Indian cooks have been making ghee, pronounced with a hard ‘g,’ for centuries. A form of clarified butter, with all milk solids removed, it needs no refrigeration, is high in vitamins A, D and E, and contains linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid. Carrington Farms in Closter has just introduced two new ghee products.
One is ghee labeled as organic and made from milk from grass-fed cows. The other is ghee combined with coconut oil. Twelve-ounce tubs retail for $14.99 and are available at ShopRite, Acme, Stop & Shop, Wal-Mart and Target stores throughout New Jersey.
After clarification, the pure fat of ghee can be heated to a higher temperature without smoking than butter and many other oils. This allows proteins and vegetables to brown without burning, while still retaining the rich flavor of butter.
Carrington Farms started as an herbal tea company in 1999 and still sells over a dozen varieties of tea, says vice-president Debbie Shandel. In 2005, the company began to sell flaxseed, devising single-serving “flax-paks” that it says avoid the risk of turning rancid. Carrington later added chia and hemp seeds, as well as coconut oils, to its roster.
“We are always looking for new healthy ways to help people feed their families,” says Shandel.
The coconut oils in the ghee are imported from the Philippines. The ghee comes directly from India. Carrington Farms says it is currently the only manufacturer of a coconut oil-ghee combo.
The coconut oil is cold-pressed and filtered twice before it is shipped here, then filtered twice more in the U.S. “The coconut oil helps you sustain energy throughout the day,” claims Shandel, who recommends adding it to a morning smoothie.
The ghee, which Shandel calls “clean butter,” is melted in a wood-fired boiler. “We skim off all the milk proteins, heat it again and skim it again,” she says.
The finished product is soft, smooth and full of flavor. It also has a two-year shelf life.
I’m wondering what kind of mental contortions the headline writer went through to justify calling ghee “dairy free.” It’s clarified BUTTER. Made from MILK produced by grass-fed COWS. Says so on the label. The label with a picture of a COW.
It’s great stuff, but it’s pretty much the essence of dairy.
Since all dairy solids are removed, ghee is safe for people who are lactose-intolerant. Still, you raise a valid point, so I will revise the headline accordingly. Thanks for your comment.