# Lard question



## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

I have a coffee can of lard that smells strong- burned smell a bit, also have some that smells sour- can these be cleaned, or should they be disgarded? Will the smell come through to the soap? Hate to waste the work..... I do mix it with veg oils. made a sample batch with 10 oz of that lard- we'll see if the other oils and eo's will cover that.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Warm the lard in a crockpot set on low with some sliced potatoes. You'll be okay with it for soapmaking

The 'trick' with ANY oil is not to overheat it. This is especially true with AO (animal oils) There are a lot of beneficial traits in AO that are burnt off if heated too high.

I've soaped rancid lard after crockpotting them with sliced potates and could not smell the difference in the soaps

If you are a VO (vegetable oil) soaper, you may thought


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## Step (Aug 4, 2005)

MullersLaneFarm said:


> If you are a VO (vegetable oil) soaper, you may thought


You can clean (flush) Vegetable Oils by heating water with the oils... mix well, cool off, then refrigerate until oil thickens. Skim off the oil on the top, and throw out the remaining water. This flushes out the impurities and will work with animal fats as well. You might have to do this flushing more than once. Before refrigeration, this is what was done with the saved oil when soap was made from pot-ash and still done with left-over oil from cooking... a 'green' technique.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

I use Cyndi's method of cleaning old lard. If the lard has been in the freezer too long, I just heat it with some peeled, sliced potatoes and it smells much better.


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Well, never had it in the freezer here, just in the cold room, which was around 60 this summer. Made some beautiful soap yesterday with that- tumeric, paprika, nutmeg for color, marigold leaves for beauty, goats milk and st johns wort/cammomile tea for liquid, clove, cinnamon eo and vanilla fo fragrance, the prettiest soap yet! thank for the lard info- 
Teri


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

I save bacon grease, used cooking oil, whatever in a tin can. When full I then put the can in baking soda water and bring it to a boil. The fat will dissolve out before the water comes to a boil. I cook it for 5 minutes or so in the morning, let it cool all day and then set the whole kettle in the fridge overnight. The grease will form a frisbee on top of the water. I cut it in quarters and remove it. The water and can are discarded and the boiling process is repeated 3-5 times till the smokey smell mostly dissapates. I've never gotten the smoke smell to entirely disappear. I think I'll try that potato trick in the water on the next batch and see how it works. The rendered lard is then packed in old Louana coconut oil containers and used for soap or if to smokey smelling in boot grease.


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## Ladyhen (Aug 28, 2004)

you can also add baking soda to the water to help remove the odor.


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## Step (Aug 4, 2005)

You might want to also try adding to the water, canning salt, sea salt or any other salt that has no additives. Clay can also be used to clean oils and are sometimes used in the oil manufacturing industry.


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

to let you know: the smelly lard cleaned up beautifully. Put in potatoes, and pure salt, water and white vinegar (from a friend). Thanks!


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## Vintageliving (Oct 11, 2009)

IHN, how do you use the potatoes? I've been wondering if the potatoes dissolve???

Thanks.


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Put them in to absorb odors, then fished them out when the lard was clean.


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## Vintageliving (Oct 11, 2009)

IHN, thanks for your post. That's a quick cook for the spuds, then. I'm planning to try using potatoes in one of my next renderings, also a round using baking soda.


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