked in four places, but they are the ones most likely
> to carry something like this. For example, they all carry Creme
> Fraiche and Demi Glace.
>
> In the German stores, in which department can one find the clarified
> butter? Is it expensive, compared to regular butter? Is it used
> frequently by the average person who does the cooking?
Every now and then I come across it at Straub's here in St. Louis. I
usually just make it myself. My friend and ex-neighbor, Lynn Smith (may
she RIP) owned several restaurants over the years and showed me how to make
it. It's pretty easy to make and of course I had bread available for
dunking during the cooking process ;)
Michael
--
Send email to dog30 at charter dot net
|
|
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| Victor Sack |
Margaret Suran <margaret@no.spam.for.me.invalid> wrote:
> "Victor Sack" <azazello@koroviev.de> wrote
>
> > Depends on where you are located. It seems you are posting from the
> > Philippines... is this also your physical location? Maybe someone from
> > the Philippines can help? Here in Germany, clarified butter is sold in
> > every supermarket.
>
> Bubba, since I saw this post I have looked for clarified butter in all
> neighborhood groceries, supermarket, gourmet markets and any place
> else I could think of. There is none to be had. With shelf and
> chiller space as precious as it is here, nobody wants to waste any on
> something that is seldom requested.
It is a pity. I find clarified butter to be most useful - I like to use
it for frying and prefer it to most oils for generic, i.e. not ethnic
(where something definite in the fat department is required) frying. It
is wonderful - hardly any smoke at usual frying temperatures.
It looks like Caviar Russe (which seems to be both a restaurant and a
shop) sells clarified butter. They are about ten minutes by bus, plus a
few more by foot from you, namely at Madison Ave. between 54th and 55th
St. See <http://caviarrusse.com/caviar-accompaniments.html>.
Odell's brand of clarified butter appears to be available online, at
extortionate prices. See <http://www.ilovebutter.com/clarified.html>
and <http://www.farawayfoods.com/clarified.html>.
Ghee, which, depending on the recipe, can be just as appropriate, can be
found in most any Indian grocery, I'm sure.
> In the German stores, in which department can one find the clarified
> butter?
Right next to the regular butter, refrigerated. Usually it is the
ubiquitous around here Butaris brand. Even though Butterschmalz, as it
is called in German, is sold refrigerated, it can be kept at room
temperature for weeks. Yet, even when refrigerated, this brand, at
least, doesn't become much harder than regular butter, even though it
contains no additions of any kind.
> Is it expensive, compared to regular butter? Is it used
> frequently by the average person who does the cooking?
I don't remember the exact prices, but it is definitely more expensive
than the run-of-the-mill brands of regular butter, though not by all
that much in absolute terms. It certainly is not a luxury product. It
is very popular indeed, even among "average persons who do the cooking".
:-)
Bubba
|
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| Pierre Jelenc |
Dan Logcher <dlogcher*xspam*@comcast.net> writes:
> MasterChef wrote:
> > Clarifying your own butter is a painless process, you just have to do a
> > lot of it at a time (say, 4-pounds or so). Place it in a pot and bring
> > it to a slow simmer. Skim off the surface skum and basically, forget
> > about it. Within about 2-hours or so, it will be crystal clear. It can
> > then be stored in a clean container with a tight lid, and refrigerator
> > (more or less) forever.
>
> Forever? No chance of it going rancid?
I don't know about clarified butter, but in the days when I still used
butter I routinely made ghee and kept it in a jar at room temperature for
weeks without any problem. (Ghee is cooked until milk solids start to
caramelize, and thus contains no trace of water, while clarified butter
still contails some moisture.)
Pierre
--
Pierre Jelenc | New on Home Office Records: Ethan Lipton
| www.homeofficerecords.com www.ethanlipton.com
The Gigometer | Pepper Of The Earth: the HO blog
www.gigometer.com | www.homeofficerecords.com/blog
|
|
|
| Bob (this one) |
Pierre Jelenc wrote:
> Dan Logcher <dlogcher*xspam*@comcast.net> writes:
>
>>MasterChef wrote:
>>
>>>Clarifying your own butter is a painless process, you just have to do a
>>>lot of it at a time (say, 4-pounds or so). Place it in a pot and bring
>>>it to a slow simmer. Skim off the surface skum and basically, forget
>>>about it. Within about 2-hours or so, it will be crystal clear. It can
>>>then be stored in a clean container with a tight lid, and refrigerator
>>>(more or less) forever.
>>
>>Forever? No chance of it going rancid?
