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trying to render lard

17 years ago

I followed the instructions from Damon Fowler's cookbook and several internet sites, but my final product is not white; and not hard enough. It's still a tan color and softer, more like soap in a soapdish.

Did I not cook it long enough? Or did I let it scorch somehow?

I cooked it in an enameled cast-iron pot for several hours, most of the time on the lowest heat setting on my smallest burner. The "cracklins" never all sank to the bottom--about 2/3 did when I quit. My second batch I stopped even sooner since I was afraid I overcooked my first batch--the second batch of cracklings still has many pretty sizeable cubes.

Should I try melting it down more in a low oven?? Help!

thanks!

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Comments (6)

kandm
17 years ago
You might want to visit the Granny Miller Blog and ask her opinion. She recently posted a pictorial of rendering lard and tallow.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rendering Lard & Tallow
lindac
17 years ago
Perhaps you had bits of meat and blood in the fat.
It won't get really hard unless you refrigerate it....at room temp it will be sort of like Crisco.
Was the fat you put into the pan white?
Linda C
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We just got back. The chickens were packed in boxes, obviously he sells them to stores. Gorgeous, plump specimens of perfection. We're having that on Sunday. The lard was in a container, 7 lb. I'll be putting it in sour cream containers for the freezer. The potato is a Yukon Gold, we went to the cold storage area where he had bins of carrots, potatoes, cabbages, apples, garlic, 10-lb bags of beautiful large onions (I hate buying bags of onions and they are all small). I wish I needed onions, but I don't. He took a 10-lb bag and filled it to the brim, where I couldn't even close it, of Yukon golds. The carrots are unwashed, really dirty, and he put a bunch in a plastic grocery bag. The cabbage is huge, for $1, I have to cut it in half to fit in the frig. We had a great time, and will be going back!! We bought a cabbage,5 lb carrots, 10 lb potatoes, a 7 lb chicken (huge!) for $20. The 7 lb of lard was $10. He sells the potatoes at 50 lb for $15. Potatoes are expensive here, generally $4, easy or more for 10 lb bag.
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That's awesome Cheryl!! After reading this I was intrigued as well. Did you do the slow cooker method? I phoned a couple of places yesterday to see if they sell the pig fat, and they didn't but one fellow referred me to a Mennonite butcher. I called him, and he's the nicest guy to talk to!! He sells the fat, either skin on or off, and also sells the lard itself. I'm going to buy the lard. He sells it to the Mennonite ladies for their baking, so that's what I'll get, instead of doing the work, and I know it will turn out. He also sells veggies....unwashed potatoes and carrots (which always keeps longer), beets, cabbage, chickens, etc etc. I can't wait to go and see what tempts me!
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The lard is all done, it took about 2.5 hrs and I ended up with a little over 11 pints. Here's what I started with... Just out of the oven... In jars... The cracklings taste pretty good to me and my dog thinks they are great. I may save them in the freezer to add to a few dishes I cook. I already used some of the lard tonight when I made a pork sweet n' sour stir fry. I didn't deep fry my pork, just browned it in the lard and then simmered it a bit in pineapple juice. Nancy
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Hi Lana - there are no approved-as-safe instructions for canning lard. And certainly none that would allow for BWB canning it. All that would accomplish would be to insure a strong, air-tight, safe seal on the jar - something that you cannot get without processing it. But it would not provide any safety for the contents. Low-acid fats are the most risky foods there is for home canning so even when it used to be a common practice pre-WW II it required pressure canning as the much higher heat reached in pressure canning increases the margin of safety. While free-water, even the smallest amount, can increase the risk, it is impossible to remove it all as too many of the water molecules are insulated by the fat and preventing the heat from penetrating them. For that reason freezing is the only USDA approved method of storing lard. This is not to say that some folks don't can lard, they do. But it is strictly a do-at-your-own-risk process. Each of us determines the level of risk we are comfortable with so the choice is yours. Personally I would re-boil the lard and package it for freezing. It will be safe to use and will keep almost indefinately. Dave
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vaherbmom
Original Author
17 years ago
Going to check out the Granny site, in the meantime, yes, the fat was white, it didn't have much meat at all in it. I refrigerated all the Lard but as I said it is still rather viscose and light brown. It isn't liquid, but not as dense as Crisco.

thanks for any advice
coconut_nj
17 years ago
It shouldn't have had any meat in it and it sounds like you didn't let it render all the way. But, it was probably the meat that made it darker. Next time just use the white fat and do let it render all the way. It can take quite a few hours sometimes. Also, don't forget a little water. Good luck.
readinglady
17 years ago
I really favor wet rendering (with water) as opposed to dry rendering. The dry rendering will produce good cracklings but I don't think it produces the best lard for baking. You end up with a toasted flavor.

Carol
vaherbmom
Original Author
17 years ago
Hi,

I heated it back up a little and then restrained and it looks fine now, although still not pure white. It is light and very dense. I look forward to using some soon!

Thank you for all the very helpful responses. I love that Granny Miller site--it's so sad she is quitting. I hope it stays online for quite a while as there is a wealth of info there.

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