# soft lard okay for soap making?



## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

I rendered a large amount of exterior pig fat down yesterday, enough to fill 8 bread pans - about 2.5 lbs per pan. 

The lard is so soft - melting around the edges at 78 degree room temps. I am used to sheep tallow remaining hard as a rock!

How will this soft lard work for soap making? I wanted to make a bunch of hard soap up with this but now I've got doubts.

advice?

thanks,
Cathy


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## fransean (Dec 21, 2002)

The fat I rendered also stayed much softer than lard I have purchased however my soap was as hard as ever


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

thank you! just what I was hoping to learn.


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## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

It will work fine. Some lard is harder than others depending on what part of the animal it came from.


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## Charleen (May 12, 2002)

Lucky you to have this wonderful lard! The lard is fine, no worries. You can store the rendered lard in your fridge or freezer if you'd like.


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## Gailann Schrader (May 10, 2002)

I store mine, overnight, in the freezer at least.

That way, the lard either 'chips' into chunks with a table knife and/or tips out of the container with NO LARD LEFT ON OR IN THE CONTAINER.

i.e., the container is clean and not gooey with leftover, hard to remove grease in it.


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## Tinker (Apr 5, 2004)

Great idea Gail--I'm all for easy cleanup!


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

a friend gave me many pounds of pork fat. I canned/froze many jars and now will use the rest for soap. glad to hear the softer lard will work. some smells a little 'porky', will FO's mask that? or did I render wrong?


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Chewie,
Any type of Animal Oils (i.e. tallows, lard, et al) need to be rendered at a low heat to keep the animal smell down. Yes, it will work and FOs will mask it. Just keep your temperatures low (120*F or below) when making soap.

I prefer dry rendering AO, especially when rendering lard.


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

ah, yup, I went to 130 for a while. thanks for that. can you tell me how you do it?


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

How do I render??

I have a page for that!!

Even though my oven is at 200*F, I scoop off the rendered oil often.

Alternately, I use a few large electric cooker on the lowest setting.


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

thanks! the lard is like syrup today. since soap can be made using all liquid type oils, I'm guessing this will work ok still. I think I use less milk tho, might help set up faster?


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Chewie, did you use water when you rendered your lard?? If you did, then you will want to let it sit on the low heat uncovered to tallow the excess water to evaporate.

If you did not, I bet when you put the lard in the fridge (or back porch), it will harden up quite nicely.


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

when it gets to fridge, yes, it gets very hard. used some of the syrupy type yesterday to make a basic soap with pumice. today its nice and hard and almost white. yeah!

what type of molds are you using cyndi? would like you to chime in on my 'wood mold' thread if you have time.?


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