make your own dairy Archives - Authentic Simplicity

Make Your Own Dairy - Ghee

September 10, 2012 By Anne Simpson

One of my resolutions this year was to make more of my own dairy products: cheese, butter, sour cream, and the like. And while I’ve actually conquered quite a few of the items on my list, so far, I’ve only shared Sour Cream and Homemade Yogurt with you here. It’s about time to make another item on my list, so today I will show you how to make ghee.

What’s Ghee?

Ghee is butter that has been boiled down to remove the milk solids, leaving behind only the fat. It has a caramel-esque flavor that, if possible, improves upon the amazingness that butter already is.

What Do You Do With Ghee?

Anything that you would do with butter! It’s particularly useful for frying because it has a higher smoke point than butter does. I have used it instead of straight butter in some baking recipes, too, but because it’s pure fat (all the sugars and water have been cooked out), it can be a little more greasy, so you do have to make some adjustments when baking.

Why Ghee?

For one thing, the amazing flavor. It just can’t be beat, and you don’t know what I’m talking about until you’ve actually tasted it. Yum!

For another, it lasts a really long time. If you’ve made it successfully, it should last indefinitely in the fridge and for several months (at least) room temperature.

As you can see, it is extremely stable, which is the most desirable quality when it comes to fats. Unstable fats = free radicals = disease. Always choose stable (saturated) fats.

Ghee is often tolerated by those intolerant to lactose - but test it carefully first! Don’t make any assumptions. Also, some people with dairy allergies can tolerate ghee. (Not my Certain Little Someone, sadly. We tried it.)

Ghee is digested more readily than butter, making its nutrients more readily available to the body. Like other saturated fats, it also aids the body in the absorption of vitamins and minerals from foods eaten together with it.

In traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine, ghee is said to be useful for maintaining healthy skin and eyes, and is good for enhancing memory and brain function. (Gimme some more of that stuff!!)

Why Make Your Own Ghee?

If you’ve ever priced ghee in the store, the answer to this question is quite obvious. For example, at Amazon.com, Purity Farms 13-oz container of ghee is $8.31 right now. I could make that same amount myself with farm-fresh butter for less than $5 (Right now, I could make it for $3.50, the sale price of butter at my local farm.).

And it is brain-dead easy. Seriously.

Don’t believe me? Here’s the short version of the instructions:

Melt butter. Simmer it. Simmer more. A little more. OK, done.

Oh, you need a little more than that? All right, here ya go:

How to Make Ghee

Chop unsalted butter into cubes and place in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat.

Melt the butter over low heat. Don't stir.

Simmer the butter over low heat. No need to stir. Just keep an eye on it.

Keep simmering the butter on low heat. Don't stir. Don't raise the heat. Just keep simmering.

The foam that develops on the surface is the water cooking out of the butter. The milk solids should be settling on the bottom of the pot. In between the two is the rich golden ghee.

Very gently, so as not to disturb the milk solids on the bottom of the pan, skim the foam off the top.

When the liquid under the foam is a nice golden color and smells like popcorn, the ghee is done. Let it cool slightly, then pour it through a mesh strainer lined with cloth or paper towels into a bowl. Be sure no particles are left in the liquid.

And that’s ghee! Told ya it was easy. The hardest part is discerning when it’s finally done, but honestly, if you err on the side of caution it will be fine. It might not last quite as long or be quite as “pure”, but it’s still butter and it will still taste good. However, if you let it go too long, it will definitely burn, so you don’t want that to happen. Hence the reminder to keep the heat on low! The whole process should take about half an hour or so, more if you’re making a larger batch.

You can make as little or as much as you want. I’ve made as little as 1/2 a pound of butter, and as much as 2 lbs. and both were fine. Clearly, you’ll have to watch a smaller batch even more carefully so as not to burn it.

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3 Comments Filed Under: Basics, Home, Knowledge, On My Mind, On The Table Tagged With: make your own dairy

Getting Cultured: Sour Cream/Creme Fraiche

March 29, 2012 By Anne Simpson

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Earlier this week, I mentioned how adding cultured foods to your diet helps reduce PMS symptoms. That’s not the only benefit of cultured foods - those cultures help keep a balance of good vs. bad bacteria in your gut, which affects the health of your entire body.

As I mentioned earlier this year, one of my new year’s goals was to learn how to make my own dairy products. Sour Cream and Creme Fraiche were on the list and I was eager to try them both.

I will admit, though: I have no idea what the difference is between them. Frankly? I think they are the same thing just in different languages and slightly different terminology. I have read countless definitions explaining both of them, and to me they sound the same, even when the definitions are trying to explain the differences between them. So if you can help me out here, please do!

Several sites I read actually said that creme fraiche is better for cooking than sour cream because sour cream will break down under direct heat, which confuses me because…. like I said, they sound like the same thing to me! I am thinking that store-bought sour cream will break down because of the additives in it, but that creme fraiche doesn’t have the same additives. I’m not 100% positive, though, because I’ve never bought creme fraiche or even looked at the ingredients.

But I can tell you this: sour cream/creme fraiche is easy to make. SO easy you will wonder why you ever bought it. And it is so delicious, too. I hadn’t bought sour cream in a couple years because it was just one more unnecessary thing on my grocery list, but since I’ve started making it, oh my! I’ve sort of become addicted to it, and find myself craving strawberries and {sour} cream. Yum yum!

Seriously. Do yourself a favor and stop buying those overpriced tubs of additive-filled sour cream, and try making it just once. You will be changed forever. I promise.

