My Mom told me that she has the opportunity to get the lard from (I believe) three hogs after the first of the year. She was told that it may or may not be rendered. She said she would take it either way - it's free!
So if she does get it she wants some for cooking I can have some of it for soapmaking but neither one of us has ever rendered lard.
Is there a website with pictures that I can refer to? I am not sure if I will be with her due to the weather - she lives 5 hours away - so I will need to print out instructions.

Thanks
Bev

The old fashioned way was to put the fat in an iron kettle out in the yard with a low fire under it and cook the fat until it was crisp with the oil rendered out. A big wooden paddle was used to stir the pieces of fat so that they all got their turn nearest the heat.

I suppose the modern way would be with a fish or turkey fryer over propane. Be careful not to spill or splash hot oil on yourself.

You have to be careful that the heat does not get so high that the oil is scorched, or you have nothing but soap grease. Turn the heat down low.

The best lard for cooking is that rendered from the intestinal fat which will come in flakes, some as large as a plate. This is called "leaf lard" and is especially good for pastries.

You can render small batches in a big glass bowl in the microwave. As in rendering any fat indoors you must be very careful not to set it on fire or spill it. I have done it by setting microwave for two minute run times and repeating until I judged the fat sufficiently rendered. Much like cooking bacon in the microwave.
Ox

Go here, this is the way my gramma did it only a much larger scale. She also did a wash in white vinegar. www.suite101.com/article.cfm/soapmaking/79078

When I render lard (hopefully it comes ground up) I put it in a roaster, then in the oven at 250*F, as it melts down I transfer it (with a turkey baster) into appropriate containers. After it is cooled down, I label it and put it in my deepfreeze. I leave 1/2 inch head space it expands somewhat with freezing. This takes a whole day. An appropriate container is everything from old margarine/yogurt containers with lids, washed out cardboard milk cartons.... I use anything and everything to store it in. The left overs when all the lard is rendered (it's pretty obvious when all the lard has been melted out) is called cracklins and edible. There is nothing better to make pastry out of, than home rendered lard!!!
If you cannot render all the lard immediately, I simply store the packages of unrendered lard in the deepfreeze till I have time (or containers).
Gloria

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As I've matured......I've learned that artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity

I use my biggest pot right on the stove. Low heat, takes a while. Keep stirring, it'll keep melting down. Then I squeeze all I can out of the cracklins and if I have more tallow I just keep adding it as It melts down and I have room. Strain it in a ssreen strainer and pacgage it up. OR let it cool, reheat it (makes for a solider product) add bird seed and peanut butter for suet cakes.
I don't make pastry but the home made lard is Most delicious for frying fish!

I use an electric roaster on my countertop. I use a lard recipe for teaching so I simply ladle out the melted lard into the clean buckets as it melts. The slower you go the less pig smell you have in the lard, although the smell doesn't come into the soap anyway, no bacon soap here You can get lard for free from butchers. Vicki

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Vicki McGaugh
Houston TX
Lonesome Doe Nubians est: 1986
www.lonesomedoenubians.com
NubianSoaps.com

Round 2 of kidding starts May 15th, a few doelings and bucklings will be for sale.

Somebody else can clarify, but I think you use beef fat rendered and strained for homemade soap, not pork lard. You can use pork lard as a skin treatment on critters, on various parts of (live) chickens to protect them from the cold or from getting seriously pecked. Sue

Lard is just as popular as tallow for making soap. Can't wait to get a hog butchered to replenish my lard stores for making soap!

Heather

I have been using lard for soapmaking for about 5-6 years. Many more commercial soaps seem to use tallow as opposed to lard, but if you look at the lye calculator that you use I am sure that you will see lard as an option.
I switched about 3 years ago to 100% lard soap for my laundry soap - works great. My favorite bar soap formula uses about 20% lard.

Try adding lard to your next formula - you might just be pleasantly suprised

Bev

Here is how I render pork fat. I fill my crock pot half way with the fat and put it on high till all the cracklins turn brown and sink to the bottom. Strain through a cheese cloth, pour into loaf pans put in fridge overnight. Slice and put into gallon freezer bags and store in freezer. I just take out a slice or two as needed for soap making or cooking. Have fun!!
Chick

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[/FONT][COLOR=Purple] When the trumpet sounds........I'm outta here!!!!!!!!!!!!COLOR]

You can use any animal fat for soap making. I have used pork lard, beef tallow, deer, goat, sheep, bison, goose.

I have not heard of putting lard on chickens that are being pecked, are you thinking of pine tar, maybe???

We render in the oven. Grind the fat and place it in a very slow oven, no more than 200F and keep ladling off what has melted. I strain in with a paper towel. Check out Cyndi's website. She's got a good tutorial. Just remember to keep the temp low.
http://www.mullerslanefarm.com/pictorials.html

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Charleen in Western NY www.harperhillfarm.com

Get all you can, can all you can, then sit on the lid. ~ Gramma Sarah

water is okay when rendering tallow but not needed. I never render lard with water!

http://www.mullerslanefarm.com/render.html

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Cyndi (and sometimes Paul)

9th Annual Homesteading Weekend

Our Lessons in Homesteading

NW Ill-Annoy USA

Don't forget duck, chicken, rabbit, racoon, skunk, mountain lion, deer, moose, elk ....

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Cyndi (and sometimes Paul)

9th Annual Homesteading Weekend

Our Lessons in Homesteading

NW Ill-Annoy USA