Huge benefits of ghee. Is there any harm? Why is it better to use ghee in cooking, rather than butter or sunflower
You can find ghee in stores. Some people prefer to take it, considering it more beneficial than regular butter. And how are things really?
Butter
Butter obtained by whipping from pasteurized cream. This is ideal. But in this article we will not talk about falsifications, we will talk about the real, high-quality butter, which is obtained from pasteurized cream. In this case, to get half a kilogram butter, you need to take 11 liters of milk - a little more than a standard bucket. The quality of butter depends on the quality of milk, equipment, packaging and storage methods.
Such oil can be stored at a temperature of 3 ° C for no more than a month, and at -18 ° C - 4 months.
Composition butter "Peasant":
Carbohydrates - 0.1%;
- fats - 72%;
- proteins - 0.9%;
- water - 27%.
Butter - this is animal fat
- saturated fat - 52 grams;
- unsaturated fats 24 grams;
- cholesterol - 215 mg;
- 700 kcal;
- vitamins A, E, D and K.
Let's summarize: butter - a perishable product containing both useful substances (vitamins A, E and K, unsaturated fatty acids) and harmful ( saturated fat, cholesterol). It is also high in calories.
Butter improves the taste of food well. Even the saying is appropriate: "You can't spoil porridge with butter." However, all of its beneficial properties are crossed out by harmful ones. A large number of saturated fat and cholesterol are high risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis, hypertension, strokes and heart attacks.Therefore, use butter you need to be careful and not every day.
Melted butter
Ghee is obtained by boiling butter with its subsequent filtering. This is a way to store a valuable product for a longer period. Ghee can be stored at room temperature for a year. Let's not talk about falsified ghee, only about a natural and high-quality product.
Ghee composition:
Carbohydrates - 0%;
- fats - 99.9%;
- proteins - 0%;
- water - 0.1%.
Ghee is, like butter, animal fat, 100 grams of which contains:
- saturated fat - 70 grams;
- unsaturated fats 29 grams;
- cholesterol - 270 mg;
- 998 kcal;
- vitamins A, E, D.
To summarize: ghee contains more than butter saturated fat, cholesterol and calories. It contains no more vitamins A, D and E: they are fat-soluble and with an increase in the fat content of the oil, their amount increases, but some is lost during heat treatment. But ghee can be stored for a long time even without a refrigerator.
So which is more useful?
Of these two oils, butter can be considered healthier if it is fresh and of high quality, and ghee is just a way of storing an expensive product for a longer period.
A large number of saturated fat, cholesterol and the calories in both oils require careful consumption at any age to minimize the risk of atherosclerosis.
Ghee is a product of butter processing by removing water, protein components and lactose from the feedstock. In fact, ghee is concentrated butter, with a minimum of other ingredients.
The process of home cooking ghee is technologically different from the methods used in the food industry. When preparing ghee at home, butter is heated in a deep bowl and left in a liquid state for half an hour over low heat or a water bath. The protein components of butter form a characteristic foam, which is removed with a slotted spoon or spoon, and the excess water evaporates. Delicate housewives also filter the finished product through a fine sieve or a thick layer of gauze in order to remove the remaining foam, which inevitably remains when working with a spoon and slotted spoon.
Ghee is prepared industrially by centrifugation. The butter is gradually melted and separated into fractions, after which the butter is heated for some time in an airless environment to remove the remaining water.
In Kyrgyzstan, a specific method of making ghee from sour cream is used.
The benefits of ghee
Ghee is 99.8% fat. At the same time, the product retains the richness of the vitamin composition. Vitamins A, E and D are almost completely preserved during the preparation of ghee. By reducing the amount of water and protein components, their relative amount in the finished ghee increases.
The use of ghee can be conditionally divided into household and biological. From a household point of view, the benefits of ghee are indicated by its long shelf life. Unlike butter, ghee does not deteriorate for a long time. Its shelf life can be up to 15 months in a refrigerator or cellar. Ghee can be stored at room temperature for up to 9 months. This property was widely used by the inhabitants of South Asia, who, in fact, preserved all the main benefits of cow's milk in ghee.
The benefits of ghee for the body are reduced to its high energy value and rich vitamin composition. A small amount of ghee helps prevent osteoporosis and rickets, has a beneficial effect on metabolic processes and helps to maintain visual acuity at any age.
