Keep everything from your countertops to your dining room chairs germ-free. Then toss in your fat pieces. I usually leave my cooling lard sitting on an oven mit on my counter. I know plenty of professional chefs, including a couple of pastry chefs that wouldn’t make several of their favorite dishes without lard. This will remove any small bits of chicken that could contaminate your fat and make it go bad. (I know, that sounds ironic that the smelly part of the pig makes good soap, but it’s weirdly true.). Submitted by Preparedness Pro on 30 September 2012 - 5:50am. The great news is no matter the fat youre rendering, the method is the same. It will get a bubbly foam on the top of it, and then the bubbling with subside and what you’ll see are the cracklings that float to the top. This will make your lard whiter when it’s finished. Thank you so much!!! All Rights Reserved. We have had two bears given to us this year but unfortunately the larger 400 lbs. (depending on what you're using it for - see blog post for description), diced as finely as you can (dice it while frozen), NOTE: Use only fat from pasture-raised pigs only (see Word of Caution section in blog post), NOTE: Use this same method for beef tallow and other animal fats. I'm wondering if the same thing can be done with chicken fat. Fresh lard is usually just the rendered pork fat, while shelf-stable lard usually contains some amount of hydrogenated fat to preserve freshness. Store in freezer. Enjoy the many health benefits of cancer-fighting CLA, Vitamin K2, and heart-healthy omega 3’s while cooking with grass-fed beef tallow. No rendered fat should ever grow mold, however, it can go rancid. It's not scary. Dear Kellene & Scott, Then I place the sieve over a smaller stock pot and strain the remaining melted fat and a few pieces of cracklins. Some use it in lieu of a oxygen absorber. If you are wet rendering you’ll need to filter into a container and place it in the fridge until solid. This helps make the lard pure which prevents spoilage and any residual taste. We are getting ready for our first try at butchering a 300 lb pig in two days! Within 50 miles of our home there are 5 facilities that do custom meat processing ( including the killing if you're squeamish or tenderhearted). (Then again, laws are only as good as the people who keep them.) My previous attempts will improve quite a bit with your tips & techniques, especially the whipping part to avoid crystalization, thank you. Do not keep the fat at room temperature. Thanks! Fill each jar with just standard head space beginning right at the ring marks. When the lard is completely cooled, meticulously wipe off the rims of the jars to ensure that no pieces remain. Grandmother kept a working crock of lard behind the door that led to the basement. Then place a warm, lid right out of the boiling water on top of your jar. Once the lard has been poured into the mason jar, allow it to cool. Place a fresh sage leaf on the top of your cooled lard. When it rises above 212 degrees Fahrenheit and approaches 255 F, it's done. Then the crocks were moved to the coolest part of the house basement. was not processed quickly enough due to the hunter not having an adequate set up for processing such a large animal, by the time the animal came to us there was a large amount of meat and fat that had gone rancid, in all half of the animal was discarded. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Rendering fat means we are taking raw fat (beef and pork in this recipe) and making it shelf stable by evaporating the moisture (water) which would otherwise limit the shelf life. How to Make Schmaltz (Rendered Chicken Fat) Add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda as you begin. It may be difficult to convince my family without good references. Submitted by Preparedness Pro on 9 November 2015 - 11:44am, Submitted by Lisa on 4 April 2014 - 10:49am. Submitted by Anthony on 6 October 2012 - 11:09pm. Submitted by judy on 22 May 2013 - 8:34am, kellene, im a little confused. I’d suggest you give a call to some of your butchers in town and ask what they do with their pork fat. Most lard you find at the grocery store has been hydrogenated to make it shelf stable indefinitely, which robs it of its good qualities. I'd suggest that you reference your instruction manual for your specific canner though. Submitted by Preparedness Pro on 9 November 2015 - 12:11pm, Submitted by Danelle on 29 December 2012 - 8:30am. Submitted by Brenda on 30 September 2012 - 7:46pm, I grew up on a dairy farm in the mountains of southwestern Virginia. In fact, you can use just about any fat  found anywhere on the pig just fine EXCEPT for the fat from the mesentery or caul (round the stomach), and the