How to Store Ghee

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 17, 2020 References Tested

Ghee is a form of clarified butter that has been evaporated so that only the pure butterfat remains. Ghee lasts longer than regular butter, but you still have to store it properly. Keep it in the cabinet if you plan to eat it soon, in the fridge to last a little longer, or in the freezer to last at least a year.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Keeping Ghee in the Fridge or Cabinet

1
Store homemade ghee in the cabinet if you plan to use it within 3 months. Pour your ghee into a clean jar, wait for it to cool, and then seal it. Label the jar with the date that you made it. Keep the container in a cabinet, in a spot that is dark and cool.^{[1]
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- Don’t store it in an open bowl, because the oxygen will make it go rancid.
- You can also keep ghee in the fridge if you plan to use it soon, but you don’t have to.
2
Keep homemade ghee in the fridge if you plan to use it for more than 3 months. If you just made the ghee and it’s still warm, you should let it cool completely and pour it into a jar. Label the jar with the date of when you made it. Then, put the ghee in the fridge.^{[2]
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3
Keep airtight, store-bought ghee in the cabinet for up to a year. If you bought ghee from the store and it is in a sealed container, you can keep it in a dark, cool cabinet for a year. Ghee that comes from the store should have a best-by date on the container, so be sure to check the date before you eat the ghee.^{[3]
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4
Discard the ghee if you notice a change in appearance or smell. If it smells or tastes sour, that means it’s gone rancid. Ghee should smell sweet as milk, and should be a creamy, yellow color. Since ghee keeps for such a long time, you are unlikely to run into this problem, but if you’re digging out a who-knows-how-old jar from the back of the cabinet, you should check it before you use it.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Freezing Ghee for Long Term Storage

1
Put the ghee in freezer-safe containers. Some glass jars aren’t freezer-safe, so you might want to use a sealing plastic container or a freezer bag. Use several small containers if you want to be able to defrost a little bit at a time.^{[5]
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- Consider putting about a month’s worth of ghee in each container.
2
Label the containers or bags. When freezing, it’s best to label the container with the date and contents, so that later you can remember how long it’s been in your freezer. Just use a permanent marker and write right on the container. It’s easy to forget about food once it’s in your freezer, so do your future self a favor by being organized now.^{[6]
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3
Leave in the freezer for 1 year or longer. Some people say that ghee will last in the freezer for a year, while others say that it lasts pretty much forever. Either way, it will certainly last longer than in your fridge or cabinet.^{[7]
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4
Defrost a container and check the quality. You can defrost the ghee by letting it thaw overnight in the fridge. When the container is defrosted, check the quality before you use it in your cooking. Once it’s defrosted, it should have the same sweet smell and yellow color as before you froze it.^{[8]
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