Clarifying Butter

[mittshel]

Would someone please tell me how to clarify butter and what is the advantage of doing it? Thank you. Betsy.

 

[joesfolk]

When you clarify butter the milk solids are removed so it tends not to burn as easily.

 

[taxlady]

To clarify butter, you heat it gently until the solids separate. It's fairly easy in the microwave. You can do it on the stove top, but you have to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.

Clarified butter has a higher smoke point than butter, it stays fresh longer, and is often digestible by people who are lactose intolerant.

I have read that people use the solids as a spread on toast.

 

[Andy M.]

Butter contains fat, milk solids and water. The point of clarifying is to remove the water and milk solids so all you have left is the fat.

Melt butter on the stove. The milk solids will settle to the bottom and a foam will form on the top. Skim off the foam and let the butter cook for several minutes to boil off the water (about 20% of butter is water in the US). Watch the pot so the butter does not brown. When the water is gone, let the fat cool slightly then carefully pour off the bright yellow fat, leaving the milk solids in the pan.

 

[taxlady]

Butter contains fat, milk solids and water. The point of clarifying is to remove the water and milk solids so all you have left is the fat.

Melt butter on the stove. The milk solids will settle to the bottom and a foam will form on the top. Skim off the foam and let the butter cook for several minutes to boil off the water (about 20% of butter is water in the US). Watch the pot so the butter does not brown. When the water is gone, let the fat cool slightly then carefully pour off the bright yellow fat, leaving the milk solids in the pan.

Andy, that's a much better explanation than mine. Thank you.

 

[Midnight_Merlot]

A neat thing that I noticed when I first began to clarify butter was - as the 2 parts begin to seperate, the top, foamy-half, consisted of like, 95% SALT! I don't suppose that I have ever tried to clarify a salt-free version of butter before, but, if you have a regular 'ole stick of the stuff, &, for whatever reason you need to monitor sodium levels, well, dang it - just clarify it. Works like a charm!
Just though, in MY particular cases, I have found the top, foamy half to be pretty much garbage afterwards. It's just far TOO salty. &, ...I LIKE salt myself, but...to me - wow! It can be pretty "potent stuff"!

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

Over here you can tell the summer butter from the winter butter, the summer butter is a deeper yellow is that the same in the US?

 

[Midnight_Merlot]

Over here you can tell the summer butter from the winter butter, the summer butter is a deeper yellow is that the same in the US?

Bolas...to MY knowledge,...no - in our markets, there is absolutely NO discticton between "new" vs. "old" other than having to display a date of expiration that the US mandates on their food sales.

 

[Andy M.]

In the US, daisy cows are fed a uniform diet all year long so their milk and butter fat are a uniform color. Winter and summer butter does not mean new and old butter. Dairy cows give milk and factories make butter all year long.

 

[pacanis]

In the US, daisy cows are fed a uniform diet all year long so their milk and butter fat are a uniform color. Winter and summer butter does not mean new and old butter. Dairy cows give milk and factories make butter all year long.

I feed my chickens the same feed year round, but their yolks turn a deeper orange when grass and clover becomes a part of their diet again. Around here I see Holsteins turned out to pasture. It would stand to reason their milk would have to change from the added greens in their diet, but yet I never notice a change in the butter's color. And certainly not the milk's.
I wonder if we don't do something here in the US to keep the color the same, whereas in the UK they do things more naturally.

 

[Andy M.]

I feed my chickens the same feed year round, but their yolks turn a deeper orange when grass and clover becomes a part of their diet again. Around here I see Holsteins turned out to pasture. It would stand to reason their milk would have to change from the added greens in their diet, but yet I never notice a change in the butter's color. And certainly not the milk's.
I wonder if we don't do something here in the US to keep the color the same, whereas in the UK they do things more naturally.

I wonder if large dairy farms turn their cows out to pasture?

 

[CharlieD]

YOu can always buy some small container and try to use it to see if youlike it. Before you start making it your self.

 

[pacanis]

I wonder if large dairy farms turn their cows out to pasture?

That's a good question.
Have you seen that Land O Lakes commercial where the cows are saying they are happy, because they are turned out to pasture? So there's one big time butter producer that does. It ran a lot a year or two ago. And We've got some decent sized dairy farms around here that supply Meadowbrook, located in Erie. I'm not sure what constitutes large, but I'm talking a couple hundred head in various pastures surrounding the farm.
Hmmm, maybe they give them suplements along with hay to make up for the lack of grazing... You would just think that we, the US would have a winter and a summer butter.
But then we don't have real beer either

 

[Andy M.]

...where the cows are saying they are happy, because they are turned out to pasture?...

Cows are notorious liars. I wouldn't believe a word they say.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Cows are notorious liars. I wouldn't believe a word they say.

Very true and sneaky, too!

We always pastured my uncle's herd...but he wasn't a big producer.

 

[pacanis]

Cows are notorious liars. I wouldn't believe a word they say.

So true

 

[taxlady]

I feed my chickens the same feed year round, but their yolks turn a deeper orange when grass and clover becomes a part of their diet again. Around here I see Holsteins turned out to pasture. It would stand to reason their milk would have to change from the added greens in their diet, but yet I never notice a change in the butter's color. And certainly not the milk's.
I wonder if we don't do something here in the US to keep the color the same, whereas in the UK they do things more naturally.

Well, here in Quebec the butter ingredients usually say that it may contain carotene for colour. I guess you just add the amount that gives you the right colour.

 

[pacanis]

It seemed for a time that butter was almost white. Now I'm wondering how added coloring affects making clarified butter, if it adds to the stuff that needs skimmed.
How's that for staying OT?

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

I wonder if we don't do something here in the US to keep the color the same, whereas in the UK they do things more naturally.

Pacanis mate, I dont buy UK butter its not my taste, I use unsalted Danish Lurpak or French President and I think the answer is the cows are outside in the summer and inside in the winter. They taste the same, the best butter I have tasted is Alpine unsalted, on a fresh toasted crumpet it is so good.
Ps I only use salted butter on a chip butty.

 

[joesfolk]

Actually I have noticed a difference in color of butter but I just chalked it up to different brands. It never occurred to me to wonder if it was summer butter or winter butter. But sometimes it is almost white. Now I will try to pay more attention.