>
>
> I don't know about clarified butter, but in the days when I still used
> butter I routinely made ghee and kept it in a jar at room temperature for
> weeks without any problem. (Ghee is cooked until milk solids start to
> caramelize, and thus contains no trace of water, while clarified butter
> still contails some moisture.)
Clarified butter has no moisture. It's pure milkfat. Water and milk
solids precipitate out and are left behind when the fat is poured off.
Pastorio
|
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| Petra Hildebrandt |
Victor Sack wrote
>> In the German stores, in which department can one find the clarified
>> butter?
>
> Right next to the regular butter, refrigerated. Usually it is the
> ubiquitous around here Butaris brand. Even though Butterschmalz, as it
> is called in German, is sold refrigerated, it can be kept at room
> temperature for weeks. Yet, even when refrigerated, this brand, at
> least, doesn't become much harder than regular butter, even though it
> contains no additions of any kind.
even the discount stores like Aldi have butterschmalz, a lot cheaper than
Butaris.
>> Is it expensive, compared to regular butter? Is it used
>> frequently by the average person who does the cooking?
>
> I don't remember the exact prices, but it is definitely more expensive
> than the run-of-the-mill brands of regular butter, though not by all
> that much in absolute terms. It certainly is not a luxury product. It
> is very popular indeed, even among "average persons who do the cooking".
> :-)
While butterschmalz isn't as cheap as butter, a little goes a long way, so
it is rather economical. In Hamburg, donuts (and other goodies) fried in
butterschmalz are a traditional fair food. (Schmalzgebaeck).
In professional bakeries, clarified butter is used for almost anything
"butter" (with the exception of christms stollen, which has to contain
real butter by law)
Petra in Hamburg, Germany
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| Sheldon |
Arri London wrote:
> dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com wrote:
> >
> > As I understand it, clarifying butter is a quasi-distilling process,
> > akin to petroleum refining, which renders out the fat from the milk
> > solids.
>
> Hardly akin. Strange thing to say.
> >
> > I'm sure many people enjoy that tedious process, but all I see is
> > sloppy product standardization!
>
> Yes it's *really* tedious to make clarified butter.
I suppose by "tedious" you mean boring, which it is because it couldn't
be simpler, practically makes itself... melt unsalted butter in a
microwave oven, cooking it until the milk solids settle to the bottom
and the fat floats upon the water. Then simply pour off the butter fat
discarding the milk solids and water. A better (cleaner) product will
ensue when cooked slowly, do not use full power (with clarified/drawn
butter you do not want to risk browning the solids). Restaurants,
those that even bother to make clarified butter (most just serve melted
butter) keep a large pot of clarified butter over very low heat,
ladling out portions as needed and adding more butter as needed, no
pouring off... a slow cooker works.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/rec...6_12849,00.html
Sheldon
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| Margaret Suran |
Petra Hildebrandt wrote:
> Victor Sack wrote
>
>
>
>>>In the German stores, in which department can one find the clarified
>>>butter?
>>
>>Right next to the regular butter, refrigerated. Usually it is the
>>ubiquitous around here Butaris brand. Even though Butterschmalz, as it
>>is called in German, is sold refrigerated, it can be kept at room
>>temperature for weeks. Yet, even when refrigerated, this brand, at
>>least, doesn't become much harder than regular butter, even though it
>>contains no additions of any kind.
>
>
> even the discount stores like Aldi have butterschmalz, a lot cheaper than
> Butaris.
>
>
>>> Is it expensive, compared to regular butter? Is it used
>>>frequently by the average person who does the cooking?
>>
>>I don't remember the exact prices, but it is definitely more expensive
>>than the run-of-the-mill brands of regular butter, though not by all
>>that much in absolute terms. It certainly is not a luxury product. It
>>is very popular indeed, even among "average persons who do the cooking".
>>:-)
>
>
> While butterschmalz isn't as cheap as butter, a little goes a long way, so
> it is rather economical. In Hamburg, donuts (and other goodies) fried in
> butterschmalz are a traditional fair food. (Schmalzgebaeck).
>
> In professional bakeries, clarified butter is used for almost anything
> "butter" (with the exception of christms stollen, which has to contain
> real butter by law)
>
> Petra in Hamburg, Germany
>
I wonder whether professional bakers in other countries use it, too.
I know that for example in Austria and France butter is used for
baking, but couldn't it be clarified butter? I suppose that few
people would be interested to know. As for "Schmalzgebaeck", I have
never heard this expression and I never encountered a real doughnut
until I came to the USA. We did have Faschingskrapfen in Vienna,
jelly doughnuts, but I do not remember any other fried sweets.