The harm of ghee
Do not forget about the possible harm of ghee. It is a very fatty food, and therefore digestive problems can be observed in people suffering from diseases of the digestive tract. Ghee puts additional stress on the pancreas and liver and can provoke an exacerbation of chronic diseases of these organs.
Also, do not forget about the dangers of ghee for people who are overweight. 100 grams of ghee contains 892 kcal, which is a very large amount. Ghee is not recommended to be consumed as an independent food product. It is best for frying, but even there it should only be used in small quantities.
The harm of ghee is also due to its high cholesterol content, which can negatively affect the health of people with metabolic disorders, as well as accelerate the development of atherosclerosis.
Ghee is an extremely valuable food product that has proven its right to exist with its centuries-old history. Its intelligent and careful use will expand any gastronomic horizons and improve the health of both adults and children.
Found a mistake in the text? Select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Comments on the material (6):
I quote Anna:
Hello,
In general, say or it can be eaten with this color.
Hello Anna.
You can, but you do not need to use the plaque on the bottom of the saucepan, and still it is advisable not to bring the oil to a dark color.
I quote Anna:
Hello,
Prepared ghee exactly according to the recipe: 30 min. boiled, stirring and removing the foam. For 20 minutes of boiling, the oil acquired a beautiful yellow color
(exactly as described in the recipe), but in the next 5 minutes of boiling it took on the color of dark honey. Because this is the first time I am doing this, I would like to get some advice from an experienced person, especially about this dark color.
One more detail, I boiled oil in a copper saucepan, maybe this influenced the color of the oil, because there was a small brown coating from burnt oil on the bottom of the pan? In any case, the smell is very pleasant, like caramel with apples.
In general, tell me or it can be eaten with this color.
Thank you in advance for your reply.
You overexposed it, or, as my grandmother used to say, the oil "burned out". It is necessary to shoot when it becomes golden and clear, transparent, without turbidity. I would not use "burnt" butter for food, but I remember we still fried on it. And yet, you must immediately drain the oil and not keep it in the vessel in which it was melted. Through cheesecloth directly into a jar. All byaki will remain on the gauze. The sediment must remain. It is from it that one can understand whether the oil has burned out or not. It should be dark yellow. If brown and darker, burned out. We even ate it secretly as children. It was very tasty.
Do you know that:
74-year-old Australian resident James Harrison has donated blood about 1000 times. He has a rare blood group whose antibodies help newborns with severe anemia survive. Thus, the Australian saved about two million children.
When lovers kiss, each of them loses 6.4 calories per minute, but they exchange almost 300 different types of bacteria.
During operation, our brain spends an amount of energy equal to a 10-watt light bulb. So the image of a light bulb above your head at the moment an interesting thought arises is not so far from the truth.
People who are accustomed to regularly eating breakfast are much less likely to be obese.
The well-known drug "Viagra" was originally developed for the treatment of arterial hypertension.
Even if a person's heart does not beat, he can still live for a long period of time, which was demonstrated to us by the Norwegian fisherman Jan Revsdal. His "motor" stopped for 4 hours after the fisherman got lost and fell asleep in the snow.
Many drugs were initially marketed as drugs. Heroin, for example, was originally marketed as a cough medicine. And cocaine was recommended by doctors as anesthesia and as a means of increasing endurance.
More than $ 500 million a year is spent on allergy drugs in the United States alone. Do you still believe that the way to finally defeat allergies will be found?
Work that a person does not like is much more harmful to his psyche than no work at all.
The human brain weighs about 2% of the total body weight, but it consumes about 20% of the oxygen entering the blood. This fact makes the human brain extremely susceptible to damage caused by lack of oxygen.
Scientists from the University of Oxford conducted a series of studies, during which they came to the conclusion that vegetarianism can be harmful to the human brain, as it leads to a decrease in its mass. Therefore, scientists recommend not to completely exclude fish and meat from your diet.
In an effort to get the patient out, doctors often go too far. So, for example, a certain Charles Jensen in the period from 1954 to 1994. survived over 900 operations to remove neoplasms.
Most women are able to get more pleasure from the contemplation of their beautiful body in the mirror than from sex. So, women, strive for harmony.
The cough medicine "Terpinkod" is one of the best sellers, not at all because of its medicinal properties.
Our kidneys are able to cleanse three liters of blood in one minute.
