Clarifing Butter

[goodgiver]

The other day I tried clarifing butter for the first time, butI did something wrong. After I had strained it it had the color of dark sand, also the pan that I did it in had some dark brown stuff stuck to the bottom. Did I do it to long?

 

[pdswife]

I think maybe, the heat was too high and you cooked it for too long.

 

[auntdot]

Good, I agree with pdswife, sounds like the heat may have been a tad high.

I'm sure there is a faster way the pros do it, but here is what I do.

Cut the butter into chunks.

Toss into saucepan.

Put on medium heat (err on the cooler side here).

Wait until everything is melted and you are left with a golden mixture of butterfat with some scum on the surface and solids on the bottom.

Skim off the scum on top and pour off the clear fat.

Butter is an emulsion of fat and water with some solid bits tossed in.

The heating breaks the emulsion, you then let the water (which is not all that much) boil away, and get the pure butterfat.

Or some folks do it in the nuker, and that works too.

Good luck.

 

[FryBoy]

I usually melt butter in the microwave. It's easier to watch, and when you push the stop button, the heat is off. I would think you could use it to melt the butter for clarification, too.

 

[cjs]

and be sure to keep the solids from the bottom in another container - use them in anything you'd like a little butter flavor added.

I also do mine on the stove over a med - med-low heat - skimming as I go along.

 

[Steve A]

At work I do POUNDS of butter at a time. I put the butter in a pan, set the pan on my grill which is on pilot light only. I go about the rest of my prep and by the time I need the melted (clarified) butter, it's ready for me.

CJS was right about saving the 'butter solids.' Personally, I find that to be the BEST part of the stuff. LOL

Ciao,