urban dreamer
I wanna farm
Ahhhhh I thought the process sounded familiar! 
Mmm tater's fried in lard... 
And then soap to wash the grease off your hands! 
Mmm tater's fried in lard... And then soap to wash the grease off your hands! 
Rendering Fats?
- Thread starter tortoise
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- #22
tortoise
Wild Hare
I think Im having success. I scooped out the wierd (cooked?) stuff floating on the top. Strained it through a sieve. Now straining through a coffee filter. v.e.r.y...s..l..o....w......l.y ! 
The very first smell as it was heating made me put it out in the garage, but it just smells like deep-fryin to me.
The very first smell as it was heating made me put it out in the garage, but it just smells like deep-fryin to me.
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- #23
tortoise
Wild Hare
So to continue with this, how to I get it so that it will be totally white and scent-free?
Continue heating it and straining it? Or is coffee-filter straining enough?
For cooking I wouldn't mind it as is.
But for soap I would want scent-free, right? How do I get there?
Continue heating it and straining it? Or is coffee-filter straining enough?
For cooking I wouldn't mind it as is.
But for soap I would want scent-free, right? How do I get there?
Too late, I realize ... but really, a coffee filter? For soap? Way overkill, IMO. Now, I don't make soap, but I would imagine - though I could so easily be wrong - that the purity of the fat for soap would not need to be at the same level as for cooking. For lard I put it through a sieve, and that's it. I would think it would take forever to get through a coffee filter, not helped by cooling down and congealing. Still, if thats what you want to do ... Again, no soap maker here, but I should think that cleaning it, as posted previously, in hot water would be enough ... but no doubt a soapy person will come along to tell you more. Good luck with your endeavors. (PS - If you still have the remnants that cooked out of the fat, and if you have chickens, they love them. 
)
)
Farmfresh
City Biddy
Probably sieve would have been OK ... then again we DID tell you to strain it!
Now is the time to put the fat into deep water in a pot and boil it. (described above) Again fat for soap does NOT have to be scent FREE - just no strong smells. Since you filtered it that might not even be necessary. Let your sniffer decide.
When the chemical reaction between the lye and the fat takes place the acid in the fat combines with the base in the lye to become a salt. Chemically speaking soap IS A SALT. The reaction will remove some of the scent.
Strong scents, like the smoky flavorings of bacon fat or rancid fat, are hard to remove and require more boiling/cooling times.
Now is the time to put the fat into deep water in a pot and boil it. (described above) Again fat for soap does NOT have to be scent FREE - just no strong smells. Since you filtered it that might not even be necessary. Let your sniffer decide.
When the chemical reaction between the lye and the fat takes place the acid in the fat combines with the base in the lye to become a salt. Chemically speaking soap IS A SALT. The reaction will remove some of the scent.
Strong scents, like the smoky flavorings of bacon fat or rancid fat, are hard to remove and require more boiling/cooling times.
freemotion
Food Guru
I only use a screen-type strainer. It works fine. I don't use fat that is spoiled.
miss_thenorth
Frugal Homesteader
Can soeone tell me if the boiling procedure is ok for using the tallow for cooking purposes?, or just for soap making--I can't find the info on the net, and my tallow smells too bad for cooking. I have more sheep to go in the freezer soon., so I would like to know. pleeeease, anyone? 
Farmfresh
City Biddy
If it is rancid I would not cook with it.
The boiling water cleaning process takes out impurities like specks of meat etc, but I don't know about bad bacteria.
The boiling water cleaning process takes out impurities like specks of meat etc, but I don't know about bad bacteria.
miss_thenorth
Frugal Homesteader
I dont think it is rancid, all I did was simmer it, but it still smells like sheep fat. How would I know if it was rancid?
- Thread starter
- #30
tortoise
Wild Hare
I popped my lard out of the pan this morning and flipped it over. no specks! There is very little smell. I would cook with it! If the lye reaction takes out some smells and I add essential oil, I think it will be just fine.
So I have fat to make another batch... for cooking.
Yay!
But lets say I want to get it totally scent free. What does the boiling do for that? Or is that just for specks?
Am I done?!
It was so easy and mess-free. Pretty awesome.
I had it in the crockpot and poured it through a sieve into a pan. Cleaned the sieve and put a coffee filter in it and filtered it through back into the crockpot. It kept it warm enough to not congeal - even working in the cold garage. I can't remember if I did it one or two more time. I found out that it took 10 minutes for 1 cup of liquid fate to filter. So I set a timer and did other stuff inside.
So I have fat to make another batch... for cooking.
Yay!But lets say I want to get it totally scent free. What does the boiling do for that? Or is that just for specks?
Am I done?!
It was so easy and mess-free. Pretty awesome.
I had it in the crockpot and poured it through a sieve into a pan. Cleaned the sieve and put a coffee filter in it and filtered it through back into the crockpot. It kept it warm enough to not congeal - even working in the cold garage. I can't remember if I did it one or two more time. I found out that it took 10 minutes for 1 cup of liquid fate to filter. So I set a timer and did other stuff inside.