MS
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| Peter Aitken |
"Margaret Suran" <margaret@no.spam.for.me.invalid> wrote in message
news:digvi101lpd@news2.newsguy.com...
>
>
> Victor Sack wrote:
>> Margaret Suran <margaret@no.spam.for.me.invalid> wrote:
>
>>>
>>> Bubba, since I saw this post I have looked for clarified butter
>>> in all neighborhood groceries, supermarket, gourmet markets and
>>> any place else I could think of. There is none to be had. With
>>> shelf and chiller space as precious as it is here, nobody wants
>>> to waste any on something that is seldom requested.
>>
>> It is a pity. I find clarified butter to be most useful - I like
>> to use it for frying and prefer it to most oils for generic, i.e.
>> not ethnic (where something definite in the fat department is
>> required) frying. It is wonderful - hardly any smoke at usual
>> frying temperatures.
>>
>> It looks like Caviar Russe (which seems to be both a restaurant and
>> a shop) sells clarified butter. They are about ten minutes by bus,
>> plus a few more by foot from you, namely at Madison Ave. between
>> 54th and 55th St. See
>> <http://caviarrusse.com/caviar-accompaniments.html>.
>
> Thank you for the information. I doubt that I will ever take
> advantage of this, because it just would not pay. Walking back and
> forth would involve a "hike" of fifty city blocks and taking two buses
> each way would not only add $2,00 to the price of the clarified butter, it
> would also kill at least half a day.
>
>> Odell's brand of clarified butter appears to be available online,
>> at extortionate prices. See
>> <http://www.ilovebutter.com/clarified.html> and
>> <http://www.farawayfoods.com/clarified.html>.
>
> I will not be cooking anything that requires clarified butter in the
> near future, if ever. I know that I have used it in the past, but I
> don't remember for what or how I got some.
It is so easy to make - why buy? Slowly melt butter without stirring and
then pour off the clear liquid and discard the milky solids.
--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm
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| Victor Sack |
Margaret Suran <margaret@no.spam.for.me.invalid> wrote:
> Thank you for the information. I doubt that I will ever take
> advantage of this, because it just would not pay. Walking back and
> forth would involve a "hike" of fifty city blocks and taking two buses
> each way would not only add $2,00 to the price of the clarified
> butter, it would also kill at least half a day.
Don't you have an unlimited pass? You gave us two such, good for a week
last year.
> I will not be cooking anything that requires clarified butter in the
> near future, if ever. I know that I have used it in the past, but I
> don't remember for what or how I got some.
You never fry anything? It is good, even preferable, for any food you
are likely to fry.
Clarified butter is very easy to make indeed and it is just as easy to
make in large quantities. Since it keeps for a long time, even without
refrigeration, it would indeed make sense to prepare a large quantity.
> When I first saw the word "Butterschmalz", it struck me as one of the
> most ridiculous ones I have encountered in a long time. I thought it
> was an oxymoron, as to my knowledge, Butter and Schmalz are direct
> opposites. At least they are in my mind.
Why? Schmalz is any rendered animal fat. Butter is animal fat and, in
order to make it clarified, it has to be rendered.
> What is the German
> expression for Oxymoron, "Widerspruch"?
Ja, "Widerspruch in sich".
> While there are many, many Indian restaurants where I live, there is
> not one single Indian grocery. There are some in Manhattan and in
> other boroughs, but only where there is a large Indian and Pakistani
> population. I do not do any Indian cooking; what else can one cook
> with Ghee? Wiener Schnitzel? :o)
Yes, why not? With Wiener Schnitzel, you likely wouldn't even notice
much the extra "nutty" taste of the butter. As I said, with most
anything you are likely to fry (judging by what you've been telling me
about the food you like), the difference between clarified butter and
ghee wouldn't matter all that much.
Bubba
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| dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com |
> >>>Clarifying your own butter is a painless process
so is extracting the oil from olives, but no one derides folks who
prefer to just buy the oil in a bottle.
> Clarified butter has no moisture. It's pure milkfat.
correct.
> Water and milk
> solids precipitate out
no, they are left behind when the butter is separated by thermal
means. Chemists would not call the mikfat/water a "precipitate".
The process is a quasi-distilling process of a lipid, so it **is**
akin to petroleum refining, with the granted caveat that petroleum can
be further processed by true chemical means.
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| Walter |
Just buy this. Easy, clean. Problema resuelto
http://www.purityfarms.com/
w
"OmManiPadmeOmelet" <Omelet@brokenegz.com> wrote in message
news:Omelet-FEFAAA.13381709102005@corp.supernews.com...
