A previous thread on powdered butter directs the inquirer to where to source it, however, I would like to know if anyone can provide information on how to actually make powdered butter. A friend has an old prize certificate from 1903 when a family member won a third prize for 5lbs of powdered butter. They seem to have 'lost the art' and would love to know what it is, how it is made and a little history, if possible. Cheers, Di

-- Di Smith (Di.Smith@flinders.edu.au), April 08, 2002

Answers

No offense, but some things just are not worth the time and trouble to do yourself. I have had powdered butter. It was edible, but definitely not something I'd go to great lengths to make. You can get it from the places that sell cans of survival food. If you are looking for a way to preserve butter without freezing it, what about ghee? Easy to make, and it keeps without refrigeration.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), April 08, 2002.

Rebekah, if you have a recipe for ghee to share, I'm sure we would all benefit from it.

Thanks.

-- Michaela (flhomestead@hotmail.com), April 08, 2002.

Ghee is simple to make. Just melt butter in a pot, let it simmer and when solids start coming to the top, strain it off. Continue straining solids until you have nothing left but golden liquid. You can add a little salt to this if you want.

-- bruce (niobrara55@hotmail.com), April 08, 2002.

I had the bright idea of trying some store-bought Ghee on a canoe trip last year, as a butter substitute that didn't need to be refrigerated. The ingredients said "Clarified butter, Ghee flavoring." I'm not sure what the Pakistani market uses for "Ghee flavoring," but I have my theories.

Ghee is simply clarified butter, which, I think is melted butter strained through an old gym sock. Then you throw out the butter and eat the sock.

Ack! Gag! Sklitch! Sklitch! Sklitch! (me scraping tongue)

I was thinking that if the Ghee company merged with the Cheese whiz company, they could make Ghee Whiz! Hahahahahah! OW! Stop it! (wife hitting me with the computer mouse).

Whew. Okay, back to work.

-- chuck in md (woah@mission4me.com), April 08, 2002.

Good for your wife Chuck! You deserved it after that one. Hope she didn't break the mouse:') As I'm sure you discovered, most of that purchased ghee is nothing more than cheap vegetable oil with some coloring and nasty flavoring added. Real clarified butter still tastes like butter. There are two reasons for clarifying butter. It makes it keep much longer and removing the milk solids keeps it from burning in a really hot pan.

Di, sorry I cna't help you with your question. The only powdered butter I've ever used was from the camping supplies store. If you find a recipe, please let us know how it came out. And how it tastes.

-- Murray in ME (lkdmfarm@megalink.net), April 08, 2002.

The only way I can think of to powder butter (which as a previous post intimated is grease and milk solids) is to remove the grease, then powder the solids. I know the info given is how you make ghee (at least, melting butter and pouring the grease off the solids). I wonder what would happen if you experimented with the solids - say blotting-up whatever grease is left over by putting the solids in a folded-over SAFE (no disinfectant) paper towel between wads of newspaper, and keeping them warm so the grease kept wicking away.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), April 08, 2002.

So, you can make Ghee and it lasts without refrigeration? How long will it last?

Thanks!

-- Jo Schaefer (JoOhio1@aol.com), April 11, 2002.