rendering suet

[okiegirl1]

Ok, so I got this 10# plus box of pork suet. I'm gonna use about 1/2 to mix with my ground deer.

the rest I was gonna render for the lard.

so,.....

I just boil it in water, let the water cool and scoop up the lard the forms at the top.

is that right?

 

[meriruka]

I'm curious to see what answers you get as well, because if there's water involved, I've been doing it wrong. I've just always melted it slowly and then strained all the bits out, let it harden then scrape any tiny particles off the bottom.

 

[Bettacreek]

I tried the boiling method when I rendered my first few batches of fat. I've since learned that it's MUCH easier and less time consuming to melt it straight on the stove, no water. There's also less waste. When there's some melted fat on the bottom, I take a clear glass dish (was using a bread pan) and fill it partway with HOT water. Add the grease, then put it in the freezer. Any chunks should sink in the water, the fat will all rise to the top of the water then harden. This gives you cleaner fat that is easier to remove from your container than if you just dump the fat into the container.

 

[okiegirl1]

ok, so

1) melt suet in a pan on the stove (I'm assuming at pretty low heat) (do I cut the suet up in little bits?)

2) after it's melted, pour into a glass container and add hot water

3) put in freezer and let harden

4) once frozen scrape lard and toss water and chunks at the bottom

 

[ORChick]

I find that the slow cooker on LO is perfect for this job. The first time I did it I tried cutting the fat into small pieces with a knife, but that got really tiresome (I had about 5# of it), so I just cut it into strips and fed it through the meat grinder - much, much easier (Its helpful to put the fat in the freezer for half an hour or so before grinding). As the fat melted I used a ladle to scoop it out, and poured it through a fine sieve directly into jars. For the last part the water trick of Bettacreek sounds good; I'll remember that for next time.

ETA: I would think that refrigerating the lard/water container would be better than freezing. Lifting the fat off of water would be easier, and more thorough, than scraping it off of ice IMO.

 

[Bettacreek]

I should have been more specific. I do not let it freeze. I only put it in the freezer because it's faster and it gets it cooler. I then break the suet on top, then it comes right out. Dump the yucky water out and put the pieces of cooled suet somewhere. You do want it to be cooler than a fridge would make it, but not frozen. That way you don't have to worry about grease smearing everywhere when you're working with it. I can actually dry mine off with a towel without getting grease everywhere. Granted, this is suet/tallow, not lard. Lard may still be a bit greasy.

 

[freemotion]

I use a version of ORChicks method. If I use the woodstove, I use the added water method. I always grind it, though. Much faster and cleaner.

I've started freezing it in canning jars for pre-measured amounts. I plan on canning it when I have larger amounts from our own pigs.

Take the bits and any unrendered fat left over when you have had enough and give it all to the hens....they love it! They need fat to make all those lovely egg yolks!

 

[okiegirl1]

I use a version of ORChicks method. If I use the woodstove, I use the added water method. I always grind it, though. Much faster and cleaner.

I've started freezing it in canning jars for pre-measured amounts. I plan on canning it when I have larger amounts from our own pigs.

Take the bits and any unrendered fat left over when you have had enough and give it all to the hens....they love it! They need fat to make all those lovely egg yolks!

thanks for the suggestion.

I won't get my chickens until spring, but I could just freeze the yucky stuff and give it to them this summer...... right?

 

[miss_thenorth]

could just freeze the yucky stuff and give it to them this summer...... right?

yup!

 

[freemotion]

I second that yup! I freeze goodies for my birds all the time, especially when making stuff in large quantities, like catfood. I just gave them three pounds of mashed bones and gunk yesterday. They rewarded me with 20 eggs today...from 23 hens!

Don't tell me my feeding methods don't work!