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So I'm in love with Lurpak brand butter. And in the TINY little store by the marina I live near, they sell Lurpak brand Ghee - GASP!! and lots of smiles until...I read the ingredients...51% Lurpak pastured butter, 49% Palm oil.
So, good or bad? Should I buy it or not? Is there a difference between pastured ghee and non-pastured ghee? As far as I can tell, the only ghee I can buy here (or anywhere for that matter) makes no claim to be pastured and most of it is made in India. I can buy:
1. Lurpak pastured butter
2. Lurpak "ghee"- pastured ghee + palm oil
3. or Ghee- not pastured, from India
which one should I use?

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Make your own ghee. And don't listen to Kamal. He's a dummy and not really Indian. – Aravind Jan 27 2012 at 3:19

6 Answers

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Well I am not Indian, and I haven't made ghee in several months because I basically stopped using it, but if you are gonna eat ghee, just make your own. It's so easy it's laughable. In fact, half the steps in my post are even unnecessary. Just put the butter in the pan on the lowest heat. Set the timer for about 30-40 minutes and walk away. It will bubble and crackle for a while. Let it. The foam will mostly evaporate. Scoop the small amount of remaining foam from the top. Pour through strainer into jar of choice. done.

it's soooooooo easy to make pastured ghee. (and tastes much better than the one in Kamal's link ;P )

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Dang, how did I miss that post? It's a Jack Kronk original. – Kamal Jan 26 2012 at 20:55
lol. J.K.O . – Jack Kronk Jan 26 2012 at 21:00
That tutorial you linked to is great- I love the photos. Thanks! Where I live at the moment, Lurpak is crazy cheap- like $3 for the huge block :) Definitely making some ghee in the next day or two. – WayfinderAli Jan 27 2012 at 14:55
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Look, I'm Indian, so take what I say as gospel.

Rather than getting adulterated ghee, maybe think about buying this stuff from Amazon or your local Whole Foods.

http://www.amazon.com/Purity-Farm-Organic-Clarified-13-Ounce/dp/B0046IIPMW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327609788&sr=8-1

Or make your own ghee! My dear mother made some a few months ago, and a couple hours work can last forever. That being said, I'm too lazy to go this route myself :)

http://www.naturopath.ca/making-ghee-at-home-024161.php

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Plus Kamal has a gold badge so whatever he says must be good info. – Wcc Kamal Stabby fan Jan 26 2012 at 20:52
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Envy can be destructive, Rich. I haven't gotten the "Fanatic" badge yet. Maybe it's time to redouble my efforts. – Kamal Jan 26 2012 at 20:54
Envy appears to be destructive if your initials are SB. ;-) – Wcc Kamal Stabby fan Jan 26 2012 at 21:02
If you live in Atlanta you canbuy Pruity Farm Organic Clarified Butter (much the same as ghee, but not quite) at the DeKalb Farmer's Market on Ponce de Leon Ave. – Doris Jan 26 2012 at 21:03
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You are not Indian. You are a French-Asian cross dresser. – Aravind Jan 27 2012 at 3:17
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Bad on two counts.

  1. That palm oil will be heavily refined and missing all the carotenes etc that make red palm oil nutritionally interesting.

  2. It's almost certainly grown in plantations from cleared rainforest. Growing the market for palm oil is bad and you might as well eat some orangutan meal.

Anyway, ghee is basically clarified butter and it's super easy to make your own.

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There ARE pastured ghees - none from India unless you know the cow and it's keeper in a village!

Amul is sketchy - the modern dairies in India are feeding hormones to the cows - there is no quality control or verification for organic in India.

Your options in USA:

My personal favorite: Pure Indian Foods - Non-homogenized, organic 100% grass-fed http://www.pureindianfoods.com/aboutus.shtml

Also I've seen this one at Whole Foods organic 100% grass-fed - they don't advertise the grass-fed but I emailed them http://purityfarms.com/

Ancient Organics Foods (poor website) - I've never tried but looks legitimate. Straus Cows Are On Open Pasture Almost All Year Round. http://www.ancientorganics.com/faq.html

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I don't use palm oil because I have tons of other fats I use, but here is some info:

"Like coconut oil, palm oil is a healthy saturated fat that resists oxidization when heated. It also boosts the immune system, reduces the risk of cancer, and assists with blood sugar control.

What sets palm oil apart from coconut oil is the wide variety of nutrients it contains, including:

  • vitamin E
  • beta-carotene
  • coenzyme Q10
  • squalene
  • vitamin K
  • sterols"

http://undergroundwellness.com/the-palm-oil-miracle/

There is a link to an interesting blogtalk radio show. This is from the same Dr. Bruce Fife who writes on the benefits of coconut oil.

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So maybe try it and see if you like how it tastes if you are ok with what you learn on palm oil? – Jackie Jan 26 2012 at 20:19
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Here is one that comes from Canada, and is available in most Indian grocery stores.

http://www.nanakfoods.com/products/dairy-products.html

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