How To Tell When Your Clarified Butter Is Finally Done

So many people are becoming attracted to the uses of clarified butter that you can now find it in many stores, ready for use. While convenient, this tasty butter that has already been clarified is much more expensive than making it at home. But many might be intimidated by making it from scratch, concerned about burning it or just not knowing where to start. Truthfully, making clarified butter at home couldn't be simpler, you just need to pay attention to the clues to know when it's done.

To clarify butter, you basically simmer it slowly until the milk solids sink to the bottom, leaving the pure, clear butterfat floating at the top. You'll know it's done when the butter stops bubbling. How so? Regular butter is made up of about 80% fat and 15% water. When you place it over heat to melt and it simmers and bubbles, this is the water being evaporated. Once the water is gone, it will naturally cease bubbling.

Clarifying butter doesn't necessarily take long but you'll notice several stages of activity when you do it at home. Working over a medium-low heat, you'll put your solid butter in a saucepan and it will begin to melt. As it comes to a simmer, you'll notice a white foam developing on the surface; this is the milk proteins (or solids) beginning to separate from the fat. You can certainly skim these off with a spoon, but you'll inevitably remove some of the fat as well. Any remaining solids will eventually sink to the bottom, which can be easily strained away once the process is done.

For many, the appeal of clarified butter lies in its rich and luxurious flavor, but there are other reasons for keeping a supply of it handy. For one, it lasts much longer than regular butter in the refrigerator because the milk solids and water have been removed. It will be good for six months in the fridge and longer in the freezer. Clarified butter also has a much higher smoke point than standard butter meaning you can use it in more recipes without worrying it will burn. It's always useful to know the smoke point of the fat you cook with to avoid burnt flavors and, well, smoke; while regular butter smokes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, clarifying it will raise the temperature to 450 degrees. This means you can sear your steaks and sauté your veggies in it without concerns that the butter will burn.

Clear, clarified butter is a classic accompaniment to seafood, like shrimp, lobster, and crab, but it is also wonderful with steamed or grilled whole artichokes. It's vital in hollandaise sauce, but you can also use it instead of oil to make an unforgettable homemade mayonnaise. Drizzle clarified butter on your popcorn, over corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, bread rolls or anywhere you want a punch of pure butter flavor.