# Tallow recipe?



## bluelilyboutique (Feb 1, 2014)

I purchased beef tallow when I ordered from soapers choice and haven't used it yet. I've used lard (pig tallow) in a lot of my recipes. Is beef tallow just as good? I figured I would use it since I have a 7lb bottle. What's a good recipe for beef tallow ? Everyone I seen has palm oil in it & I'm out of palm. 

Also what's the difference is palm oil & criscos shortening with Palm ? 

I'm still learning about soaping and am completely addicted! Everyone of y'all have helped me out and am so thankful for everything.


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## new12soap (Feb 1, 2014)

yes, you can use tallow in place of lard or palm in any recipe. All 3 have similar characteristics and make a creamy soap. I love lard but tallow is my absolute favorite.

I don't use crisco or any shortening so I can't help you there.


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## bluelilyboutique (Feb 1, 2014)

Thank you. Can you tell me why you love tallow so much? As I said I'm learning still. I've used mostly lard in all the soaps I've made. Seems in HP it's in all recipes I've found. The CP I've made called for lard or palm as well.


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## eyeroll (Feb 2, 2014)

I  am new at soaping as well but love tallow for the bright white, rock hard, very creamy bar it makes. I live in Colorado (US) with extremely dry winter weather and it's my favorite winter soap.


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## soapballs (Feb 26, 2014)

What is a good oil to add to tallow that is not nut based?  I was thinking just a 100% tallow soap and super fatting with hemp seed oil.  I am only throwing this out there as I saw a post from a few years ago in my research reading along today that 100% lard and supper fatting makes a perfect bar.  Any added thoughts on that are appreciated.  I am new too and just decided to not go m&p and try my hand at hp tallow soaps instead since I think they will play better with me skin.

I am sensitive to Olive oil and also Shea butter...yeah not easy finding a recipe that is recommended without those two!  I see hemp oil seems to be well taken for most and it has some good added benefits. I never have used anything with hemp seed oil in it though either.

So lost and just want one base recipe that will be a great one and not to build onto just that one awesome great soap my shower needs


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## judymoody (Feb 26, 2014)

You could try rice bran as a sub for OO, just run your recipe through a lye calculator if you change anything.  I use soapcalc.net


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Feb 27, 2014)

And if you're using lard or tallow, I'd also suggest leaving out the butters anyway.

15% CO, 45% tallow and 40% OO/RBO would be good.  Maybe up the tallow and lower the RBO


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## shunt2011 (Feb 27, 2014)

100% tallow won't have much in the way of bubbles/lather.  I would add betweend 15-20 Coconut oil and Rice Bran.  You can use a high % of tallow.  Should make a pretty awesome bar.   If doing CP you would just add all your fat/oil together.  You can't really pick your superfatting oil and be sure that's what's going to be there as lye will take whatever it wants.   If you HP you can pick your superfatting oil.    Give your ideas a try and see how you like it.  You can always tweak it until you find the exact thing you are looking for.


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## eyeroll (Feb 27, 2014)

soapballs said:


> What is a good oil to add to tallow that is *not nut based? ....I am sensitive to Olive oil and also Shea butter*...yeah not easy finding a recipe that is recommended without those two!


 

I like tallow with a high percentage of castor (15%).  I have not experienced softness with that high a percentage of castor; I think the hardness of the tallow compensates for that.


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## jules92207 (Feb 28, 2014)

I make a lard and canola oil bar, its very basic and cheap - it makes the best soap. I'm sure a little castor or coconut oil in there would be good too.


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## soapballs (Feb 28, 2014)

Thank you for the mention of using Rice Bran Oil.  I was delighted to find out it is very similar in make up to that of Olive Oil and very inexpensive too!  So I guess there is really nothing else better than Coconut Oil for the cleaning aspect?  I can not seem to come across anything else to sub it out with.  I do not have any issues with Coconut Oil though thankfully.  I was curious though if anyone here has ever used Pumpkin Seed Oil with Tallow or Lard? How did it work out for you? What would that bring to the soap that it otherwise would be lacking?  From what I understand it would only bring the added Omega and vitamins and nothing else the soap otherwise would lack it needed. My heads spinning reading up on all these oils and butters lol


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Mar 1, 2014)

Palm Kern Oil is a good sub for Coconut, but not sure about the price


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## Marilyna (Mar 1, 2014)

I prefer tallow over lard because it's far cheaper (I use the meat-based shortening which is about 96% tallow). Also, I think it sounds better on the label than lard.


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## soapballs (Mar 3, 2014)

Marilyna said:


> I prefer tallow over lard because it's far cheaper (I use the meat-based shortening which is about 96% tallow). Also, I think it sounds better on the label than lard.


 
I agree and think the same way about how Tallow would sound more pleasing on a label than Lard for sure.


