# best lard for use in soap making



## azimuth (Apr 29, 2012)

Which brand of lard is the best to use for soap making?


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## Wyldwytch Studios (Apr 29, 2012)

It's great that you have an option. The only one I can get around here is Armour and it really is much cheaper for me to buy it locally then to order it online.

Rose


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## Lilahblossom (Apr 30, 2012)

I use whatever kind is in the bucket at Wal Mart. Or hope that a neighbor is butchering. When that happens it's a bonanza! We have a few meat lockers nearby too and I get the good beef tallow for a buck a lb. It makes the absolute hardest bar of soap on the planet. And it doesn't like being played around with much either. It's still chilly in Wisconsin and when the tallow gets cool, that's it for that.


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## FOhoarder (Apr 30, 2012)

I also get the Armour brand at Walmart and I have never had a problem with it regarding smell or anything like that.  I would try whatever you can get locally before ordering online. Save lots on shipping.


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## IrishLass (Apr 30, 2012)

I used to use the Armour brand lard, but for whatever reason my local Walmart stopped carrying it and only sells the SnoCap brand lard now (in a blue bucket). It works just as fine, but seems a tad bit softer in consistency compared to the Armour brand I used to buy.


IrishLass


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## VanessaP (Apr 30, 2012)

That's odd IrishLass - maybe it was just out of stock? I just bought Armour at ours last week. Heh. Who knows. The Walton clans are fighting amongst each other at the moment


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## Suisan2 (May 1, 2012)

My husband is a butcher and has been making pork lard from some whole pigs he brought in for an event. 

This lard is quite soft -- I tried to make pies with it and had a lot of trouble as it sopped up so much flour. It's harder than bacon drippings, but not as hard as pork lard I'd get in the supermarket. (It's not leaf lard; it's fat from under the skin.)

He's selling the pork lard pretty quickly, so I'm not going to be soaping with it any time soon. However, in the future he's going to be making his own beef tallow and he doesn't expect that to sell well. I'm not sure what the consistency of that is going to be, and I may soap with it.

I've heard that commercial pork lard has stearic acid added to it to stiffen it up, but I haven't checked recently. But I occurs to me that my husband's lard has more water in it than it should? I guess I could melt it again and skim, but I'm leery of scorching it. But then again, maybe it's just got more unsaturated fats in it? Not really sure. 

My real question is this -- IF I start soaping with beef tallow and the beef tallow seems soft, what do I use for a SAP value? Do I just assume that there's a little less fat in it if it's soft?

Thanks for any insights you may have.


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## IrishLass (May 1, 2012)

VanessaP said:
			
		

> That's odd IrishLass - maybe it was just out of stock? I just bought Armour at ours last week. Heh. Who knows. The Walton clans are fighting amongst each other at the moment



Nope, not out of stock, unless 3 years is normal to be out of stock of something, that is.   


IrishLass


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## VanessaP (May 1, 2012)

IrishLass said:
			
		

> Nope, not out of stock, unless 3 years is normal to be out of stock of something, that is.



Well, knowing the managers at our store, I wouldn't put it past them  Luckily, my hubby isn't management, nor management material, so I can't blame him for out of stock stuff


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## Moonblossom (May 2, 2012)

I also use the Armour brand off and on depending on which soap I'm making.


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## semplice (May 2, 2012)

The only lard I've seen is Manteca.  I am SO going to do a lard batch!


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## new12soap (May 2, 2012)

semplice said:
			
		

> The only lard I've seen is Manteca.  I am SO going to do a lard batch!



I believe "manteca" is the spanish word for lard. I buy Armour brand at wally-world, and every package I have ever seen there or in grocery stores says "Lard" on one side of the package and "Manteca" on the other.

I recently read that someone uses lard from a local german market and it is excellent quality and doesn't have as much scent to it as the Armour, but I have not yet checked that out, the Armour works very well for me and I have not had a problem with any odor once the soap is cured.


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## semplice (May 2, 2012)

ooohhh..I thought Manteca was the brand.  It's in a green bucket.  What kind of smell is there with lard?


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## new12soap (May 2, 2012)

Some people say there is a kind of "meaty" smell, others just say it smells "different". It does have a scent to it right out of the tub which might throw you off if your are used to deodorized oils, but I don't think it's bad.

The most important thing to remember IMO with _any_ oils or butters is to melt them gently. You don't want to overheat them, especially animal fats, or they will have a funny smell. Again, I have not found that any oil scent survives lye and saponification, but that is just my experience. I have never (yet!) scorched them. I love soap made with lard.


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