# I have found the Lard.



## jenny1271 (Jun 11, 2015)

At long last, I found some lard in two different places.  I got some frozen lard from a local farmer at the farmer's market.  And, I found some lard just sitting on the shelf in a tub (not refrigerated) at the Food Lion that is half a mile from my house (after searching at the Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Costco, Butcher's Market, and heaven knows where else that was much farther away from my house).  

Anyway, I would like to be able to use the lard that I got from the local farmer, but I'm concerned about shelf life.  My thinking is that since the lard I got at Food Lion was just sitting on the shelf, it probably is hydrogenated and will thus have a longer shelf life, both in the tub and also once it is saponified.  My question for you Lardy Soapers is, can I use the lard I got from the local farmer and expect it to last in my soap for as long as the other lard that I got from the Food Lion?  I know this is a convoluted way to ask this question, but I am struggling here, because I don't even know what in the world hydrogenated means, and I just don't want my soap to get those ugly brown spots in my customer's hands, if and when I ever start selling my soaps...  

Thank you in advance for your wisdom and advice!!!!


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## dixiedragon (Jun 11, 2015)

I usually use the lard I get at Walmart. Like yours, it sits on the shelf.  My question is, how much did you pay for your lard from the farmer's market? If it was significantly pricier than the Food Lion lard, I would put it in the freezer, use the Food Lion lard and find a recipe I love and save the "special" lard.


I have only used Armor brand hydrogenated lard, but I have rendered and soaped tallow. Is this clean, white lard, or does it have meaty bits?


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## jenny1271 (Jun 11, 2015)

Yes, the farmer's market lard was a lot pricier.  However, I think it was because she just came up with a price based on how I was going on and on about how I couldn't find it anywhere else.    The farmer's market lard is clean and white, no bits that I can see.  So, I think it has been rendered already.  But, probably not hydrogenated...


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## Dahila (Jun 11, 2015)

When I was a girl we had lard , very tasty lard with some meats in it and a lot of spices,   It was to put on bread, with fresh onions ; delicious.  This was the time when no one was taking statins (the most prescribed medication; pharma makes tons of money on it) or cared about cholesterol. It was in a dark pot on the table, never ever in the fridge.  lard has really long shelf life, and the one in stores is also preserved ) 
I tried to buy lard on Farmers market but the end effect was not what it suppose to be.  It is not hard it is rather watery.  I buy my lard in stores


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## kchaystack (Jun 11, 2015)

jenny1271 said:


> My question for you Lardy Soapers is, can I use the lard I got from the local farmer and expect it to last in my soap for as long as the other lard that I got from the Food Lion?  I know this is a convoluted way to ask this question, but I am struggling here, because I don't even know what in the world hydrogenated means, and I just don't want my soap to get those ugly brown spots in my customer's hands, if and when I ever start selling my soaps...
> 
> Thank you in advance for your wisdom and advice!!!!



So, to try and answer your questions:

Hydrogenation is a chemical process that changes the chemical structure of the fat molecule.  It is usually used to make liquid oils solid (as in margarine) and it helps make them more shelf stable.

Your store bought lard will probably have some other antioxidant or preservative in it (BHT is the common one I think), also to make it last longer without refrigeration.

As to the worry of the farmers market lard causes DOS, there are many soapers who render their own fats, and use them in soap.  None seem to report that their soaps go bad.  I think you are safe to use it with no worries.

The drawback as you have mentioned, is price.


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## dixiedragon (Jun 11, 2015)

BTW, by "save" your farmer's market lard, I meant save it until you have a lard soap recipe you love, then soap it. BTW, lard also makes FABULOUS chicken n dumplings.


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## hmlove1218 (Jun 11, 2015)

dixiedragon said:


> BTW, by "save" your farmer's market lard, I meant save it until you have a lard soap recipe you love, then soap it. BTW, lard also makes FABULOUS chicken n dumplings.



Makes absolutely amazing gravy as well! I haven't found any other oil/fat that makes it taste better than lard.


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## new12soap (Jun 11, 2015)

and pie crust. and biscuits. and and and and and....

no, you don't have to worry about the shelf life of your soaps made with either lard. they are mostly no longer lard, they are soap, and the high pH of bar soap tends to be self-preserving (within reason). Think about soaps made with milks. Milk left sitting on the bathroom counter would get pretty gross within a few days, but milk soaps last a very long time.


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## Dorymae (Jun 11, 2015)

When lard is properly rendered it will last more than a year on the shelf. The big problem is when it still isn't "clean" enough. I have lard I rendered myself that I kept over a year, made it into soap and I still have a few bars of it - it is fine. 

With store bought it will usually contain a preservative as well as being rendered clean.


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## Susie (Jun 11, 2015)

Welcome to the lardy side!


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## TeresaT (Jun 11, 2015)

Praise lard and pass the lye!

