RECIPES

Tuesday 7 February 2023

The Cheese Barn

 

I have been searching for a source of organic cow’s ghee to use in cooking instead of oil.  Ghee, an ultra-clarified form of butter, has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years.

It contains medium chain fatty acids which aid in the faster digestion and absorption of food.  It also helps to stimulate the satiety centre of the brain, helping to control appetite (and promote weight loss!).

As with my butter rationing, I don’t intend to go overboard in using this.  Just sometimes, though, it is nice to make a pie crust or a fruit crumble pudding (I don’t make cakes etc any more, unless for a really special occasion), or I may want to grease my non-stick skillet. 

The ghee will be better to use than butter (I dislike using oil for these things as it always seems to go sticky and thick and yukky).




I found a place called Milkio, that claimed to be based here in Hamilton itself – only every avenue on their webpage that I explored came to a dead end.  When I discovered a different brand with an almost identical webpage (called Gold Leaf), I decided the whole lot was probably a scam.

Then I discovered a source at Matatoki, near Thames, called The Cheese Barn.  They were quite open about who stocked their product and also that they had their own shop (with address and hours) inside their cafe.

It was quite pleasant to drive over there this morning (even though it took 90 minutes each way) and enjoy the green countryside.  There was still some evidence of the recent floods, but nothing to hinder my travels.

I purchased my ghee with glee, and am looking forward to using it to grease the pan tonight when I cook up my Bean Burgers.

May your smile always be the right way up 😊

Margaret.

 

18 comments:

  1. I have never heard of ghee. I just asked Barb, she knew exactly what it is.

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    1. Well, they say you should learn something new every day :D

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  2. Golly, I am sue we went there many years ago. Looks familiar anyway. Enjoy your ghee. I think it is easy to make - similar to clarified butter.

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    1. I have made my own before. You clarify the butter and then take it that step further. I found it rather fussy to do, and I wanted real ghee not clarified butter to use. Much easier to buy it :)

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  3. What a great find, this self confessed cheese-a-holic says.... Glad you were able to obtain your Ghee - enjoy your Bean Burgers this evening
    Blessings
    Maxine

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    1. I've stopped eating cheese for now but hope, once my weight gets down, to be able to add some back into my diet. I should say I have always had an issue with milk and cheese, which is why I've dropped them for now.

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    2. I limit my dairy and cheese intake... mainly due to stomach/intolerance issues, but I can and do use a bit of feta in my salads. My yoghurt is home made, so I know exactly what is in it :) M

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  4. Interesting. How is it different from the clarified butter you made? I see tubs of ghee in the East Asian markets but haven't been tempted to try it. GM

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    1. I used to make clarified butter by simmering unsalted butter until it formed clumps of white solids, which were then strained out. Making ghee, I took the strained liquid and simmered it more until it changed colour and dark brown sediment all fell to the bottom. Strain that out and what is left is ghee. I always found it a bit tricky judging the right time to strain it :)

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  5. Probably worth it just for a trip to the Cheese Barn - it looks restful funnily enough.

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  6. We were first introduced to ghee many years ago when we first started cooking Asian dishes. Then, you had to either make your own or go to an Asian-owned business. Now it is commonly found, even in supermarkets. Have you considered stir fries as a part of your diet? They are cooked in a wok with a tablespoon of oil and dinner is ready in no time - and always healthy and delicious.

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    1. I usually have about one stir fry a week, but am thinking of increasing that amount (only I will use ghee now instead of the oil!).

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  7. That sounds very interesting!!! I can take (hot) oil, but Ingo can not - please, if you like, share your experience xxx

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    1. Ghee is reputed to be much more easily digested than oil, so it may be worth trying it.

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  8. Our daughter uses ghee though I never have. The drive to get it sound relaxing.

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  9. The kids and I just visited Grandpa's Cheese Barn...the name intrigued us so we drove about an hour to visit. Loads of different cheeses and cheese from around the world. It was fun sampling! A friend of mine makes her own ghee so I tried it, not hard at all. Honestly, I'd never tried it before, but good to try something new. I can share her how-to if you want to give it a try. Enjoy those bean burgers!

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  10. I have never ever used ghee, although I use butter, it's mainly a vegan margarine we tend to use most.

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  11. Interesting I have not heard of ghee

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Thank-you for visiting my blog. I love it when you leave a comment so please feel free to have your say. Have a great day! Margaret xx