Spring is a paradoxical time of the year. There are more sunny days, the streets have cleared of snow, it would seem that it's time for walks, trips and, in principle, for more ...
RIPI held for the first time ghee testhaving checked the products of five domestic manufacturers for quality and naturalness.
Samples of ghee participated in the test: "PRESIDENT", "Giaginsky Dairy Plant", "Molochnaya Galaxy", "Asenyevskaya Ferma", LLC "Navikom". Of these, only three turned out to be real ghee.
Pour some oil on me
Ghee is an amazing product that used to be widely used for culinary purposes. And not only in Russia. For example, in India this oil is called "ghee", it is considered a healing agent, it is said to have the energy of the Sun, it increases vitality, it is used in Ayurvedic cuisine, as well as for massages and religious rituals.
Ghee is pure milk fat (its fat content is at least 99%). It serves as an excellent antioxidant, is easily absorbed, speeds up metabolism and aids digestion.
The cooking technology is quite simple: take butter, put it in a saucepan and put it on fire. When it is melted, let it boil a little and then filter to separate the foam. Of course, not everyone has the time and desire to do this. It is much easier to purchase ghee from the store. But for it to really be useful, it must be made only from milk fat, without the addition of vegetable fat. And of course it should be fresh and tasty.
Is it butter oil?
We decided to test the quality and naturalness of ghee by sending five samples of domestic production to the laboratory: PRESIDENT, Giaginsky Dairy Plant, Molochnaya Galaktika, Asenyevskaya Ferma, Navikom LLC (Dairy Farm). The first and main question that the experts had to answer was whether there are non-dairy fats in the composition. To do this, you need to fatty acid analysis product and compare the results with the data given in GOST 32261-2013 "Butter. Specifications".
Studies have shown that the samples "PRESIDENT", "Giaginsky Dairy Plant" and "Milk Galaxy" are really real ghee. But in the products "Asenyevskaya Farm" and "Dairy Farm" experts suggested the presence of non-dairy fats, since the fatty acid analysis revealed a discrepancy in the composition of the requirements of GOST. Therefore, these samples cannot be called ghee.
Freshness, but not the first
In the course of research, experts also assessed organoleptic characteristics samples (color, taste, smell, consistency) and their freshness. In terms of organoleptic properties, all test participants meet the requirements of GOST: the taste and smell are pleasant, the color is yellow, uniform, the consistency is uniform granular ("PRESIDENT" and "Giaginsky Dairy Plant") or dense ("Milk Galaxy", "Asenyevskaya Farm", "Dairy Farm") ... In molten form, the oil is transparent, without sediment.
One of the indicators of the freshness of ghee is acidity of the fat phase... It characterizes the presence of free fatty acids in the product, which are also found in small quantities in fresh milk, and their content increases during storage and transportation. The increased value of the acidity of the fat phase can be associated not only with oxidative spoilage, but also with the diet of cows (feed additives), their condition. This indicator increases in the process of transporting milk, during its storage, pasteurization and separation of cream, in case of disturbances in technological processes (presence of air, repeated heating and cooling of milk). Thus, these components are "concentrated" in the oil.
All subjects met the norm for this parameter, except for the Milk Galaxy sample. For him, this value is outside the norm, despite the fact that this oil was produced just four days before being submitted for research.
In ghee, it is also regulated moisture contents - no more than 1%. All samples passed this test successfully: four had a moisture content of 0.4–0.5%, and the products of Navikom LLC (Dairy Farm) turned out to be the most "dry" (0.1%).
Test conclusions *
Note: * All the results and conclusions presented in the article refer only to the studied samples.
- Three test samples ("PRESIDENT", "Giaginsky Dairy Plant", "Milk Galaxy") have been tested fatty acid composition without remarks. They contain only cow's milk fat and are real ghee. In the samples "Asenyevskaya farm" and "Dairy farm" (OOO "Navikom"), according to the ratio of acids uncharacteristic for a dairy product, one can assume the presence of non-dairy fats.
- All tested samples meet the requirements of GOST in terms of content fat and moisture.
- Organoleptic indicators all test participants are also normal.
- Freshness test only ghee "Milk Galaxy" did not pass.
- Notes on labeling arose to the samples "Asenievskaya farm" and "Dairy farm".
