# crisco or lard, and why???



## chewie

i have made a very basic soap using lard, coconut oil, olive oil and milk. the first batch my lard and cco were equal amounts, but now i've upped the lard--now doing 15 oz lard, 10 coco oil, 8 oo, 11 oz milk. it makes a loaf that fits into a cardboard box from a 4lb box of american cheese. i like the size of loaf, small enough for me to manage the ingred. i think about 3lb of soap. 

but, i see some use crisco instead of lard, why? and anyone have a way to improve my recipe, or leave it alone? i and my family are really liking it, but always room for improvement! 

and i see some ppl gel, some do not. why or why not?? i really hope someone will and can answer these 2 questions, they've been bugging me forever!! (or well maybe, about 2 months that i've been soaping anyhow!) 

and i see some are using corn oil, how does that compare to the olive? i'd love to use a cheaper oil if possible, in our tiny town, olive is next to gold! 

thanks for any help offered!


----------



## linn

Lard makes a harder and more conditioning bar than Crisco. I sometimes use a combination of lard and generic Crisco along with other oils.

Try the comparisons using SoapCalc 9. It will give you hardness, conditioning, cleaning and bubbly values of various combinations.


----------



## Charleen

Crisco vs. lard. This is like apples vs. oranges. They are not the same. Crisco is made up of mostly beef tallow and lard is from pigs. Both are very nice in soap, but they are different from each other.

Part of the trouble is that the word "Crisco" is often used as a generic term for all shortenings. (Kind of like how the word "kleenex" is used for all tissues.)

And just to add to the mix - The WalMart brand shortening that we can buy in our area says "Prepared from Meat fats and Vegetable Oils with mono- diglycerides added; BHA, Propyl Gallate and citric acid added to help protect flavor." Do you want all this in your soap?

My main recipe is 35% lard from our own pigs. If I run out of this, I buy 25# buckets of Armour brand from WalMart. (Gosh, I wish I could find it locally and didn't have to go there). I do make a few batches with tallow (goat, deer, bison, beef) if I can get it from a local butcher or have a special request for it.

I have run into several people allergic to corn, so I avoid it in my soaps. If you really need a sub for OO try Rice Bran Oil.


----------



## jBlaze

Crisco is vegetable based.


> Crisco, a popular brand of shortening, was first produced in 1911 by Procter & Gamble and was the first shortening to be made entirely of vegetable oil. As such, Crisco is appropriate for both kosher and vegan diets as it contains no animal products


 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisco

I have heard that Lard and coconut make a harder bar. When I used lard, my soap smelled icky. 
sorry, don't know about gelling, I have only made a few batches. Google soap making to learn lots.


----------



## Meg Z

I'll use Crisco, but not any of the store-brand or other shortenings that contain animal products, and not lard. Not because I don't like the finished product, because each has a benefit. Simply because most of the people I've sold to want a veggie based soap. 

I did buy the store brand shortening once by accident. (I sent hubby ) That will never happen again!

If you're using it just for your own family, don't fix what isn't broke. Do it how you know they like it, and all will be happy!

Meg


----------



## amyquilt

Crisco is actually soybean oil and cottonseed oil. I'm making my move over to lard. If I wanted soybean oil, I would buy soybean oil. :-(


----------



## amyquilt

chewie said:


> i have made a very basic soap using lard, coconut oil, olive oil and milk. the first batch my lard and cco were equal amounts, but now i've upped the lard--now doing 15 oz lard, 10 coco oil, 8 oo, 11 oz milk. it makes a loaf that fits into a cardboard box from a 4lb box of american cheese. i like the size of loaf, small enough for me to manage the ingred. i think about 3lb of soap.
> 
> but, i see some use crisco instead of lard, why? and anyone have a way to improve my recipe, or leave it alone? i and my family are really liking it, but always room for improvement!
> 
> and i see some ppl gel, some do not. why or why not?? i really hope someone will and can answer these 2 questions, they've been bugging me forever!! (or well maybe, about 2 months that i've been soaping anyhow!)
> 
> and i see some are using corn oil, how does that compare to the olive? i'd love to use a cheaper oil if possible, in our tiny town, olive is next to gold!
> 
> thanks for any help offered!


How much lye do you use in this recipe?? I'd love to give it a try. I haven't made soap in over a year now and am ready to get back to it.

When you say the 4lb box of American cheese, are you talking about the Velveeta box?

TIA!


----------



## linn

All generic Crisco does not contain animal fats. You can buy all vegetable shortening. Our Walmart sells Carlini brand. You just have to read the label and make sure it says "all vegetable." It contains the same ingredients as Crisco.


----------



## Beltane

I just made my first soap using 35% lard and so far it looks lovely. I have used crisco in the past (50/50 vegetable/soybean) and I didn't like it as much as the lard.


----------



## linn

I like lard better than Crisco also.


----------



## MullersLaneFarm

jBlaze said:


> I have heard that Lard and coconut make a harder bar. When I used lard, my soap smelled icky.


You're getting your oil way too hot.


----------



## MullersLaneFarm

amyquilt said:


> Crisco is actually soybean oil and cottonseed oil. I'm making my move over to lard.


Depends on your area and what they have in supply. Sometimes it is palm oil


----------



## chewie

ok, then i think i'm sticking to lard. 

for the one that asked, i am having a nice return on my efforts with this one....
10 oz coconut oil
15 oz lard
8 oz olive oil

lye is 4.60 to 4.75 and i use goat's milk at 8-12 oz.


----------



## MullersLaneFarm

nice recipe. 3-5% superfat.

you're good to go!


----------



## jBlaze

MullersLaneFarm said:


> You're getting your oil way too hot.


(smelled icky when made with lard.)

How much is too hot? I don't recall the temps i got just now, but I just heat till melted, warm to touch, but not hot. ?? 
Thx.


----------