> In article <43495dbd$0$573$b45e6eb0@senator-bedfellow.mit.edu>,
> Dan Logcher <dlogcher*xspam*@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> > Dick Margulis wrote:
> > > Dan Logcher wrote:
> > >
> > >> MasterChef wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> Clarifying your own butter is a painless process, you just have to
do a
> > >>> lot of it at a time (say, 4-pounds or so). Place it in a pot and
bring
> > >>> it to a slow simmer. Skim off the surface skum and basically, forget
> > >>> about it. Within about 2-hours or so, it will be crystal clear. It
can
> > >>> then be stored in a clean container with a tight lid, and
refrigerator
> > >>> (more or less) forever.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Forever? No chance of it going rancid?
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > > Dan,
> > >
> > > First, he did qualify his "forever" with "more or less"; so cut him
some
> > > slack. But think about it. Rancidity is caused by oxidation, with
> > > temperature a significant factor. If you have a lot of surface area
(as
> > > when you grind whole wheat and smear the wheat germ oil in a thin film
> > > over lots of particles that have air between them) and store the food
at
> > > room temperature, rancidity is an issue. If you have a tiny bit of
> > > surface area relative to the volume (as in the case MasterChef
> > > describes) and keep the fat cold and well sealed, rancidity is really
> > > not much of an issue. That said, I wouldn't recommend doing four
pounds
> > > at a time unless you planned to begin using it on a regular basis. A
> > > year might be pushing the limit of "more or less forever" in the
fridge.
> > > Even at that, I'd suggest pressing a layer of plastic wrap tight
> > > against the surface after each use. For longer storage, I'd suggest
> > > wrapping blocks of the clarified butter tightly in plastic, then
> > > double-bagging it and freezing it.
> >
> > So wait, forever suddenly became a year for you? That's what I was
> > getting at. Forever seems a bit long of an expression for something
> > like this. I would say months, or years.
> >
> > Speaking of years. I was going thru my deep freezer and found a
> > chipotle pork loin that I bought from BJ's over three years ago.
> > It looks in perfect condition, exactally as it was when frozen and
> > stored away. Think its ok to eat?
>
> It would be safe, and probably taste ok as long as it's not
> freezerburned.
> --
> Om.
>
> "My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack
Nicholson
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| Dee Randall |
>> > Speaking of years. I was going thru my deep freezer and found a
>> > chipotle pork loin that I bought from BJ's over three years ago.
>> > It looks in perfect condition, exactally as it was when frozen and
>> > stored away.
Now, that's DEEP. I've often wondered why they call them "deep freezers."
Now I know.
Dee Dee
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| Dan Logcher |
Dee Randall wrote:
>>>>Speaking of years. I was going thru my deep freezer and found a
>>>>chipotle pork loin that I bought from BJ's over three years ago.
>>>>It looks in perfect condition, exactally as it was when frozen and
>>>>stored away.
>
>
> Now, that's DEEP. I've often wondered why they call them "deep freezers."
> Now I know.
Yeah, I've filled that thing with frozen good over the last three years.
I'm finally empting it out so I can defrost the ice dams.
--
Dan
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| Dee Randall |
"Dan Logcher" <dlogcher*xspam*@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:434e503a$0$559$b45e6eb0@senator-bedfellow.mit.edu...
> Dee Randall wrote:
>
>>>>>Speaking of years. I was going thru my deep freezer and found a
>>>>>chipotle pork loin that I bought from BJ's over three years ago.
>>>>>It looks in perfect condition, exactally as it was when frozen and
>>>>>stored away.
>>
>>
>> Now, that's DEEP. I've often wondered why they call them "deep
>> freezers."
>> Now I know.
>
> Yeah, I've filled that thing with frozen good over the last three years.
> I'm finally empting it out so I can defrost the ice dams.
>
> --
> Dan
I had a 31' Sears freezer long ago, and I used it about a year. Also, I
just couldn't get enough food in it. A half-beef was not an option at that
time. Now that I have a side-by-side freezer on my refrigerator, I never
seem to have enough room. Always a problem. I had a small floor (deep?)
freezer in the early 60's for a beef, and I was always rummaging thru that
thing, plus there was no defrost. I can't remember the defrosting capability
of the 31' Sears one. Do they have automatic defrost on 'deep' freezers
now?