Some people use buttermilk to make their sour cream, and some people use yogurt. I think buttermilk is probably more traditional and authentic, but I tried both methods, and they both worked well. The yogurt-based sour cream was considerably thicker than the buttermilk-based sour cream, and didn’t have quite the same tangy flavor. But both were delicious and I would use either one (depending on the ingredients I had available) interchangeably. Just be sure that if you use buttermilk, that it’s cultured buttermilk. I’ve only ever seen cultured buttermilk in the stores, so I don’t know if un-cultured buttermilk is even available in stores. But if you make your own butter, you can’t use the resulting buttermilk to make sour cream, because it doesn’t have the necessary cultures.

Recipe: Homemade Sour Cream/Creme Fraiche

Ingredients

1-2 TBSP cultured buttermilk
1 cup cream

Instructions

Place the buttermilk in the bottom of a small jar. Pour in the cream, and screw the lid on tight. Shake the jar, and set it in a warm place for 24-36 hours. It should thicken and develop a slightly tangy smell and taste. Refrigerate.

As I mentioned, one of my favorite things to do with this new delectable treat is strawberries and cream: I just mix a little raw honey with the cultured cream and dip strawberries in it (Hush! I know strawberries aren’t in season yet. Whatever. They’re cheap right now and I love ’em!). Delish!

You can use it as a topping for soups or casseroles, or you can use it in your baking and cooking. I made an amazingly delicious ranch dressing with it the other day… yummmm!

It’s not QUICK in the sense that it’s not ready instantly. You do have to let it culture for a couple days. But the hands on time is literally 30 seconds or less.

It is so EASY even a child could do it. Seriously, making a weekly supply of sour cream could be a child’s chore!

I haven’t compared the cost of sour cream vs cream and buttermilk, but since I regularly buy cream and never use it all before it goes bad, it’s definitely CHEAPer for me!

Most brands of sour cream have additives of one kind or another, so it’s definitely HEALTHY-er to make your own. Just buttermilk and cream!

Have you ever tried making your own sour cream? Or creme fraiche? Or whatever it is?

Sharing at Homestead Barn Hop, and…

9 Comments Filed Under: Basics, Home, Knowledge Tagged With: creme fraiche, make your own dairy, sour cream

Super Simple Yogurt {with a Machine}

February 23, 2012 By Anne Simpson

Let’s set the background here: 3 years ago, I didn’t even know you could make yogurt at home. I know - dumb, right? I was totally clueless! Then I heard somebody mention making their own yogurt and I thought, “Hey! That’s cool! How do you do that?” So I started googling “make your own yogurt”, and came across a bunch of different blog posts with tutorials involving crock pots, thermometers, towels and lengthy instructions.

Um. No thank you. (Quick and Easy, remember?)

The whole thing just seemed so complicated, despite the fact that everybody said, “Oh, it’s so easy!” Okay. I’m very sorry, but I don’t believe you. Because I have found a very simple way to make yogurt, and it really is easy. Very easy.

It involves a yogurt machine, which, oddly enough, breaks all my rules about single-purpose appliances that take up space on my counter-top. I prefer all my appliances to fit neatly in my cupboard, and I also prefer them to work hard (so I don’t have to) and be skilled at multiple tasks. I make an exception for Mr. Yogurt Machine. Yes, it is totally worth it. I wouldn’t make exceptions for any other appliance but my dear friend, the yogurt maker.

My particular yogurt machine is this EuroCuisine, which I purchased on Amazon.com for about $25. Unfortunately, the price has risen since then, and the cheapest I could find was this one for $28.90. Another brand is “Deni”, and they have better prices - $20.82 for a yogurt machine similar to the Euro Cuisine . I personally have no experience with that brand, so I can’t comment on the quality, but I will say that they are rated almost as high as the Euro Cuisine by users.

Another option is a quart yogurt maker, which uses one large quart size container instead of small jars. Those tend to be more expensive, starting around $50. Here’s one by YoGourmet for $49.95.

So what’s the point of having a yogurt machine, you ask? This: it regulates the temperature of the incubating milk so you don’t have to. No fooling with different kinds of insulation - towels, crock pots, coolers, etc - to make sure the proper temperature is maintained. No need to check the temp with a thermometer. Just pour the yogurt mixture into the jars, place the lid on top, and set it going for at least 12 hours. Your job is done, and the machine does the rest!

I definitely recommend using whole milk to make your own yogurt, for lots of reasons, but at least because it will create a much better texture in the final product.

I typically use plain yogurt (usually Dannon brand) as my starter, but you can purchase starters from Cultures for Health. Typically, once you’ve made a batch of yogurt, you can use some of your own homemade yogurt as a starter for the next batch. After a few batches, you’ll want to start with a new starter again.

Easy Machine Yogurt

Ingredients

4 cups whole milk
2-3 TBSP plain yogurt

Instructions

Heat the milk in a saucepan just until it starts to bubble around the edges. Remove from heat, and cool until it is no longer steaming (if you have a thermometer, the temperature should be 100-110F.)
Pour about a cup of the heated milk into a separate container. Stir in the yogurt until it’s blended in. Stir the yogurt-milk mixture into the rest of the milk. Pour into machine containers, and place them (without their caps) into the machine. Cover with the lid and start machine.
Remove the yogurt from the machine 12-18 hours later.

The actual yogurt prep is quite QUICK, although yogurt definitely takes time.

It’s definitely EASY. No question about that.

I also believe it is CHEAP, or I wouldn’t do it this way. The machine will pay for itself in a matter of months in your savings on store-bought yogurt. I’ve had mine for several years now, so it’s more than paid for itself, especially since I often use it to make non-dairy yogurts that are considerably pricy.

Making your own yogurt is very HEALTHY, and worth it for sure. Even the best store-bought yogurt has unnecessary additives and usually sweetener, too.