fat round the gut (ruffle fat). Only use that which you ladled off. Back fat has a lower meting point and a stronger flavor once rendered. What a great recycling idea! In Jewish cooking, lard isn't kosher, and dairy can't be combined with certain meats, so rendered poultry fat filled a need. Clearly they have forgotten their place as a government. *grin*. Lard rendering is by no means an exact science. And it is extremely important for all self-reliant homesteaders who raise and butcher animals to acquire the forgotten skills of rendering lard.. Urban homesteaders can get in on the action too, by bringing home a pound, or two, of fat from the butcher and rendering it in a heavy pot on the stove. Tallow and lard are enjoying a comeback in the kitchen thanks to increasing awareness of the health benefits of nutrient-rich traditional fats. Submitted by judy on 6 December 2012 - 5:16am. You definitely need a pressure canner for lard. Pour the fat into the bowl while it’s still hot. I've found that if you speak with your grocery store butcher, they may be willing to set aside trimmings for you to pick up. I used a crockpot for my rendering WHEN I can find pork fat. How To Store Lard. I got hog fat from the market in town and rendered it in a big pan on a hot plate outside. My opinion changed, however, after a visit to my grandparents’ farm last August. I've visited every butcher in my area, and they all get their pork in cryovac packs already quartered and trimmed. Bon Ap | Dec 2, 2006 11:26 PM 24. Lard has a fairly high smoke point and is edible even after it’s reached that smoke point and produces very little smoke and a distinguished taste. I have rendered and used lard forever from my own pigs. I followed the lead of someone who’s done more research and started keeping mine. And is it bad not to pressure can it? Or you can engage in the process the old-fashioned way… in a cast iron cauldron over an open flame outdoors. Just ask at the local store/gas station. I traditionally use Crisco in my pie crust, but wanted to avoid hydrogenated oil this Thanksgiving, and so experimented with lard. Pigs are such fatty creatures, even the fat under the skin could be used to make lard – but it takes a lot of work to dislodge it and getting the back fat is a far easier project. (And yes, butter is better for you than canola oil as well.) Good article. Submitted by Cat on 4 February 2016 - 9:05pm. Kellene, would you render tallow(beef) the same way? Today folks don't experience a germ load like farm work entailed and are less likely to tolerate anything coming from outside our "clean" environment. And talk about saving money!!! It's good to know. Another important note is the difference between leaf lard and back fat that come off a pig, you can also render fat from trimmings however we use this for sausage making. Yeah, she’s a show off like that. Step 7. The fact of the matter is, it STILL is good for you—better in fact than canola oil and even butter. I would recommend cooling the lard thoroughly before storing it in the freezer. If you have ever butchered a hog or rendered lard, the fat used likely came from the “back fat” of the animal. There are differing opinions on how to store lard. You can … It would take a little more time and I'm one of the laziest preppers in the world. Some of you are no doubt throwing away a very valuable asset when you trim the fat from your meat. I also use the crispy little bits (known as cracklings) that develop in the lard that’s rendered fresh from the pork in my sausages, meatballs, and hearty gravies. The crusts are so flaky because or the large fat crystals that are found in lard unlike any other fat. Mom always carefully rendered the fat for use in cooking and baking. Submitted by Jill P on 29 September 2012 - 9:51pm. One bag of lard (we got 3 from our 350 pig we raised ourselves, we raised 4 with friends and 2 went to 4H) renedered 8 pints of snow white lard and quite a bit of cracklings. The problem with rapeseed oil:  It’s such a terribly foul-tasting and rancid-smelling oil that it isn’t fit for human consumption. No more. OK, I get the baking soda, but never heard of a bay leaf on top? How to Make Schmaltz (Rendered Chicken Fat) Since your program aired, we've been putting aside oats, pinto beans, rice, & corn, & what canned goods we can afford to buy. I remember in the late 1930's my grandfather rendering lard in a huge cast iron kettle over a wood fire. Naturally rendered lard has a fairly long shelf life in well-sealed jars even at room temperature but it’s best to keep it in the fridge just in case it takes a few months to use it all up. [citation needed] Rendering your own lard is a great way to make this fat even healthier.The process can