With ghee prices varying so widely, it helps to know a few simple checks you can do at home before you trust a jar on your shelf.
The palm test: Melt a small spoon of ghee in your palm. Pure ghee melts almost instantly from body heat alone, since it has a low melting point. If it takes a while to melt, or feels waxy, that's a warning sign.
The double boiler test: Heat a spoon of ghee in a pan. Pure ghee turns golden brown fairly quickly and gives off a rich, nutty aroma. Adulterated ghee tends to melt slowly and turns light yellow rather than golden.
The iodine test: A drop of tincture iodine added to melted, cooled ghee will turn purple or blue if the ghee contains added starch — a common cheap filler. Pure ghee shows no colour change.
The fridge test: Refrigerate a spoon of ghee. Pure ghee sets into a grainy, slightly crumbly texture. If it turns uniformly smooth and hard like vegetable shortening, it likely contains vanaspati or other hydrogenated fats.
None of these tests are lab-grade, but together they're a good sanity check. The simplest safeguard, though, is sourcing your ghee from a maker you trust — one who can tell you exactly which farm the milk came from and how it was made.