There’s something almost alchemical about making ghee at home. The way a stick of butter transforms into a glowy, deep yellow clarified version is really a quiet kind of magic.
And herbal ghee is as nourishing as it gets. It carries the grounding benefits of fat (a powerful vehicle for absorbing herbs!) and the soothing properties of whatever botanicals you choose to infuse into it. You can add a dollop to your morning oatmeal, melt a spoonful into rice, or slather it on warm toast, and each time you’re getting a little dose of herbal medicine.
So here’s our go-to recipe for an easy herbal ghee that comes together in under an hour. Once you get the hang of it, the possibilities are truly endless. Think: golden milk ghee (with loads of turmeric, cinnamon, ginger) in your morning chai, garlic-rosemary ghee on baked potatoes, or a floral ghee with lavender and chamomile for baked goods. Get creative with it!
Ingredients:
- 1 block of butter (2 sticks) OR one jar of premade ghee
- 3-4 tablespoons DRY herbs of choice (I used lemon balm, lavender, chamomile for a relaxing blend)
- 1-2 tablespoons honey (optional)
Process:
- Add butter to a heavy small sauce pan and bring to a gentle simmer
- Allow the butter to simmer for about 10 minutes, it should foam and settle down
- Keep cooking the butter for another 10-15 minutes until the milk solids drop to the bottom of the pot and begin to brown
- The ghee should lightly foam one last time, after it stops, remove from heat
- Once the ghee has cooled for about 10 minutes, add dry herbs and honey and stir them in. Do not add too soon or you will scorch the herbs. Only dry herbs should be added
- Allow the combination to steep until the ghee has cooled but is still liquid
- Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a clean jar
- Cap it and store at room temp for several weeks and enjoy!
Recipe by Alexandra Rosenberg.