(I am now giving up "Praise The Lord and pass the peas" for this!")


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## not_ally (Jun 11, 2015)

Hmlove, how do you make gravy with lard?  That sounds good.

My lard - a big 50 lb box from Smart and Final - contains pure lard w/added BHT and citric acid.  I don't worry about those things, I figure if anything they are good for DOS and chelation, I can imagine adding them anyway.


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## kchaystack (Jun 11, 2015)

not_ally said:


> Hmlove, how do you make gravy with lard?  That sounds good.
> 
> My lard - a big 50 lb box from Smart and Final - contains pure lard w/added BHT and citric acid.  I don't worry about those things, I figure if anything they are good for DOS and chelation, I can imagine adding them anyway.



I am not HMlove, but it would be pretty simple.  Melt the lard in a pan.  Once melted add an eqal amount of flour and stir.  Cook the roux for bit to cook out the flour taste.  Add whatever cold liquid you want to make gravy from (milk, stock, broth).  Keep stirring as it thickens and gets to a boil.  cut the heat and then taste and season with salt and pepper.


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## not_ally (Jun 11, 2015)

Thanks, K.  I've made roux from butter, but it didn't seem like enough to change the taste if you subbed lard instead.  Will have to try.  

As an aside, I was recently making a Chinese dish which called for a sauce that contained constarch and when I went to make my cornstarch mixture the cs had bugs in it, I just made a butter flour roux instead and added the seasonings.  I think soapmaking is making me more creative with cooking


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## kchaystack (Jun 11, 2015)

not_ally said:


> Thanks, K.  I've made roux from butter, but it didn't seem like enough to change the taste if you subbed lard instead.  Will have to try.
> 
> As an aside, I was recently making a Chinese dish which called for a sauce that contained constarch and when I went to make my cornstarch mixture the cs had bugs in it, I just made a butter flour roux instead and added the seasonings.  I think soapmaking is making me more creative with cooking



Roux does not have the same thickening power as corn starch, but you can just use a little more. 

You can make roux with any oil.  Lard, butter, canola...  some work and taste better than others.  But I have done all of them


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## hmlove1218 (Jun 11, 2015)

not_ally said:


> Hmlove, how do you make gravy with lard?  That sounds good.
> 
> My lard - a big 50 lb box from Smart and Final - contains pure lard w/added BHT and citric acid.  I don't worry about those things, I figure if anything they are good for DOS and chelation, I can imagine adding them anyway.



My recipe is

4 tbsp lard
4 tbsp flour
2 cups milk, divided
salt and pepper to taste

Melt lard on medium heat until a drop of water will sizzle. Slowly whisk in flour to prevent clumps. Allow to brown to desired color, continually stirring to prevent burning. Remove from heat and whisk in  a splash of milk (be prepared for it to instantly sizzle and boil up). Keep slowly whisking in milk a little at a time until you've used the first cup. (I've found that going slowly helps prevent lumps and after about 1 cup the mix has smoothed out.) Pour in second cup of milk ans return to heat. Allow to simmer until desired thickness.

ETA: On a similar note, you can use the same process to make a lovely alfredo sauce too!

3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 cup water
1/4 cup cheese
desired spices

Follow the same steps as above only after adding the milk, allow to come to desired thickness, remove from heat, add cheese and spices, return to heat to ensure cheese is fully melted and voila!


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## not_ally (Jun 11, 2015)

YUMM-EE!  Will try them both.  Thanks, HM love.  Why does everything with fat in it taste so good?  I wish I loved eating celery and brown rice.  It's a good thing soap is fat free.  Although I have been known to scrape out and eat the leftovers from my cream/avocado puree additive (I recommend against it, it is delicious and addictive, if kind of sickening if you eat too much of it.)


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## snappyllama (Jun 11, 2015)

I love some milk gravy! We actually made chicken fried steak last night with my husband's special "it's a food group by itself" gravy.  Now, we use bacon drippings if we have them, but lard will do in a pinch. His recipe is just like yours and is seasoned with plenty of fresh black pepper and a little salt. That's it. Nom Nom Nom. 

Southern food may not be healthy, but who wants to live forever eating kale every night?


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## hmlove1218 (Jun 11, 2015)

snappyllama said:


> I love some milk gravy! We actually made chicken fried steak last night with my husband's special "it's a food group by itself" gravy.  Now, we use bacon drippings if we have them, but lard will do in a pinch. His recipe is just like yours and is seasoned with plenty of fresh black pepper and a little salt. That's it. Nom Nom Nom.
> 
> Southern food may not be healthy, but who wants to live forever eating kale every night?



Oohh..! I bet it's even better with bacon drippings!


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## Jstar (Jun 11, 2015)

hmlove1218 said:


> Oohh..! I bet it's even better with bacon drippings!



EVERYTHING is better with bacon drippings


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