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We’re back with our latest Cooking Lesson, and today we’re going to teach you how to make Clarified Butter!
Clarified butter, sometimes also known as drawn butter, is simply milk fat that has been rendered from butter, leaving the milk solids behind. This rendered milk fat is called clarified butter and it’s used in a variety of recipes that typically involve sautéing or searing – in part because clarified butter has a higher smoke point than regular butter.
Sure – you can most likely use regular unsalted butter when cooking most of the time, but for some dishes (like our pan seared scallops recipe – coming tomorrow!) a clarified butter is recommended so that the moisture and solids don’t ruin a more delicate recipe.
Clarified butter is often used served as a side to seafood. Clarified butter can also be stored refrigerated or frozen for longer than fresh, regular butter. Additionally, according to Wikipedia, it “…has negligible amounts of lactose and casein and is, therefore, acceptable to most who have a lactose intolerance or milk allergy.”
Here’s how you make it:
Begin with 8 ounces (2 sticks) of unsalted butter. This will yield 6 ounces in the end (so a 25% loss of volume after the butter has been clarified).
In a small to medium heavy bottomed pan, over low heat, melt butter and allow it to sit slightly bubbling for 20 minutes from the time you turn the burner on. Note that the butter will splatter and pop a bit as the milk solids separate from the milk fat.
After 20 minutes remove from heat and with a small ladle or soup spoon, skim off the foam that floats to the top.
(The foam that you remove can be used to spread on your morning muffin or discarded.)
Place a fine mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth or muslin over a bowl, and slowly pour in the milk fat, trying to keep any solids that might be left in the bottom of the pan.
What you will be left with (in the bowl) will be clarified butter which can be stored and used in a variety of recipes.
Is the clarified butter stored in the fridge? How long will tie last in the fridge?
Hi Holly – We do refrigerate it ourselves, but technically, clarified butter can be left unrefrigerated since the milk solids have been removed. I wouldn’t leave it out for months at a time, but if you cook with it regularly and use it up within a week or two, it will probably be fine to leave out away from any heat sources.
Thanks for the recipe. I always thought clarified butter was just melted butter.
I have a couple questions: How long does it keep and do you keep at room temperature?
Hi Paula
Clarified butter is butter that has the milk solids and water removed, leaving just butterfat. Once the butter has been clarified, it can be stored sealed in a jar at room temperature for up to six months but can also be refrigerated for up to a year. If refrigerated, it will be a solid. At room temperature it will be a semi-solid.
Hope this helps,
Jack
Hi Stephanie – So glad you found us. We’re in South Plymouth – so we’re practically neighbors! 🙂 Your question is very timely…we actually just made some clarified butter using Finlandia butter which I think is similar to Kerrygold. We noticed that the clarified butter took longer to separate and it was cloudier too than the Land o Lakes. I suspect it has something to do with the higher milk fat content. Maybe try letting it bubble a bit longer with the Kerrygold? Hope that helps! Martha