How to Clarify Your Butter: A Tutorial with Pictures!

A few people have asked me how to clarify butter (which basically means ridding it of any lactose properties so you can use it as a lactose-free spread in recipes), so here is a short blog on the topic.  I myself did not know how to do this, my doctor literally had to walk me through the operation, twice.  That being said, I've also added pictures to aid in the process.  I always find pictures to be helpful so that I can catch any mistakes before it's too late (inefficiency is a huge pet peeve of mine).  So here you go, have fun!

GDF Cooking 101: Good things come to those who wait....but don't worry, this part doesn't take long.

First, you put the desired amount of butter into a pot on the stove. (I always add more than I need, because once you've gone through this process once, you'll know that it's better to have more than less.)

Then, you heat on a low setting (2 or lo) until the butter melts completely.  You don't want to bring to a boil, so watch very carefully!

You don't want it to get past this point.  A few boiling bubbles are ok, but not much more than this.

Once the butter has melted, you will notice that it has separated into two colors: yellow and white.  (Hint: if you can't find the 'yellow,' it's because the white is on the top, covering the yellow.) 

 

Remove all white from the butter liquid with a strainer or a spoon.  I find that it's impossible to remove all of the white portion, so if there is some in there, I take the path of least resistance and let it be.  The percentage of lactose that's actually in the white part isn't going to hurt me.  Of course, you will have to find what works for you.

Once the white and yellow part are separated, I discard the white and am left with the oilly part of the butter.  I usually put that into a non-plastic container and store for safe keeping.  You can also use it right away in recipes that call for melted dairy-free spreads. 

There you go!  Voila!! You've clarified your own butter.  Go you!  Time to celebrate with gdf brownies, cookies, or whatever you can find!

I love the smell of melted butter and the fact that it is lactose free is great too!

Note: this doesn't spread like butter.  Once it's clarified, it takes on a little bit different texture, closer to an oil.  You may want to take that into consideration when you take it out of the fridge to use it!