rendering fats... more than you may want to know, lol

[Guest guest]

As a homesteader and soap-maker, I've rendered my fair share of fats,

usually in late fall or winter when the extra heat of rendering is welcome.

The easiest way is to dry-render: Chunk up the fat into a large turkey

roaster and pop the whole thing in the oven; a large electric roaster with

temp settings would work too. Every half hour or so, remove the melted oil

and add more fat chunks when it gets low. When rendering fat, be careful to

keep your temps low... for tallow and lard, I use about 175-200 F. For emu

fat, I go even lower.

After pouring the melted fat through a strainer to remove any cracklings

(the fiber that holds the fat together), it's a good idea to remove odors

and stray meat particles from the rendered tallow/lard by putting it in a

stockpot with water and 1/4 tsp baking soda and simmer for 10 min (some say

1/2 cup of white vinegar instead of soda also works, but I haven't tried

that). The steam carries off a lot of the smell, especially with tallow

which tends to retain a beefy odor. Strain the melted fat again through

muslin to remove any stray meat particles and gelatin. Cool until the

tallow hardens on top of the water, then chunk it up in useable pieces.

The bad thing about home-rendered fat is it needs to be kept in the

refrigerator, and even then it often goes rancid or moldy when kept too

long. Freezing works well, but you can also pressure-can rendered fat in

quart jars. The Amish have an even simpler method: they pour boiling fat

into sterilized jars, put the lids on and then turn the jar upside down to

let the heat seal, as with jelly and jam. I'be been told the lard keeps

just fine without putting through the water bath or pressure cooker. I

haven't tried that myself, though.

By the way, rendered lard or deer tallow is excellent for healing rough

hands... just rub it in plain until absorbed. I use lard as a component of

a healing salve that I make with infused comfrey.

hope this helps,

[Guest guest]

, bless you! Steaming the tallow in water with baking soda was an

especially useful tip. I hope that will make pemmican more palatable. I'm

bummed to learn, however, that it has to stay in the refrigerator. Thanks

again!

Elaine

> From: " Sagehill " <sagehill@...>

> Reply-

> Date: Sat, 4 Sep 2004 15:48:29 -0400

> < >

> Subject: rendering fats... more than you may want to know, lol

>

> As a homesteader and soap-maker, I've rendered my fair share of fats,

> usually in late fall or winter when the extra heat of rendering is welcome.

>

> The easiest way is to dry-render: Chunk up the fat into a large turkey

> roaster and pop the whole thing in the oven; a large electric roaster with

> temp settings would work too. Every half hour or so, remove the melted oil

> and add more fat chunks when it gets low. When rendering fat, be careful to

> keep your temps low... for tallow and lard, I use about 175-200 F. For emu

> fat, I go even lower.

>

> After pouring the melted fat through a strainer to remove any cracklings

> (the fiber that holds the fat together), it's a good idea to remove odors

> and stray meat particles from the rendered tallow/lard by putting it in a

> stockpot with water and 1/4 tsp baking soda and simmer for 10 min (some say

> 1/2 cup of white vinegar instead of soda also works, but I haven't tried

> that). The steam carries off a lot of the smell, especially with tallow

> which tends to retain a beefy odor. Strain the melted fat again through

> muslin to remove any stray meat particles and gelatin. Cool until the

> tallow hardens on top of the water, then chunk it up in useable pieces.

>

> The bad thing about home-rendered fat is it needs to be kept in the

> refrigerator, and even then it often goes rancid or moldy when kept too

> long. Freezing works well, but you can also pressure-can rendered fat in

> quart jars. The Amish have an even simpler method: they pour boiling fat

> into sterilized jars, put the lids on and then turn the jar upside down to

> let the heat seal, as with jelly and jam. I'be been told the lard keeps

> just fine without putting through the water bath or pressure cooker. I

> haven't tried that myself, though.

>

> By the way, rendered lard or deer tallow is excellent for healing rough

> hands... just rub it in plain until absorbed. I use lard as a component of

> a healing salve that I make with infused comfrey.

>

> hope this helps,

>

>

>

>

>

>