Clarified butter is made by removing which components?

• A. Milk solids and water
• B. Salt
• C. Fat
• D. Flavorings

Answer: (A)

Clarified butter is made by removing the milk solids and the water from butter, leaving behind mostly fat. The process typically involves gently melting butter, allowing the water to evaporate and the milk solids to separate or float to the top, skimming off the foam, and then straining the clear fat through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. By removing both the water and the milk solids, you get butterfat with a higher smoke point and less chance of scorching during high-heat cooking. Salt and other flavorings aren’t the components that are removed in this step; salt may remain if you started with salted butter, and flavorings aren’t part of the clarifying process.