Pale yellow lard? What gives?

[Guest guest]

I just rendered lard for the first time (I guess this is Fat-Rendering

Month for me) and instead of coming out snowy white, it's a sort of pale

yellow. It seems like it's because the chunks of pig fat browned slightly

as they were rendering, but why doesn't this happen to anyone else?

I cut the fat up into tiny little pieces, put it in a roasting pan, added a

little water, and stuck it in my convection oven at about 225 for quite

awhile, until it didn't seem to be making any more progress in sucking more

fat out of the little pieces of tissue. Did I ruin the lard? Is there

something I should be doing differently?

-

[Guest guest]

At 11:47 AM 11/20/02 -0500, you wrote:

>I just rendered lard for the first time (I guess this is Fat-Rendering

>Month for me) and instead of coming out snowy white, it's a sort of pale

>yellow.  It seems like it's because the chunks of pig fat browned slightly

>as they were rendering, but why doesn't this happen to anyone else?

>

>I cut the fat up into tiny little pieces, put it in a roasting pan, added a

>little water, and stuck it in my convection oven at about 225 for quite

>awhile, until it didn't seem to be making any more progress in sucking more

>fat out of the little pieces of tissue.  Did I ruin the lard?  Is there

>something I should be doing differently?

>

>

>

>-

,

If the pig was pastured that may be the reason for the yellow unless the fat

did burn a bit. The water may have something to do with it too although it

should evaporate. Mom always did it on top on the stove in a big graniteware

canning kettle. You start it off with a few pieces until you get a pool of fat

in the bottom, add more and more as you get more melted fat, stir and keep an

eye on it to make sure it doesn't stick or stay on the bottom. The

remainder of

the unmelted fat pieces will come to the top and be slightly crispy when done

but not more than lightly browned. Skim those off and eat salted if you want.

Let fat cool until pot is handleable. She'd strain through a wire sifter into

coffee cans she'd saved or mayonnaise jars (more cooling needed to not break)

let it sit on counter overnight until white then it would go in the freezer.

Was it covered or uncovered in the convection?

Wanita

[Guest guest]

Wanita-

>If the pig was pastured that may be the reason for the yellow unless the fat

>did burn a bit.

The fat left over from the bacon and the ground pork and chops I got has

always been white, so it's probably something from the rendering

process. But why would the fat have burnt at 200-250 degrees?

>the unmelted fat pieces will come to the top and be slightly crispy when done

>but not more than lightly browned.

They definitely weren't more than lightly browned, that's for sure. The

remaining chunks of friend fat and tissue looked like, well, fried food,

but quite light in color. And actually, in the full light of day, the lard

looks more like a very pale tan or beige than yellow.

Perhaps I should render it at a lower temperature this time?

>Was it covered or uncovered in the convection?

It was uncovered. I figured I needed to let all the moisture boil off.

-

[Guest guest]

At 04:43 PM 11/20/02 -0500, you wrote:

,

>

>

>The fat left over from the bacon and the ground pork and chops I got has

>always been white, so it's probably something from the rendering

>process.  But why would the fat have burnt at 200-250 degrees?

******Don't think it burnt just that thats the only reason I can think of for

yellow other than feed. Have you rendered bacon fat before or does this

contain

bacon fat with the salt that might change the color?

>They definitely weren't more than lightly browned, that's for sure.  The

>remaining chunks of friend fat and tissue looked like, well, fried food,

>but quite light in color.  And actually, in the full light of day, the lard

>looks more like a very pale tan or beige than yellow.

*******Could be some sort of water reaction too.

>

>Perhaps I should render it at a lower temperature this time?

***** Once you get the pool of fat for the pieces to melt in the temp can be

turned up but not so that it smokes. After that you should only get the steam

of water releasing from the fat. Thinking again back the pot would only be

covered to produce the heat to start the first pool of fat along with checking

it for smoking and stirring.

>

>It was uncovered.  I figured I needed to let all the moisture boil off.

**** Maybe it being in an enclosed stove didn't allow for enough steaming off.

Wild guessing on all this. Am getting some beef fat soon and will go through

the process as I remember and let you know.

Wanita

[Guest guest]

Wanita-

>Have you rendered bacon fat before or does this

>contain

>bacon fat with the salt that might change the color?

This was, AFAIK, all subcutaneous pig fat that I rendered. Most of it came

in big chunks that obviously were from right under the skin, but some of it

might have been from elsewhere in the pig.

I rendered the second half of the batch at just over 200 degrees, and this

time it came out white. Not a clean, bright white, but definitely

white. And even stranger, the first batch, which was kind of tan, was

thinner and more liquid, while the second, much whiter batch was much more

solid. That's at a room temperature of about 68 degrees. So I reluctantly

decided I'd better be safe than sorry and tossed the first batch out. I

don't know what happened, but next time I'll try rendering at 180 degrees.

I'd appreciate any light you or anyone else can shed on this.

-

[Guest guest]

,

Could be fat from different areas and the second portion being the more denser

fat or heat related. Am likening it to the difference between beef suet and

beef fat. We always did all the fat in one day, usually a few canning kettles.

If there was any color variation I don't remember. Did make home fries last

night and noticed the bacon grease is beige. Lowering the temp on the third

batch should do it. Sounds like you're close with that second batch.

Wanita