Dee Dee
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| Jeremy |
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking,ba.food,nyc.food,ne.food,uk.food+drink.misc
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Dee Randall wrote:
>
>
> I had a 31' Sears freezer long ago, and I used it about a year. Also, I
> just couldn't get enough food in it. A half-beef was not an option at that
> time. Now that I have a side-by-side freezer on my refrigerator, I never
> seem to have enough room. Always a problem. I had a small floor (deep?)
> freezer in the early 60's for a beef, and I was always rummaging thru that
> thing, plus there was no defrost. I can't remember the defrosting capability
> of the 31' Sears one. Do they have automatic defrost on 'deep' freezers
> now?
> Dee Dee
The last thing you want on a good freezer is a defrost as it constantly
raises the temperature to just above freezing.
JJ
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| Dick Margulis |
Dee Randall wrote:
> "Dan Logcher" <dlogcher*xspam*@comcast.net> wrote in message
>>
>>Yeah, I've filled that thing with frozen good over the last three years.
>>I'm finally empting it out so I can defrost the ice dams.
>>
>>--
>>Dan
>
>
> I had a 31' Sears freezer long ago, and I used it about a year. Also, I
> just couldn't get enough food in it. A half-beef was not an option at that
> time. Now that I have a side-by-side freezer on my refrigerator, I never
> seem to have enough room. Always a problem. I had a small floor (deep?)
> freezer in the early 60's for a beef, and I was always rummaging thru that
> thing, plus there was no defrost. I can't remember the defrosting capability
> of the 31' Sears one. Do they have automatic defrost on 'deep' freezers
> now?
> Dee Dee
>
>
Dee Dee,
What newsgroup are you reading? I only ask because I was going to trim
the cross-posts, but then I thought that might cut you out. Dan and I
are on ne.food.
I've used but not owned horizontal chest freezers. I don't know if
modern ones are self-defrosting. However, when I purchased a vertical
freezer I had the choice of defrosting and non-defrosting. When I looked
at the long-term energy costs and the problem of drying out food stored
for long periods, I went with the non-defrosting. It was a chore to
deice it manually once or twice a year, but if I had something more
unpleasant that I wanted to procrastinate about (repairing the tiller or
mucking out the spring box, for example), it was a good way to kill a
couple of hours.
Here are the tradeoffs between chest freezers and uprights:
The chest freezer doesn't spill cold air into the room when you open it.
So, in theory anyway, it's more energy-efficient. However, against that
advantage, you have a number of disadvantages. First, there's your back.
Second, there's all the digging to the bottom to remember what's buried
down there. Third, it's a good place to put food that's already frozen,
but it's not very good at freezing warm food quickly.
With the upright, you do spill cold air every time you open the door
(and there's a hazard that, if you overfill it or something slides down
and forward, the door will stand slightly ajar for quite a while before
you notice--hence the advisability of using the door lock that's
provided. On the plus side, several or all of the wire shelves have
refrigerant coils under them. So you can actively freeze stuff quickly
(important if you're freezing veggies from the garden, not so important
if you buy your food already frozen). The shelves also make it fairly
easy to organize stuff and see what you've got. Finally, it takes a lot
less floor space than a chest freezer of similar capacity.
In the end, you pays yer money and you takes yer cherce; but I prefer
the upright design.
As for defrosting, Dan, you don't have to eat all the food in order to
defrost it. Just move the stuff out into a bunch of cardboard boxes
while you work and return it when you're done. Stuff doesn't thaw
instantly; and a little softening around the edges isn't going to affect
the quality significantly, if at all, as long as the food doesn't
completely thaw to above 40 F.
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| Dee Randall |
"Jeremy" <jeremy@dcnet2000.com> wrote in message
news:434E7687.3BB53B81@dcnet2000.com...
>
>
> Dee Randall wrote:
>>
>>
>> I had a 31' Sears freezer long ago, and I used it about a year. Also, I
>> just couldn't get enough food in it. A half-beef was not an option at
>> that
>> time. Now that I have a side-by-side freezer on my refrigerator, I never
>> seem to have enough room. Always a problem. I had a small floor (deep?)
>> freezer in the early 60's for a beef, and I was always rummaging thru
>> that
>> thing, plus there was no defrost. I can't remember the defrosting
>> capability
>> of the 31' Sears one. Do they have automatic defrost on 'deep' freezers
>> now?
>> Dee Dee
>
> The last thing you want on a good freezer is a defrost as it constantly
> raises the temperature to just above freezing.
>
> JJ
Duh! I've really low on the food chain not to know that.
Just how good can it be for that turkey that my in-laws had in the upper
freezer of a refrigerator for three years? How can anyone eat meat that has
been semi-thawed numerous times and still live?
Dee Dee
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