Learning how to make clarified butter at home couldn't be easier. With an extended shelf life clarified butter makes an ideal cooking fat, and is used in many from scratch recipes.
Placing the butter in a deep sauce pot or other heat proof container.
Place the pot of butter on the stove or other heat source, (such as the back of a grill,) and keep the heat on low.
Once the butter has fully melted, you'll see the butter fat start to separate, with the milk solids rising to the top and forming a foamy layer. Skim the foam off and discard them.
When fully clarified and clear, the pure butter fat is ladled out or strained through a fine mesh strainer to remove any remaining milk solids.
Store the clarified butter in glass jars in the pantry for up to 3 months, or in the fridge for up to a year.
Notes
Using a tall metal container, or a deep narrow pot when clarifying butter will make skimming the milk solids from the top easier.
If you'd like to make your own ghee keep cooking the butter over a gentle heat until the milk solids sink to the bottom and start to brown. Strain your homemade ghee through cheese cloth or carefully ladle out the fat and store it in glass jars.
Butter solids - If you've browned the milk solids to make ghee, save them! These browned milk solids can be used to add flavor to soups, mashed potatoes, vegetable dishes, or used as a topping on bread!