Brief characteristics of samples
Real ghee
 Milky Galaxy |
 Giaginsky dairy |
 PRESIDENT |
|
GOST 32262-2013 |
GOST 32262-2013 |
GOST 32262-2013 |
Samples that may contain non-dairy fats
|
Many people think that ghee is ordinary butter, which they decided to melt, however, this opinion is erroneous. These products differ in taste, aroma, consistency, which affects their properties. This article describes the features that distinguish the melted product, recommendations for its storage, use, and so on.
What is it and how is it different from other species?
Ghee is obtained from butter by exposure to high temperatures. Impurities, moisture, dairy part are removed from the creamy product. Ghee, made according to the rules, has a pleasant nutty smell, amber shade. Such butter is stored longer than butter, it has many wonderful properties.
The ghee has been used in Russia for a long time. Previously, this oil was made constantly, but nowadays, dairy products are more often used, which are by no means useful in all cases. The rendered product was known not only in Russia, but also in other countries - for example, in India. There he was called "ghee" (gi). Indians use it more extensively for healing, hair care, skin care and cooking.
To get a melted product, fat is isolated from the butter.
Ghee contains no carcinogens, which are found even in vegetable oil. For this reason, this product is considered even more useful.
When frying, there will be no smoke and foam from it. Ghee solidifies well even without a refrigerator: it usually takes about a day.
Composition and calorie content
This oil is quite high in calories: per 100 g - 892 kcal. However, if consumed in moderation, the baked product will not cause excess body fat. BJU ghee:
- carbohydrates - 0 g;
- fat - 99 g;
- proteins - 0.2 g
The rendered product contains polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, saturated fatty acids. It also contains vitamins (groups B, D, E, A), minerals:
- zinc;
- magnesium;
- potassium;
- copper;
- sodium;
- manganese;
- calcium;
- iron;
- phosphorus.
Benefit
Ghee is very good for people. Its benefits are as follows.
- If you take into account all the recommendations for the preparation of such a product, it can be used not only for nutrition, but also for treatment. For example, it is often used in traditional medicine.
- Ghee is safe and effective for humans. If you process it, guided by certain rules, it only brings benefits. Such a product is used for both outdoor and indoor use.
- This tool can be used when performing massage. Indians believe that it provides the body with healing solar energy, which effectively restores it.
- This product helps with headaches, migraines. To do this, you need to take a small amount of oil and rub it into the place where you feel discomfort (temples, forehead).
- Ghee can also heal a sore lower back. It will calm the nerve endings, help cope with inflammation.
- This oil is very effective against colds: it boosts the immune system. It is also used to prevent colds. You will need to rub the oil on your feet and palms.
- Ghee helps with depression, weakness. It helps to improve metabolism, enzyme production, and digestive organs. Ghee has a very good effect on the activity of the gastrointestinal tract.
This product is very tasty. Many recommend choosing just such an oil for cooking, because it has a very good effect on the human body. It does not burn, does not taste bitter.
Harm
Ghee can not only have a positive effect on people, but also be harmful to the human body. The following disadvantages can be distinguished.
- Doctors do not recommend using this oil for people who are overweight, because it is high in calories. Such a product can cause even more obesity.
- This oil is high in cholesterol (just like regular butter), so it is not recommended to consume it too often and too much. Otherwise, then you can face such a problem as atherosclerosis.
- It is recommended to refuse this baked product in the presence of diseases of the pancreas and liver.
Even if your health is perfect, you should not overuse ghee. Excessive amounts of fat have a negative effect on the body.
For the benefits and dangers of ghee, see the next issue of the Healthy Living!
How to determine the quality of a product?
To find out if ghee is natural and of high quality, you need to check whether it meets a number of requirements. When choosing the right product, you need to remember the following:
- high-quality butter is easy to spread on bread, it is grainy;
- the smell of a natural product is very pleasant, it does not foam and does not emit fumes;
- high-quality solid oil is dull, bright yellow, and liquid oil is transparent yellow;
- real product cures within 24 hours.
If the oil meets the above criteria, it means that it is completely natural. Such a product is harmless to humans, there are no herbal supplements in it.
Cooking recipes
Many are interested in how to cook a ghee at home. There are different ways to create it at home. The classic way to prepare such butter involves using a container with thick walls and a fatty creamy product (it is recommended to choose a homemade one).
Usually, 1000 g of butter is prepared to create ghee. In total, approximately 750 g of product can be made. According to the traditional recipe, this oil is created as follows.
