# Tallow



## Iluvboers (Feb 26, 2009)

Any hints on how to get tallow?

I called around today and nothing. I don't remember it being hard to get tallow when I last made soap 7yrs ago. I just asked the butcher and it wasn't a problem.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

I just call ahead and ask for ground beef fat, then I make my own tallow. I don't think there is a store around here that will render the tallow, but I have no problem getting ground beef fat from any except Walmart. BTW, I pay to get it ground since it is easier to render, but if I just got chunks, it would be completely free.


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## BackInCountry (Jan 9, 2011)

Can use the dripping from browning hamburger? Seem like we always have a lot of that and would like to put it to good use.

:nanner:


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Sure you could. Just know that muscle fat is different than suet fat.

an alternative is using lard (my favorite for soap making animal oils)


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## Iluvboers (Feb 26, 2009)

oh maybe I asked for suet last time, it has been to long. Is tallow what it is called after melting and suet before?

maybe I'll just use lard, that is easy enough


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Before it is rendered, it is fat. The muscle fat is the trimming around the meat. The suet is the hard fat around the organs. Suet produces a cleaner and harder tallow

Tallow is the term for rendered fat. Lard is the tallow specifically from hogs.


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## BlueJae (Apr 6, 2012)

I was under the impression that suet is from beef, lard is from pig, and tallow is from deer. I have loads of deer tallow begging to be turned into soap.
I get my deer tallow from the local butchers at deer hunting season. They're always happy to save some for me.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

You can order rendered beef tallow from Soaper's Choice, but I think it is pretty expensive for what it is. I like using lard in my soaps instead of tallow.

SoapersChoice.com - Product Listing


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

BlueJae said:


> I was under the impression that suet is from beef, lard is from pig, and tallow is from deer.


Not quite.

Suet is only the hard fat that is found around the organs. In hogs, this is called leaf fat, but it is the same thing.

Suet is unrendered.

Rendered fat from any hooved animal is called tallow.

Way, way back in the day of chandlers, rendered hog fat was used to make soap and rendered fat from beef was used to make candles. To understand which was which, the rendered beef fat was referred to as tallow and the rendered hog fat was referred to as lard.


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