How to Clarify Butter for Edibles (Higher Smoke Point, Cleaner Infusion)

Learning how to clarify butter for edibles is one of the smartest things you can do before making cannabutter or any cannabis-infused recipe. Clarified butter has a higher smoke point, a longer shelf life, and fewer impurities than regular butter — making it the ideal fat for edible infusions. In this guide, Fordee walks through the full process on the stovetop using simple tools you already have at home.

Why Clarify Butter for Edibles?

When you clarify butter for edibles, you remove two things: water and milk solids. Both of these can interfere with cannabis infusion — the water dilutes your infusion, and the milk solids can burn at lower temperatures and shorten shelf life. Clarified butter:

• Higher smoke point — approximately 450°F (232°C) vs about 300°F for regular butter
• Longer shelf life — up to 6 months at room temperature, and up to a year refrigerated
• Cleaner infusion base — purer fat means better cannabinoid uptake during infusion
• Cheaper than buying it — a pound of regular butter costs far less than the equivalent clarified butter or ghee at the store

Clarified Butter vs Ghee: What’s the Difference?

Clarified butter and ghee are both made by removing milk solids from butter, but they are not exactly the same thing. When you clarify butter for edibles, the process stops before the butter browns. Ghee goes one step further — the butter is cooked until the milk solids brown slightly before straining, giving ghee its nuttier, richer flavour. For cannabis edibles, either works well. Clarified butter is more neutral in taste; ghee adds a slight nutty quality.

How to Clarify Butter for Edibles: 5 Easy Steps

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

For this batch, Fordee uses 500g (just over a pound) of regular butter. You’ll also need:

• A medium saucepan or pot
• A Pyrex or heat-safe interim container (half-litre/half-pint)
• A final storage container with a lid
• Cheesecloth and a rubber band
• A spatula for stirring
• A spoon for skimming

Step 2: Melt the Butter

Add the butter to your pot and turn the heat to high to bring it up to temperature faster. Once it starts to melt, drop the heat to medium-low. Use a spatula to break the butter into smaller pieces and stir regularly. If you’re not comfortable with high heat, start on medium-low from the beginning — it just takes a little longer. The whole process from solid to clarified takes about 15 minutes of active stovetop time.

Step 3: Skim the Milk Solids

As the butter melts and heats, a white foam (milk solids) will rise to the surface. After about 15 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. Use a spoon to skim as much of the foam off the top as possible and discard it. You don’t need to get every last bit — the cheesecloth straining step will catch the rest. When you clarify butter for edibles, thorough skimming gives you a cleaner final product.

Step 4: Let It Settle

Pour the skimmed butter into your interim Pyrex container and let it rest undisturbed for 1–2 hours. During this time, any remaining milk solids will sink to the bottom. You’ll notice the top layer becoming beautifully clear and golden — that’s the pure clarified butter. Do not pour the white sediment that settles at the bottom — pour only the clear liquid off the top.

Step 5: Strain and Store

Secure a double layer of cheesecloth over your storage container using a rubber band. Slowly pour the clear butter through the cheesecloth, leaving the milk solid sediment behind in the Pyrex. Discard the solids and the cheesecloth. Seal your container — your clarified butter is ready to use. Store it at room temperature for up to 6 months, or refrigerate for up to a year. Once you clarify butter for edibles this way, you’ll never go back to using regular butter for cannabutter.

Using Clarified Butter for Cannabis Infusion

Once you clarify butter for edibles, you’re set up perfectly for making cannabutter. The higher smoke point means less risk of degrading THC during infusion, and the pure fat content results in a more potent, better-tasting final product. Use your clarified butter in any cannabutter recipe — including the AVB cannabutter recipe Fordee covers on this channel. Check the video description and pinned links for the full clarified butter cannabutter tutorial.

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