- Cut the butter (the pieces should be small), put it in the prepared dish and heat over medium heat. The product should become liquid.
- Slow the heat and let the oil sit for another 40 minutes. From time to time, white foam will appear on its surface. It will need to be removed regularly.
- Remove the cookware from the stove and pour the oil into the jars. They must be dry and clean. Before that, strain the product using cheesecloth and a sieve.
In a multicooker
You can use a multicooker to prepare ghee. You need to create this product in this order.
- Take a creamy product, cut it and place it in a slow cooker, setting the "Stew" mode.
- When the oil is thin, turn down the temperature by 100 degrees. During cooking, you will not be able to close the lid of the device.
- Simmer the butter for about 120 minutes. From time to time it will be necessary to remove the foam, stir the mass.
- Pour the resulting product into a clean container. Its shade should eventually become honey.
In the oven
This method works well if you need to cook a lot of ghee. However, it should be borne in mind that it will take at least 90 minutes to cook 0.5 kg of product. You will need to make ghee like this.
- Preheat the oven to 150 degrees. Put the butter in a container with thick walls (leave a few centimeters up to the edge, otherwise it will splash heavily), put it in the oven.
- The finished oil should become amber and transparent. When it's cooked, remove the container.
- Carefully remove the film from the surface of the oil, strain it and place in a clean dish.
Ghee
Such a product is used not only in cooking, but also for cosmetic purposes. Various highly effective masks for hair and face care are created from it. It takes quite a long time to cook such a product, but the results are worth it, which is confirmed by numerous positive reviews of the fair sex. You need to make ghee as follows.
- Place the creamy product in a thick-walled container. Put the butter over medium heat and let it melt, after which the mixture will need to be mixed well.
- When the food starts to boil, reduce heat. At the same time, the oil should continue to boil.
- The foam that appears will need to be carefully removed. Do not stir the mass.
- After a while, water, milk protein and fat are separated from the butter. The water will quickly evaporate: it will be at the top.
- The protein should become a white precipitate. He finds himself at the bottom. When the shade begins to turn golden rather than white, you will need to turn off the heat.
- Strain the resulting fat using cheesecloth and a sieve. Place it in clean containers.
Make sure that the protein does not darken. If it burns, the oil will be spoiled and cannot be used in cooking.
With black pepper
This oil has a rather strong odor and a bitter taste. To make it, take about 3 tbsp. l. black peppercorns for 1.5 kg of butter. Put the pepper in cheesecloth and add it to the melted (but not boiled) mass. Then make the melted product in the usual way, remove the pepper before straining.
Application features
People who love ghee note its light nutty smell and pleasant taste. It can be used to fry potatoes, meat, pancakes, scrambled eggs and much more. It is often added for deep-fat frying. Confectioners use ghee to create cakes and other similar sweets. Many people like to just spread it on their bread.
For treatment
Ghee helps to cope with a variety of health problems. This tool can be used as follows.
- To get rid of a runny nose, mix ghee with cinnamon or cardamom and lubricate the inside of your nose with this product. This method also helps to improve cerebral circulation.
- To get rid of the flu, mix mustard or black pepper with ghee, then dissolve 1 tsp from time to time. such a tool.
- Ghee will help heal sore gut. To do this, dissolve it in its pure form.
- You can get rid of constipation by rubbing such a remedy into the navel area. Another effective way is to compress the oil.
- Add turmeric to ghee to cure sore throat. Massage it into your throat regularly.
- Painful joints can be lubricated with oil mixed with calendula.
- To improve immunity, you should eat ghee in the morning, pre-mixing it with dried fruits, honey, nuts, and seasonings. It should be borne in mind that for best results, breakfast should consist of this product only.
In cosmetology
Ghee effectively slows down the aging process. It provides hydration, nutrition to the skin, and promotes the process of tissue regeneration. This tool effectively removes accumulated toxins and toxins. You can mix ghee, turmeric and mashed potatoes. Spread the resulting mass over the face, wait about a quarter of an hour and remove the mask. It will visibly soften the skin and make it more hydrated.
To get rid of wrinkles, mix a tablespoon of honey, a teaspoon of ghee, a teaspoon of castor oil and a drop of iodine. Spread the mixture over the skin, wait about 120 minutes and remove the product. This mask should not be done too often: 2 times a week will be enough. It is suitable for storage in the refrigerator.
