How To Clarify Butter Video
How To Make Clarified Butter Tutorial
The easiest way to clarify butter is over a water bath or double boiler. This allows you to gently heat the butter to the boiling point (212 degrees at sea level). What happens next is the water bubbles up out of the butter and evaporates, and the whey proteins form a “foam” on top.
Eventually this foam will dehydrate and collapse, leaving you a thin skin of whey protein on top and dry casein particles on the bottom.
To finish the process, simply skim off the skin on the top and then pour off the clarified butter, being careful not pour off any of the casein which is on the bottom.
This clarified butter can then be used for searing, sauteeing, and classical sauces such as hollandaise.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Jacob that is elegant; no more standing over the pan waiting for it to burn
After butter has been clarified, does it still need to be refrigerated? Another question I have is where can I find the nutritional info for clarified butter? My wife is a stickler for that stuff. Between the milk solids being removed, and the water coming out, the info has to be changed. If you could let me know where to look, I’d appreciate it.
Keep up the great shows.
Dave
@Dman,
After the butter has been clarified, it does not need to be refrigerated. It can be treated just like any other cooking oil. This means that it should be stored in a cool dark place, away from direct light, especially sun light.
The nutritional info for clarified butter is as follows. For one ounce of clarified butter there is:
Calories: 224
Total Fat: 25 grams
Poly Unsaturated Fat: .97 grams
Monounsaturated Fat: 7 grams
Total Cholesterol: 65 milligrams
Is there any difference using salted or unsalted butter when making clarified butter? I often hear chefs say butter and I am always confused as to whether they mean salted or unsalted. Thanks.
Martin
@ Martin,
No, there’s really no difference, because salt is water soluble. When you clarify butter correctly, you are only left with the butter fat and nothing else.
With that said, I always buy and use unsalted butter because it gives me complete control over my flavor structure. When I’m experimenting with new recipes, I like to test one variable at a time. Salted butter introduces two variables; butter and salt. Unsalted butter gives you one variable, butter.
I know a lot of the words we use are Americanized French, but Bain-Marie is actually pronounced “Ban Marie” instead of bane. I’m sure you’ve encountered French people being in the culinary industry, but I know they are very critical (and judgmental) of our pronunciations of their words
I started learning French when I was about 8, but have still had a few turn their nose up at my accent even though I’ve been told I speak like a Belgian.
Is using clarified butter suitable for most people with milk allergies, since the whey and casein are removed? I have a mild milk allergy and have to use soy oil butter, which does not clarify… at all.
@ Miko,
A lot of French terms have become so Americanized that they have different pronunciations based on geographical colloquial speech. I came up through west coast kitchens, and everyone said “Baine” marie.
Also, I’ve worked for and with some French chef’s, and honestly they’re the last people to try and correct my pronunciation of words. After all, we did speak English in the kitchen, and if I corrected them every-time they said an American word with a French accent or the emphasis on the wrong syllable, it would make for a very long conversation.
Usually chef’s are happy that you know what a Baine Marie is, no matter how you pronounce it, and care more that you understand how to use it. I find that people who don’t spend a lot of time in professional kitchens are more self conscious about pronouncing culinary terms with a French accent.
To answer your question, clarified butter is fine for milk allergies because the whey and casein are what contain the lactace which is what causes an allergic reaction to milk.
Nice post. But quick question: how long will clarified butter keep? If I made a large batch, could I use it a little at a time over, say, a couple of months?
Also: you mentioned above that it can be kept at room temp. like cooking oils. If kept in the refrigerator, does it solidify?
Thanks.
@ Adam Z.,
Clarified butter will keep at least a few months in the fridge, as long as you store it in an airtight, light free, container. Light and Oxygen are the two main factors that will make any fat go rancid, so if you takes those out of the equation, the clarified butter will keep for a really long time.
And yes, it does solidify in the refrigerator. Just spoon out the clarified like you would any other solid fat, and use for searing, sauteeing or making hollandaise.
If you store it in an airtight, light free container, it will last at least a month at room temperature. That’s how I store mine at the restaurant, but I use so much of it that one batch usually only last about two weeks.
Great post! This is the most comprehensive tutorial I’ve found on making clarified butter using a double boiler. I’m going to the kitchen to make some right now!