Check the purity of Ghee at home

Ghee is the nectar and the best form of healthy fat in the Ayurveda medicine.

Our body needs fat for optimal functions of many organs and maintain the equilibrium of the body. The brain is made of fat! Eating healthy fat helps proper functions of the brain. In fact, Ghee is used as a medicine in Ayurveda.

In Ayurvedic context, eating ghee aids in longevity, vitality, rejuvenation, maintenance of youthful appearance and replenishment of the whole body. Ghee is also used as a carrier to consume ayurvedic concoctions, powders, and medicines prepared by the ayurvedic practitioners.

Ayurveda recommends the use of ghee in both morning and evening. There is no restriction in terms of age; from kids to elderly adults, everyone can consume ghee.

Whoever knows Ayurveda, must know what Ghee is, how to prepare ghee, and how to use ghee? Also, we should be aware of the purity of Ghee.

How do identify the purity of the ghee? Is the ghee I’m using is pure or contaminated?

If you visit a natural health store, you can buy ghee easily and the price is generally different in different stores. Pure ghee is apparently costly and impure ghee is always available at cheaper price.

Have you ever thought whether you are using pure ghee or impure ghee in your daily life? You must be aware of the fact the most of the dealers in the market replace pure ghee or mix ghee with Vanaspati oil ( the Hydrogenated form of vegetable oils) which is very cheap. Alternatively, there are a few manufacturers who mix the vegetable oils and other greasy elements in ghee to reduce the price of ghee.

Let’s open this chapter to check the purity of ghee at home.

Ghee doesn’t always appear runny or remain clump. It is greasy and easily melted.

Method 1

Put a spoon of ghee on your palm, if it starts to melt itself that is pure. Normally, pure ghee melts on the body temperature.

Method 2

Put a spoon of ghee and heat it. If it melts quickly and appear dark brownish color, that is pure ghee. Within a few seconds, the ghee will be melted. If it takes a longer time to melt and appear light yellow in color, it is impure.

Method 3

Ghee can be tested in a Laboratory for its molecular melting structure and smoking points to determine the purity and determine if the ghee has been adulterated with vegetable oils.

Take a small amount of pure Desi ghee in a test tube, heat it to melt and add an equal amount of concentrated HCl* (the acid that the stomach uses to digest food) and a pinch of sugar. Shake the tube hard and wait for five minutes. The appearance of crimson colour in the lower acid layer shows that hydrogenated oils/ vanaspati ghee has been mixed as an adulterant. Yet, if the colour of the mixture does not change, it means that there is no adulteration.

 This simple test at home you can easily find that the ghee you purchased is pure or adulterated.