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## cmzaha (Mar 3, 2014)

soapballs said:


> Thank you for the mention of using Rice Bran Oil. I was delighted to find out it is very similar in make up to that of Olive Oil and very inexpensive too! So I guess there is really nothing else better than Coconut Oil for the cleaning aspect? I can not seem to come across anything else to sub it out with. I do not have any issues with Coconut Oil though thankfully. I was curious though if anyone here has ever used Pumpkin Seed Oil with Tallow or Lard? How did it work out for you? What would that bring to the soap that it otherwise would be lacking? From what I understand it would only bring the added Omega and vitamins and nothing else the soap otherwise would lack it needed. My heads spinning reading up on all these oils and butters lol


 
Pumpkin Seed Oil is very nice, but a bit pricey and hemp oil has a short shelf life. check out millersoap.com there are some great recipes available. I save the pricier oils for lotions and balms so you get the full benefits of them


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## cmzaha (Mar 3, 2014)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> Palm Kern Oil is a good sub for Coconut, but not sure about the price


I find the cost of pko is around 45% more than coconut oil. This is for 35lb (5gal) buckets. Smaller quantities are am not sure


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## new12soap (Mar 3, 2014)

Palm Kernal Oil _flakes _in the 8lb size at soaper's choice is $2.33 per pound, coconut oil in the 7lb size is $2.05/lb. Babassu oil is a wonderful sub for coconut, but way more pricey.

BTW, important to note that palm kernal oil (which is different than palm oil) has about the consistency of granite. Palm kernal oil flakes have slightly different values but they are SOOOOOO much easier to use, no chisel required. Just don't get them shipped to you in hot weather, I made that mistake once.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Mar 3, 2014)

Ah yes, I forgot Babassu oil.  Maybe because I can buy a decent family car for the cost of a tub of it!


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## shunt2011 (Mar 3, 2014)

I use a mixture of Palm Kernel Oil Flakes and Coconut in one of my recipes.   PKO is more costly than coconut.


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## cgawlik (Aug 11, 2014)

My go to is

30% tallow
30% lard
25% coconut oil
15% olive oil

This turns out great for me everytime even with accelerating FO's


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## dixiedragon (Aug 11, 2014)

Kathy Miller has several recipes on her page:
http://www.millersoap.com/soapanimal.html


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## Crombie (Aug 12, 2014)

*Tallow*

My main recipe is 60% tallow which I use in all my soaps except my salt bars. I love it for its creamy rich lather, its whiteness. I buy it in 50 pound boxes from SC.  I always use 5% castor in all my soaps.  I  usually use softer oils for the other 35%.  I like RBO.
----------------------------------------

www.sadiesmissionsoaps.comm


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## kmarvel (Aug 12, 2014)

eyeroll said:


> I am new at soaping as well but love tallow for the bright white, rock hard, very creamy bar it makes. I live in Colorado (US) with extremely dry winter weather and it's my favorite winter soap.



I agree with eyeroll here.  I have used lard and it is wonderful, but tallow gives you a whiter, harder, creamy bar of soap.  I even used tallow and lard in one recipe and it is awesome!!!  :razz:


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## kmarvel (Aug 12, 2014)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> And if you're using lard or tallow, I'd also suggest leaving out the butters anyway.
> 
> 15% CO, 45% tallow and 40% OO/RBO would be good. Maybe up the tallow and lower the RBO



EG, I am curious why you would leave out the butters???  I use shea butter with my tallow recipe.

 Kathie


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## Meganmischke (Aug 12, 2014)

I personally don't find much difference between soaps with shea (or other butters) or without.  I don't sell so no need to use it for label appeal.  I think I prefer avocado oil to all butters.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Aug 13, 2014)

kmarvel said:


> EG, I am curious why you would leave out the butters??? I use shea butter with my tallow recipe.
> 
> Kathie


 
The saponified properties of Shea butter, palm, lard and tallow are all rather similar.  Some soapers have tried swapping out shea for lard in a soap and found the results to be the the same, or so similar that it is near impossible to tell them apart.

If you are doing HP soaps and adding the butter at the end, it is of course somewhat different.


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## Susie (Aug 13, 2014)

I think lots of us have gone through the putting small amounts of more exotic(read expensive) butters and such in our soaps, only to discover that if you do blind testing, there is no discernible difference.


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## reinbeau (Aug 13, 2014)

cgawlik said:


> My go to is
> 
> 30% tallow
> 30% lard
> ...


I'm going to lower the olive oil by 5% and add 5% castor oil and give this a whirl


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## kmarvel (Aug 14, 2014)

Reinbeau, let me know how this turns out.  Looks like an interesting recipe.    

 Kathie


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## cgawlik (Aug 15, 2014)

reinbeau said:


> I'm going to lower the olive oil by 5% and add 5% castor oil and give this a whirl



Awesome..let me know how it turns out for you..


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## wetshavingproducts (Aug 15, 2014)

Susie said:


> I think lots of us have gone through the putting small amounts of more exotic(read expensive) butters and such in our soaps, only to discover that if you do blind testing, there is no discernible difference.



But, label appeal! :think: :mrgreen:


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## Susie (Aug 15, 2014)

I don't sell my soap, so I am not looking for label appeal.  I can see how it would benefit you greatly to have a shea, mango, etc soap over lard, CO, OO soap.  But for those of us who don't sell, the benefit might not be there.


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