If this doesn’t throw me over the top into pioneering womanhood nothing will. <g> My friend Mary down the road got ahold of some organic pork fat for us and this week was our first attempt at rendering. As it turns out there wasn’t much of a trick to it. Basically you cut the fat into one inch square pieces. I ended up doing larger pieces simply because I have pitiful cutlery. The directions generally call for heating on the stove or in it for many hrs. It is too hot to heat up the stove right now so we tried the crock pot in the sunroom instead. It just heats and melts and you skim off the liquid which then turns into lard. That’s all there was too it. Worked like a charm!
Its been 24 hrs or so now so we are calling it done. We had maybe ten lbs of fat to begin with. We finished with a half gallon of lard. In the end the consensus was that this was really easy and it didn’t stink. Do I hear a stampede of readers rushing to the butcher?? Ok probably not. <g> But should you ever be so inclined rest assured there is nothin’ to it.
I found a couple links if you are interested and I have no camera since dh has it on their trip. So, the ones I found will have to suffice. Mine pretty much looks exactly like these anyway. I am told we can use the homemade lard to make soap so that is on my list of things I would like to try. It would have to be cheaper than the olive oil or coconut oil in so many soap recipes. The fat was about fifty cents per pound.
Next up is goat’s milk yogurt with our new yogurt makers. They are new to us anyway!
Starry Sky Journal 
The vegetarian in me is just cringing at this post. LOL
Yogurt sounds great…are you thinking of making cheese too?
Stay cool! {{hugs}} Dani
Wow! How very “homestead” of you!LOL! Let us know how the soap making goes. I’ve always wanted to try that, but I agree the oils are so pricey. Great tip about the crock pot, btw.
Did you have to actually pressure can then lard or just put it into the cans? That’s the part that always heats up my house so much, running that big canner.
Sorry Dani! But yes, cheese making is on the list. Soon as we get through the cheese my mom brought us.
And Theresa no, I didn’t process the jars. I expect with ten of us we will go through it fast enough it will be alright chilled. You can apparently freeze it also though I think probably not in these little glass jars. Should have gotten plastic for that.
Will let you know if it goes bad before it is eaten!
I love yogurt and cheese! But lard? It’s the coating it leaves in the mouth…ick! But, that was storebought and that funny article had a bit to say about that. So, here’s hoping your lard is all lard can be! LOL!