At this point it would be good to store them in the cellar or some place where it’s cooler than 100 degrees. I’ll have to keep my eye out at the garage sales for something like that. Wait for your lard to solidify and then tightly screw all of the caps on the jars. But you can make good soap from this fat. If the fat is too firm to transfer it to the cubes, leave it for an hour or so on the counter, so it softens up a bit. Don't buy ANY lard until you verify that it doesn't have hydrogenated oils in it, and specifically without canola oil. I carefully take a sieve and dip out all the pieces I can. How to Use. Ever since Vietnam, I've been prepping in one form or another. Be sure to read all of the directions for rendering and preserving your own lard as there are a few different steps you need to take in order for it to be successful. This pig fat has been used for baking and cooking purposes for years. I can remember my mom canning pork tenderloin and sausage. The easiest way to go about that is to freeze lard in an ice cube tray. Within 50 miles of our home there are 5 facilities that do custom meat processing ( including the killing if you're squeamish or tenderhearted). Just read your posts on canola oil. ( by C for Prep Pro). Once the lard has been poured into the mason jar, allow it to cool. The process would be the same for any fat, I'm just wondering why, wouldn't beef fat render the same? It would take a little more time and I'm one of the laziest preppers in the world. Tried the crock pot last year out on the porch, worked well, but it doesn't help season any new dutch ovens. I also use the crispy little bits (known as cracklings) that develop in the lard that’s rendered fresh from the pork in my sausages, meatballs, and hearty gravies. I have rendered and used lard forever from my own pigs. Submitted by Cat on 4 February 2016 - 9:05pm. Ingredients. So this mixer has ground I can't imagine how many hundreds of pounds of meat over the 40 years! Submitted by Preparedness Pro on 20 March 2016 - 5:49pm, Submitted by Sarah on 15 February 2017 - 11:12am. slow cooker; wooden spoon; jar funnel; fine mesh sieve, small bottle size; unbleached coffee filter; ladle; mason jars, 1/2, pint, or quart (your preference) Instructions . Note: I have had friends do this process in much larger batches. (I know, that sounds ironic that the smelly part of the pig makes good soap, but it’s weirdly true.). Kimberly Killebrew, www.daringgourmet.com. This is about the time I yell “Honey?! The lard that smoked is darker in color and I am curious if it is ruined? As the pork fat becomes clear, I take a METAL ladle and ladle it out, over a small metal sieve that’s securely set on top of my canning jar. *grin* You'll get about 15 pounds of lard from a pig that size. Thank you for taking the mystery out of it and letting us know the tricky spots. I need it to be solid at room temp. Once again, the quality of the lard makes the quality of the soap. Love the info. Let it sit undisturbed at room temperature until it has to cooled down and is firm (it firms up pretty quickly). I'm new to the whole eating lard concept, and I found this post very interesting. So I need to get this right as too not waste any more. Lard will keep at room temp for about 4 to 6 months as long as it is stored properly with a lid and in a dark place. The next thing you want to do is set your stovetop to medium heat and add a cup of water to the bottom of your pot. Bay leaf is also a preservation herb. The smell I could do without as well. Submitted by Grandpa on 2 October 2012 - 12:58pm. A vast store of fat is found at the neck opening, so make sure to prick here well. Rendered lard will store well in the refrigerator for several months. Then the crocks were moved to the coolest part of the house basement. Amazingly helpful!! Submitted by Preparedness Pro on 6 December 2012 - 5:49pm, Just, everything I pressure can lately has been 90 minutes. There’s a great article on nourishing days about storing lard … Also, just in case I keep a large pan lid by the stove “just in case” there’s a grease fire that I need to tend to. USUALLY when the water has boiled off your lard is ready, but that’s not always the case. I like that better than trying to do it inside. So I prefer to keep the batches small. I found out when I rendered down some bear fat when i didnt get all the water out it turned yelbow too and smelled. Then I place the sieve over a smaller stock pot and strain the remaining melted fat and a few pieces of cracklins. We got 5 gal of lard from it. We raised our first pigs this year and have all the lard in the freezer, ready to render. Today folks don't experience a germ load like farm work entailed and are less likely to tolerate anything coming from outside our "clean" environment. I use it for cooking and have made my own lard/lye soap forever. Once the bubbling had completely stopped, I turn off my oven heat. I've found that if you speak with your grocery store butcher, they may be willing to set aside trimmings for you to pick up. The mixer itself is fantastic and with the attached meat grinder it has ground it's way without one hitch through 2 Alaskan moose (which means over 1000 lbs each! You can make lard with or without adding water. Recipe Notes *For the highest quality lard, ask your butcher for the fat around the pig's kidneys. Remove all of the skin and meat that you’re able to. At this point all the crackings would be removed and run through the lard press, the clear oil being returned to the kettle. I also render it down in a cast iron Dutch oven at low heat. Great minds DO think alike, then, eh? In the fall, we always slaughtered one of our hogs and my mom made lard (in the oven at a low temp), scrapple (never liked it - yuck), smoked hams, salted bacon and such in the smoke house. Up to this point a gang of us kids knew not to permit the wood paddle stirring to stop for a second, we used a sheet of propped up roofing tin to protect our shins from the intense heat from the fire. What am I doing wrong? Chop up the pork fat into cubes no larger than 1 inch and place it in a large pot on the stove. Do not use ANY other type of utensil as it will melt. In today's era, putting lard up in glass canning jars seems like a prudent thing to do. How to Make Schmaltz (Rendered Chicken Fat) A decent black bear this time of year yields a 5 gallon pail of pure white fat. I like to partially freeze mine as they are easier to cut then. You’ll notice that I stipulated that the fat needed to come from a pastured pig. Simone the comment you are referring to I believe is in relation to the use of baking soda in the lard to whiten it and Basil being used instead of a bay leaf on top of the jar before you pressure can it. This will remove any small bits of chicken that could contaminate your fat and make it go bad. ), and a jar for storage. I usually leave my cooling lard sitting on an oven mit on my counter. I was somewhat nervous about it, but was pleasantly surprised by its innocuous color and taste--AND by how very EASY it was to work with the resulting crust, which turned out very well.