If you want to get rid of edema, eliminate expression wrinkles, use an egg mask. Mix the yolk of one egg with the melted product and treat the skin near the eyes with the resulting product. Ghee works well not only on the skin, but also on the hair. It can be applied like this.
- For fine hair. Combine lemon juice, some vegetable oil and ghee (you can choose any proportions). Apply this mass to your hair, wrap it with a towel, wait a quarter of an hour and remove the mask.
- For hair strengthening. Make a decoction of 30 g of licorice root, the same amount of calamus root and a liter of water. Combine it with ghee (the proportions must be equal). Put the mixture on low heat to remove excess liquid. Spread this mass on your head, wait a quarter of an hour and wash off the mask.
- For dry hair. Combine 1 tsp. ghee and olive oil, warm milk. Spread the mask over your hair, wrap it with a towel. Wait a quarter of an hour and wash off the mass.
On an industrial scale, oil is processed using a centrifuge and this method is significantly different from home cooking. In production, the product goes through several technological stages:
- Melting butter at medium temperatures (50 degrees)
- Elimination of milk protein, sugars and water
- Melting the resulting mass at a temperature of 100 degrees
- Whipping oil in a special apparatus with compressed air
- Cutting and packaging of the finished product
It is in this way that the "correct" ghee is obtained, which has a lot of useful properties. It has a long shelf life and can be used for culinary and medicinal purposes. Ghee smoke occurs at temperatures above 205 degrees Celsius.
Calorie content of ghee
Ghee is a high-fat product, as it contains 99% fat. The nutritional value of the product is high - about 900 kcal per 100 grams. In addition to fats, ghee contains the following components:
- Vitamins A, E, PP, D
- Calcium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, magnesium, potassium
- Polyunsaturated and saturated acids
- Cholesterol
- Ash, water
- Beta carotene
Despite the increased fat content, the "melon" is easier to digest in comparison with ordinary butter.
The product contains linoleic acid, which is essential for proper tissue formation and growth. This acid is one of the important substances for humans. It is not produced in the body, but must come exclusively from food.
Interesting Facts:
In India, ghee is called ghee. Ayurvedic experts claim that the oil has healing powers and can be stored for 10 years. Bowls with sacred "liquid gold" are used in traditional religious rites in India. In the process of obtaining the product, the Indians add aromatic healing spices, placed in gauze, to the oil.
The ancient stories of Tibetan monks about the storage of oil are known for over 100 years! It is believed that such a healing product gives immortality and is able to give a person a second youth. A small jar of this oil can be worth several million dollars!
Harm
The harm of ghee
Despite the great taste of ghee and the obvious benefits, one cannot ignore the harm that can be done to the body if it is consumed excessively. The reasons for the negative effect of the oil are high fat content, a considerable content of cholesterol, which leads to an extreme load on the work of internal organs.
The harm of ghee will manifest itself in case of its excessive use - oversaturation can lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
It is contraindicated to use ghee for the following pathologies:
- Obesity
- Diseases of the cardiovascular system
- Digestive ailments
- Diseases of the liver and pancreas
- Atherosclerosis
- Malfunction in the metabolic process
Do not omit the harm of ghee produced by unscrupulous companies. Some of them, in order to reduce the cost of production, add old oil that is not usable during the processing. Such a product can cause body poisoning, diarrhea, stomach pains. To protect yourself from low-quality oil, you need to choose trusted manufacturers, as well as pay attention to the composition and smell of the product.
Benefit
Why ghee is useful
In Indian culture, this oil is so popular and in demand that it is considered not just a food product, but also a cure for many diseases. The oil is applied externally and internally, used for healing massages and hair masks. This healing product is used to treat digestive diseases, weakness, exhaustion, migraines. In Ayurvedic laws, there are practically no sections in which the healing oil "Ghee" would not be used.