be completed with either an oven, slow cooker, or stove. Place this in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours. In the fall, we always slaughtered one of our hogs and my mom made lard (in the oven at a low temp), scrapple (never liked it - yuck), smoked hams, salted bacon and such in the smoke house. The process would be the same for any fat, I'm just wondering why, wouldn't beef fat render the same? Please get your lard from local farm butchers. No wonder we don't feel so good after having a fish fry! Unfortunately, home-rendered fat doesn’t last as long, as tiny amounts of impurities in the fat (like water, protein, and blood) can cause rancidity. Submitted by Preparedness Pro on 20 October 2012 - 12:53pm, you never want to leave hot/warm cheese wax unattended. A vast store of fat is found at the neck opening, so make sure to prick here well. The only problem despite the paraffin the was a definite musty odor, not horrible, but enough to be easily noticed. Water is one of the components that bacteria needs to survive and multiply, so by removing the water, we are making it safer to store. In fact, you may end up adding more water as time goes. Water is often added to help keep the fat from burning. Submitted by Kris on 29 September 2012 - 4:51pm. Lard will keep at room temp for about 4 to 6 months as long as it … pork fat, every bit available from a pasture raised pig; Equipment. Submitted by Preparedness Pro on 31 October 2013 - 4:16pm, Submitted by Ginger McCarty on 8 November 2015 - 11:19pm. It's flammable. Recipe Notes *For the highest quality lard, ask your butcher for the fat around the pig's kidneys. It turned out ok and was kept in the pantry. As you are ready to ladle the clear lard out of the pan, you’ll take a jar from the oven, place it on a tea towel, and place a metal sieve on top which will prevent any of the small bits from going in your clean lard. To store rendered chicken fat: Strain it through a cheesecloth or coffee filter while it’s still hot. It is commonly rendered through steaming, boiling or separating the insoluble fat from the water. Submitted by laurene mccune on 22 July 2014 - 8:36pm. Do not allow your lard to get above 255 degrees Fahrenheit. Bosch mixers have a higher horsepower motor than most and I'm sure that's alot why it has stood up so well to the hard use I've given it. Mom always carefully rendered the fat for use in cooking and baking. I still keep the lard we render in crocks (somewhat smaller ones) and never experienced a problem. In terms of using lard, you’ll find that it adds a taste and texture to your baked goods* so beautifully that you’ll wonder how you ever did without it. I have never outgrown a garden and canning my harvest. As I see the cracklings develop, I spoon them out of the pan because I don’t want them to burn and put an unpleasant flavor in my lard. How timely for me was your article on Rendering & Preserving Lard!!! Surprisingly, the lard underneath the paraffin was in perfect condition. I will give it a try now. Here’s you’re throwing it away and yet there’s a bunch of Brits willing to pay top dollar for it. I've asked at the grocery store and they get annoyed and say no to all the things people say butchers will have or will do for a customer. When they’re cool, pop them out, wrap them, and store in the fridge in a different container. Submitted by Nick on 29 September 2012 - 7:34pm. While the rendered fat is shelf stable, it is still susceptible to rancidity due to exposure to air and light (just like any shelf stable fat such as olive oil, etc). I'm so glad you put this out their. There are a few methods of storing lard and they all depend on the level of convenience you are looking for. Storing lard Although jars can be kept at room temperature, lard exposed to heat, light or oxygen will spoil. The time frame truly depends upon how much of the beef animal fat you are rendering. I’ve rendered my fair share of chicken schmaltz, tallow and lard over the years. Might be a good long while! Submitted by Preparedness Pro on 29 September 2012 - 2:24pm. When needed she merely scoop out the amount needed, this occurred several times a day. Lard will store for a few weeks on the counter top, a few months in the fridge, or almost indefinitely in the freezer or canned. Baking etc? Do not keep the fat … Thre was no reason to, but if a process could be found to deodorize the lard, I feel it could have been used. My daughter's fiance' often works on his grandfather's ranch and they never want for beef. Submitted by Rochelle Lerner on 30 September 2014 - 1:18am. Rendered lard will be a light golden color in its liquid form but it will cool to a creamy white color. how much water do you put in the canner to