Plain butter has a low smoke point because the milk solids burn easily. Clarifying the butter removes those solids, leaving behind just the butter fat (and some water), which has a smoke point around 480°F. It also gives the butter a much longer shelf life, as those solids are what go rancid more quickly. To clarify butter, you just heat it up until the solids settle to the bottom, then skim off the foam and pour the fat off the top (a fine mesh sieve makes this easier).

Alternatively, you can continue to heat the butter for long enough to boil all the water off. Doing so will brown the milk solids sitting at the bottom, which imparts a nutty flavor to the butter, even though you will filter out the browned solids. This is ghee and is what I make and use.

It is my go-to cooking fat anytime I use my cast iron or carbon steel. It’s nice to be able to get a bit of buttery flavor when searing at high heat.

Hit us with super heated clarified butter

It’s good for at least 6 months in the fridge. It never goes that long unused by me, though. I make it in batches from 3 sticks at a time.

3 months late but, you can even leave it outside for a few weeks.