Help with Ghee Please

[KAYLINDA]

I have never seen or used Ghee. I have a friend in India who wants to make a pie crust. They don't have shortening, lard or Crisco....or anything like it...but they have Ghee. Would this be interchangeable with lard? Thank you!

 

[Yakuta]

Yes she can use the same quantity of ghee as you would a vegetable shortening or lard.

 

[TATTRAT]

Ghee is basicaly clarified butter. If you use it instead of lard, you will get buttery awesomeness. Gooooooooooooooo! GHEE!

 

[Jyothi]

limited varieties of shortening r available at most of the supermarkets all over the metros of India.

btw, ghee is obtained after unsalted butter is melteed over slow fire till it emits a nice aroma !! we smear ghee on rotis, put on top of rice when it is mixed with daals/curries, use to reduce the fieryness of a dish. she can use butter (white-unsalted) for making pie

 

[Lizannd]

She should just use the solid butter that she uses to make ghee.

Just make sure the butter is cold.

 

[scott123]

The ghee, being clarified, will make a flakier crust than butter will. Pure fats (crisco, lard and clarified butter) make flakier crusts.

 

[karadekoolaid]

Extraordinary stuff, ghee. You can use it in your pies and they will taste extraordinary. I make my own - unsalted butter, cooked over very low heat for about an hour. The gunge goes to the bottom ( and remains there) while the foamy surface eventually crisps and is removed with a slotted spoon.The beautifully nutty golden liquid is bottled and used to cook Indian food.

If you've never made flaky parathas with ghee, you should try them.

 

[GB]

How long can you keep ghee in the fridge?

 

[karadekoolaid]

How long can you keep ghee in the fridge?

I never keep it in the fridge. It's kept in glass jars in the cupboard. I've never noticed any deterioration, but then I use it quite a lot!

 

[KAYLINDA]

Thank you all....she said the crust turned out fine...but I want to know how she knows when she's never had "pie" before? lol. Thank you for all the information!

 

[Corinne]

How long can you keep ghee in the fridge?

Good question. I heard/read that ghee doesn't need to be refrigerated but I always feel funny about that. It just seems like it would get rancid or something being stored in a cupboard. I recently tossed a jar & bought another one because it felt too weird!

 

[black chef]

i've been using ghee for quite some time... and NO, you do NOT need to refrigerate it; it'll be quite fine in your cupboard at room temperature.

ghee adds a nice, deep, nutty flavor to your foods... and is excellent for cooking at high temps on the stovetop.

the indian/pakastani/mediterranean type stores will have ghee products, but the best-tasting i've found so far comes from purity farms.

check them out... http://www.purityfarms.com

their ghee is certified organic too.

 

[GB]

NO, you do NOT need to refrigerate it; it'll be quite fine in your cupboard at room temperature.

LOL that was not the question though. I know ghee does not need to be kept in the fridge and that it can be kept in the cupboard (I have some in mine as we speak). I was wondering how long it could be kept in the fridge if that is where you chose to keep it.

 

[black chef]

LOL that was not the question though. I know ghee does not need to be kept in the fridge and that it can be kept in the cupboard (I have some in mine as we speak). I was wondering how long it could be kept in the fridge if that is where you chose to keep it.

my purityfarms ghee, that i purchased in may 2006, has an expiration date of July 2008... and purity farms makes no recommendation over storing in the fridge or at room temp.

so... if it can remain in the cupboard until 2008, i would think that it will last at least that long (or longer) in the fridge.

one of my indian friends says that ghee does NOT go rancid... it can be kept for years on end with no worries. not that i don't trust him... i'd replace it after a while anyway.

 

[GB]

Good to know! Thanks black chef

 

[Mel!]

Ghee

Yes, Ghee would be a good substitute for lard.

A comment about Ghee
It is clarified butter. Although, unlike butter, it does not burn at high temperatures.
Available to buy, at Asian store, in the Western world.
Mel