Why is ghee useful? The product consists of 99% of fats, which are quickly and easily absorbed by the body. Ayurveda fans are right in many ways - ghee can really be used as a medicine for various diseases and has a healing effect on the body:
- Stimulates tissue regeneration
- Increases the elasticity and firmness of the skin
- Improves the functioning of the digestive organs
- Normalizes the excretory system
- Plays the role of a "guide", allowing you to better assimilate useful foods entering the body
- It is a powerful antioxidant, protects against aging and the harmful effects of toxic compounds
- Repairs damaged cells
- Strengthens the immune system
- Produces a positive effect on the functioning of the brain and the nervous system in general
- Relieves constipation
- Used in cosmetic recipes
- Improves vision
With a weakened immune system, it is useful to consume ghee in the morning in combination with honey, spices and nuts. In contrast to butter, "ghee" does not raise cholesterol levels in the body. In combination with medicinal herbs, ghee is used to treat inflammatory skin diseases.
Ghee in cosmetology
Why is ghee useful if you use it in cosmetic recipes? Masks for the body, face and hair are made on the basis of "liquid gold". It perfectly penetrates into the deep layers of the skin, nourishes, moisturizes, removes toxins and toxins from their tissues. You can add a drop of aromatic essential oil to the oil - in this case, the massage process will be accompanied by healthy aromatherapy.
If you use ghee in cosmetic face masks, you can get rid of wrinkles, remove irritation, flaking. The oil is used as a mask for the scalp. In this application, the hair follicles are strengthened, the blood circulation of the tissues improves, which contributes to increased hair growth.
How to make ghee
Why is homemade ghee useful? Unlike a purchased product, you can get the highest quality, wholesome, natural ghee and use it for any purpose without harming the body.
For cooking, you need fatty butter (fresh), preferably homemade, rustic. You also need to prepare 3 heavy-bottomed pots.
The heating process takes place in several stages:
- We cut the butter into pieces, send it to the pan No. 1 and heat it on low heat. Remove the white foam immediately. The oil should not be very hot and boil, but only slightly bubble.
- When the mass becomes transparent, a sediment forms at the bottom of the pan. Slowly and carefully pour the mixture into pot # 2, so as not to affect the sediment we do not need.
- Next, we continue to melt the butter, skimming off the foam and watching the sediment. As soon as it becomes viscous and increases in volume, pour the oil into saucepan No. 3, separating the sediment.
- We heat the oil again until it becomes amazingly transparent and stops emitting residual substances.
Pour the finished ghee into a clean glass container and let it cool. The product can be used for frying, preparing first and second courses. Pure oil does not burn when frying food and does not emit carcinogenic substances.
How to store ghee
Ghee in glass containers is best preserved. The product does not deteriorate at room temperature, but it is best to store it in the refrigerator during hot periods. Frozen butter can retain its beneficial qualities for 1-2 years, although it gradually loses vitamins.
During storage at a temperature of 10-18 degrees, the oil does not become rancid, it has a pleasant smell and a dense consistency. The “melon” is stored in such conditions from 3 to 6 months. However, it should be remembered that the product "does not like" direct sunlight. It is better to save it away from electrical appliances, powerful sources of heat.
How to check the quality of ghee
To eliminate the harm of homemade ghee, you need to know the correct signs of the "right" product. So, a good "melon" has the following characteristics:
- Within 24 hours after cooking, it takes on a solid form at room temperature
- Has a transparent yellow tint in the liquid state, and in the solid it acquires a bright yellow (not pale) matte color
- When reheated, it does not emit fumes, does not foam and has a pleasant smell
- Completely homogeneous, does not separate into separate fractions
- Perfectly spreads on bread, has graininess
Ghee purchased from the store should have a uniform color, not split into pieces and have a pleasant aroma. Throw it away at the slightest smell of rancidity - this indicates that the manufacturer has added old, expired raw materials during the production process.
Also, if the composition of the purchased ghee contains other fats - vegetable, animal (fish), then such a product can no longer be called ghee, it should be called "ghee". There is only one main component in real purchased ghee - milk fat.
Vegetable fats in a product such as ghee become very dangerous compounds in the process of solidification - trans isomers of fatty acids. They increase blood cholesterol levels.
Ghee during pregnancy and breastfeeding
There are no special contraindications to the use of ghee during pregnancy and lactation. You can use this product to cook your favorite dishes, use it for massage and cosmetic masks. The only thing ladies need to watch out for is weight gain. During pregnancy, it can increase rapidly, and keeping in mind the high calorie content of the product, it is better to limit its use to 20-30 grams per day.
During breastfeeding, it is also better for a woman to consume "melon" in small quantities - no more than 20 g per day. The product is a source of energy for a young mother and promotes the formation of hormones, the balance of which was disturbed during pregnancy and childbirth.