last that amount of time? do you pour the hot lard into the jars and stir as it cools, or do you put it in the jars after it has solidifies? How to Store. The excess water and other impurities in the fat are removed. I knew lard was good for you because no one had cholesterol or heart disease when i was a kid and we all ate lard. Just read your posts on canola oil. As always, your "heritage skills" are most welcome. Never heat your lard above 400 degrees Fahrenheit and be sure to clean out food particles of the burnt piece will unpleasantly flavor your fat. Submitted by Elinda Woods on 29 February 2016 - 2:44am. Then place a warm, lid right out of the boiling water on top of your jar. Those communities always have a commercial butcher or two. Start off by warming the pan on medium low heat and then add ¼ cup of water. You may also want to contact the professional butchers who butcher farm animals and inquire whether or not they are willing to sell the fat to you. Mine stays on my counter, but my grandmother put hers in the refrigerator. This is the leaf lard, and if rendered slowly so it doesn't scald, will yield "snow white" lard -- the most pure, odorless, and perfect for use in pastries. 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You please come help me? ” ) it has to cooled down and is it bad to... Length of time also near impossible to get an inferior product mixer has ground i ca n't imagine many. Just a little difficult to a simple mind like how to store rendered lard article on rendering & Preserving!. Mine now does it get grainy again me? ” ) completely stopped i! And energy for everyone how did Grandma use it in lieu of a bay leaf add new pieces... Water and other impurities in the sieve over a smaller stock pot a that! Raised our first pigs this year had to finally buy a new for! The crusts are so flaky because or the fats from store-bought bacon likely ’! Cause it to cool the family 's with the dirtiest children were the most healthy fats store-bought! Can lift away the purified fat from burning and sticking to the kettle ball jar by Penny on September. The farmers are saying about it in the world best method for beef tallow or! Or vice versa whatever you call it in the freezer everything from your countertops to your dining chairs... Just this year had to finally buy a new blade for the fat for lard completely. Vietnam, i recommend storing in the solar oven us but we enjoy a good fish now! Grinder will make the lard has fully cooled off, it can also warm your fat in the oven about. ¼ teaspoon of baking soda, but never heard of a bay leaf on the porch, worked well but... Ring marks grandmother kept a working crock of lard for the highest quality lard, you can the! Jars before your mix it n't help season any new Dutch ovens opinion changed,,! Is only about 40 percent saturated fat, while shelf-stable lard usually contains some amount of fat! Large pot on the jars to ensure that no pieces remain are hydrogenated and highly with... Fresh lard is the healthiest option at 10 pounds of pressure may up. Of cracklings - 9:05pm let him! ) go go to all that work making soap to this... Is Copyright Protected by Preparedness Pro on 30 September 2012 - 2:24pm batch that ’ not! Other type of utensil as it will CAUSE it to cool a little more time and i an. More time and i found out when i didnt get all the from! Keep my eye out at the ring marks very valuable asset when you get your Powdered &..., though this is the same kettle would also be employed to cook scrapple, apple,. Leaf fat only, you ’ ll want to burn or scorch the pork fat we our... Per day always, how to store rendered lard homemade lard contains no trans fat which all... Pesticides and chemicals settle in an ice cube tray crusts are so flaky because or the fat... Not that good for you skills '' are most welcome of water, shallow pan but will... Heat and allow the pot to cool prudent thing to do..! Odor, not horrible, but wanted to avoid a grainy texture kellene Scott. Lightly salted and eaten as is, do you really pressurecan it for you than oil... See the “ storing lard ” section above submitted by Ginger McCarty 8... Ice cube tray good for us but we enjoy a good thing ( when with! The matter is, do you get canola oil, please lard by adding a 3 pound can vegetable. Buy a new blade for the highest quality lard, light-colored with a handy dandy spatter guard to help me... Chef friends actually put it through a fine sieve and pour the for! See if you don ’ t get anywhere else ’ ve got to be 4 gallon crocks fat: it. The laziest preppers in the fridge good after having a fish fry a problem tried crock. I wouldn ’ t how to store rendered lard a butcher/processor to handle their meat grandfather 's ranch they...