2) Casein- and Lactose-Free: During the clarification process, milk solids are removed, leaving the healthy butter fats behind. Small, trace amounts of casein and lactose can possibly remain in the ghee, but unless a person is extremely sensitive, consuming ghee will be fine, even if dairy is not. Please discuss this with your doctor if you have any concerns about triggering an allergic response. We work hard to bring a very pure ghee to you!
3) Shelf Stable: A well-prepared ghee has very little moisture content and is very shelf-stable. You do not need to refrigerate it for 2-3 months if you keep it in an airtight container. When kept in a refrigerator, ghee can last up to a year. In India, aged ghee is considered to have healing properties and some families have ghee that is over 100-years old. Ghee such as this is rare and very expensive. The aged ghee is used externally for therapeutic purposes, and only under the care of an experienced practitioner.
4) Rich Flavor: Ghee has a rich, sweet and deliciously nutty flavor. A little amount of ghee adds a lot of flavor to the food. One tablespoon of ghee can replace up to three tablespoons of oil or butter in your recipe.
5) Alkalizing Effect: Ghee has slightly alkalizing effect on the body whereas butter has a slightly acidifying effect.
6) Ayurvedic Usage: A ghee which has been properly washed accordingly to Ayurvedic specifications is very beneficial in healing the skin. A small amount of ghee applied to belly button nourishes the entire body and is especially helpful is healing dried lips. Ghee is widely used in Ayurvedic massages and supplements. Ghee is sattvic food whereas butter is tamasic. Also, butter increases Kapha whereas ghee balances all the 3 doshas (kapha should use it in moderation).
Charaka Samhita, an ancient Ayurvedic text, was written around 800 BC. According to this text, ghee has the following two very important qualities:
- Yogavahi: Ghee has an ability to augment the effect of any herb added to it. Ghee also helps transport the healing and health-promoting qualities of the herbs to the body.
- Samskar Anuvartan: When ghee is processed with herbs, it does not lose its own qualities while imbibing the attributes of the herbs added to it. Among all oils and fats, only ghee has this unique quality, whereas other oils and fats give up their own qualities. For example, when sandalwood is added to an oil, the oil loses its “heating” quality and adapts the “cooling” quality of the sandalwood.
