Tallow question

[miss_thenorth]

I just got done rendering the fat from a lamb that we just processed today. I realize I can keep it in the freezer for up to a year, but how long can it last in the fridge? Reason I'm asking is, I need to know what size containers to pour it into to to put it in the freezer. I don't wan tthe containers to be too big, so that when I take them out, they will go bad in the fridge.

 

[freemotion]

I've found that it depends on the purity. I >>>think<<< I render fat the same way each time, yet sometimes a batch gets moldy in the fridge, other times it keeps for weeks and weeks and weeks. If you are sure ( like I am!) that there is no moisture, just fat, you can keep it a long time.

When I have precious fat, I put it into half pint jars. If one is opened and I don't use it up before it goes bad, well, it is just a little.

Don't know how helpful this is...I have pounds of fat that are good in my fridge, and two loaf pans that went moldy that I need to deal with. My lard and bacon grease are in small jars, most of the lard is canned in sealed jars at room temp. Any chicken fat that is very yellow and flavorful, like from a roasted bird, gets the same small-jar storage. I have a couple of quarts of whiter chicken fat from catfood making that is months old in my fridge that still smells just fine. Go figure.

 

[tortoise]

What about using slightly-not-quite-right fat for making soap? I found som great info today about using bacon fat to make soap.

 

[freemotion]

I do that. I throw chicken fat in with good results. If I had a fat that didn't smell neutral, though, I'd boil it in changes of water to clean it first or your soap will smell. I could do that with my moldy tallow...that is why I haven't tossed it yet.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Well, I strained it into ss bowls to cool. I plan on cutting them into bars--sort of like how you can buy lard in the grocery stores, but smaller. I then plan on wrapping them in wax paper and freezing. I plan on doing them in small sections, so that if they do go bad in the fridge, I won't be wasting alot. I got quite a bit, and I still have 5 lambs left to go. Hopefully the flavour will be all right for cooking with.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I do that. I throw chicken fat in with good results. If I had a fat that didn't smell neutral, though, I'd boil it in changes of water to clean it first or your soap will smell. I could do that with my moldy tallow...that is why I haven't tossed it yet.

Can you explain this? the tallow I made yesterday is in the fridge right now and it smells nasty. I did it on the stove top with no added water, and strained it through a colander lined with a coffe filter. There are no bits in it, but it smells bad. Can I get rid of the smell by boiling it in water? How does one do this? I have looked online and can't find anything.

 

[freemotion]

I read it somewhere, can't remember now, but I haven't done it yet. You fill a pot with plenty of water and simmer the fat, and hopefully the nasty gets into the water. Sometimes you simmer it several times. Then it is good for soap. Maybe it was in The Encyclopedia of Country Living?