Guest guest Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 > What I have now is four one quart canning jars with this > beautifully golden liquid in them. Questions are: > > This will turn solid? Whenever it is cool enough it solidifies. Although there is a strange lag between the time that it reaches that criticial temperature, and when it actually congeals. Another strange fact about ghee, and possibly other solid fats as well, I don't know, is that if it's quickly cooled in the freezer after cooking, it sets up dense, waxy and semi-translucent, with a golden appearance, and retains this appearance even after removal from the freezer and coming to room temperature. However if it cools slowly, on the counter overnight, it comes out loose, granular, opaque and yellow. If you re-heat a batch of either sort, and then subject it to the opposite sort of cooling, it will assume the opposite characteristic, and I assume that this is so no matter how many times you repeat the experiment. > How long? Do you mean how long does it stay solid? If so, then as long as it remains at or below the temperature at which it normally solidifies. Anytime that it gets warmer, or of course when you put it into a hot pan to fry, it will liquify again. It's just like water, which is solid (ice) at certain temperatures, liquid at certain temperatures, and gasesous (steam) at certain temperatures. Although I'm sure that ghee would ignite before become a gas! > I've not put lids on but feel I should and they might just seal > themselves from the heat. If you're sure that you've done a good job of getting out all of the moisture, and you want to seal them well for long-term storage at room temperature, then that might be a good idea. You might test one jar by keeping a lid on it for awhile and then checking to see if any condensation forms on it. > (there are two more batches waiting for the colder evening temps > and the wood stove). Should I have put lids on? It's probably not necessary if not convenient. Are the cats still on the prowl? > How long does this stuff keep out on a shelf in my pantry? It seems that I can keep mine about 2 or 3 months before it starts to get a tallowy smell that I don't like, but that's a jar that's constanly being dipped into. If you're tightly sealing your jars and putting them away in a dark pantry undisturbed, they might well last much longer. Like I said though, I do like to freeze any surplus I have, then it keeps indefinitely. To simplify it all, just think of ghee the same way you do Crisco, or lard and vegetable oil from the grocery store. It's used the same way, and will keep pretty much the same way that these do too. > Thanks again! You're welcome. > Belinda having a fun adventure and making one heck of a mess. You're licking your fingers alot, aren't you?! :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 > If you're sure that you've done a good job of getting out all > of the moisture, and you want to seal them well for long-term > storage at room temperature, then that might be a good idea. > You might test one jar by keeping a lid on it for awhile and > then checking to see if any condensation forms on it. Next batch I'll just plop lids on when it's hot. That's the way I do with cracklin's when I render lard and they last for years. > > > (there are two more batches waiting for the colder evening temps > > and the wood stove). Should I have put lids on? > > It's probably not necessary if not convenient. Are the cats > still on the prowl? > The cats are always waiting for the moment we goof. There are plenty of those and they are well fed cats. <G> > > How long does this stuff keep out on a shelf in my pantry? > > It seems that I can keep mine about 2 or 3 months before it > starts to get a tallowy smell that I don't like, but that's > a jar that's constanly being dipped into. If you're tightly > sealing your jars and putting them away in a dark pantry > undisturbed, they might well last much longer. Like I said > though, I do like to freeze any surplus I have, then it keeps > indefinitely. To simplify it all, just think of ghee the same > way you do Crisco, or lard and vegetable oil from the grocery > store. It's used the same way, and will keep pretty much the > same way that these do too. > Lard and I are old friends and it keeps in a 5 gallon bucket in the kitchen for a year so I'm not going to have any problems with ghee. I'll dip into one jar and store the rest in the pantry. Freezing isn't what I want to do as this all started as a way to make room in the freezer. Need to take 30 ducks worth of stuff out of the freezer as some ducks are going to meat their maker this week. :-) > > Thanks again! > > You're welcome. > > > Belinda having a fun adventure and making one heck of a mess. > > You're licking your fingers alot, aren't you?! :-D > > Somehow something always manages to get on the kitchen surfaces and as I hate to waste anything.... :-) Belinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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