Coming over to the lard side

[not_ally]

I must be one of those insensitive types, I smell the lard when I am melting/mixing it of course, but once I have added lye, FO, (usually) Cpop'd it and set it out to ready for unmolding, I can't anymore. Definitely not after it has cured to any appreciable degree. I assume, as Sonya suggests, there will be some differences w/r/t the source.

Ie; mine, from Smart and Final, a large discount store, is probably more processed and therefore less lardy-smelling, than a home rendered one. But you know, more processed - I know it contains BHT and citric acid, neither of which bother me, but might others. So pluses and minuses.

 

[DeeAnna]

I'm another one of those who doesn't find the odor of lard to be especially strong or objectionable. I've used store bought lard and lard I've rendered myself, keeping the overall temp as low as possible and minimizing the amount of time the lard is exposed to heat.

That said, I did buy some locally rendered lard recently from a local lady who raises her own hogs. This particular container of lard is beautifully white, but it has an unexpected smoky tang similar to what you'd smell walking into a barbecue place for a good rib supper. I just don't think this is going to play well in my pie pastry. I'm not sure it will play well with delicately scented soap either -- I'm not inclined to experiment to find out. Chuck (my hubby) said to use it in his pine tar soap, and I think I'll take him up on that. It's fine for general cooking as well.

 

[makes_scents]

Could the piggy smell be related to boar taint? I know that some people are more sensitive to the taste, so maybe the smell is the same way?

 

[Susie]

I only ever buy commercially processed lard. Usually Armour, but a couple of times a brand from the local Hispanic food shop.

 

[gigisiguenza]

I must be one of those insensitive types, I smell the lard when I am melting/mixing it of course, but once I have added lye, FO, (usually) Cpop'd it and set it out to ready for unmolding, I can't anymore. Definitely not after it has cured to any appreciable degree. I assume, as Sonya suggests, there will be some differences w/r/t the source.

Ie; mine, from Smart and Final, a large discount store, is probably more processed and therefore less lardy-smelling, than a home rendered one. But you know, more processed - I know it contains BHT and citric acid, neither of which bother me, but might others. So pluses and minuses.

I've been using plain old Manteca from the grocery store and I've not detected any smell once it's cured. Granted, I use FOs in every batch, but even before I add them to the melted oils, I don't detect any strong smell. Perhaps it's due to what you suggest Ally - it's more processed, since it's a grocery store product? No idea, but I'm cool with it.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I made the mistake of using rosemary and thyme to scent my first lard batch and together they always remind me of pork, so I was sure that I was smelling the lard when in fact it was just the association

 

[gigisiguenza]

I made the mistake of using rosemary and thyme to scent my first lard batch and together they always remind me of pork, so I was sure that I was smelling the lard when in fact it was just the association

LOL did it remind you of Sunday dinner? I just had an immediate association

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

LOL did it remind you of Sunday dinner? I just had an immediate association

It was exactly that! Now with other scents but even more lard, I can't smell any lard smell. Crazy how the brain works.

 

[gigisiguenza]

It was exactly that! Now with other scents but even more lard, I can't smell any lard smell. Crazy how the brain works.

Hahaha I was talking to a friend about soaping and they asked if I could make a bacon scented soap. I told em no, because it would feel very wrong and anti-piggy to scent a lard soap with a bacon scent. The bar might start oinking when you least expect it LOL. Plus making it would make me hungry for bacon and that's very distracting when you're soaping

 

[DeeAnna]

Boar taint? Possibly, but I personally doubt it. The very large majority of all hogs that go to slaughter are sows, gilts, or barrows (neutered males). The boar (intact male) is a lonely rarity. He would have to have quite a taint to contaminate the lard supply enough to produce a distinct odor in the lard.

 

[Obsidian]

I can smell lard too when its melted or in a unscented soap if the % is high enough. I've found that even a small amount of FO will cover the scent and even if the FO fades, the piggy smell doesn't come back.
My first time using lard was a 100% unscented batch, I eventually had to toss it because the smell was just horrid.

 

[dillsandwitch]

I cut my soap today. My brother says he can't smell the piggy but i swear i can smell it. Tested an off cut and it lathers great already. I really hope the piggy cures out

 

[Dorymae]

There is a small portion of the population who are super smellers. They can detect small differences others can not. I believe I read it was less than 5% of people who can do this.

You may be one Dill. Thankfully I'm not cursed with that affliction. (I couldn't even imagine being a soap maker with a super sense of smell - everything would smell different than it does to my customers - how would I know why they liked a certain smell?)

All soap that is unscented smells like oil to me, even vegan soaps smell oily. I use lard a lot, only a few recipes don't use any at all. I hope your soap cures away the smell for you. Lard really is an awesome fat to soap with, no other oil I've found makes as great of soap.

 

[dillsandwitch]

Yeah i do have a really sensitive nose. Well when its not all stuffy from alergies. One day at work a couple years back i was sitting at my desk and i could smell lettuce. I asked my desk neighbour if they could smelk it too and she couldn't. Turns out it was one of the managers eating a salad with lots of lettuce in it on the other side of the office i could smell. Hahaha. Sometimes its funny, sometimes not so much.

so its been about 2 weeks since I made the soap. i decided to give it a test today.

sniffed and all I could smell was the FO. YAY.

Washed hands with it. SO MUCH PIGGY

I'll give it a couple more weeks and try again. I really hope the piggy goes away. I'm not holding my breath at this point though.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

...... I'm not holding my breath at this point though.

Sounds like it might help!

I don't find that there is any pig smell in my cured bars. Not really sure if there is one at any time, but I am not a bloodhound by any stretch of the imagination

 

[Susie]

I have only had one lard soap have the lardy smell bleed through the EO, and that was one that I only used half the amount of EO. And I have a super sensitive nose. Maybe try a different FO next time? Did you use the full amount by the manufacturer's suggestion?

 

[dillsandwitch]

I have only had one lard soap have the lardy smell bleed through the EO, and that was one that I only used half the amount of EO. And I have a super sensitive nose. Maybe try a different FO next time? Did you use the full amount by the manufacturer's suggestion?

Yeah i used the full % i usually dont use that much in my soaps. I honestly think if i can still smell it at 6 weeks im gonna give the lard thing a miss in the future.

 

[fuzz-juzz]

Have you used lard from Coles?
I've used it in past and you can't really compare it's smell to the one rendered at home. Lard shouldn't really have that smell, I don't know what they do to it but it's not natural.
My mum renders lard for me, most of the time it's nice and almost scent free. Last batch is a bit overcooked and smells like pork crackling but nothing like one from Coles.
Maybe try and reduce SF. I had success with lard facial bars, but I used no SF, i.e. it was 0%. So no lard left in the bar, no smell. I used as much as 50% in a recipe.
It gave me terrible DOS so I gave up on it, shop bought and home rendered. I never figured out why. It is lovely in soap though.
And in my own experience bad smell is a bad smell, no amount of FO will cover it. I once had GM batch that overheated, it was fragrance nicely but it smelled like cheese, especially in the shower. It didn't matter it smelled like FO, cheese bit was too much and I tossed it. I was not going to shower myself with cheese lol.

 

[dillsandwitch]

Yeah it was the stuff from Coles. I tried to find some pig fat around here so I could render my own but none of my local butchers were willing to help me out. Not even my regular butcher that I have been going to every week for the last couple of years

I'm gonna be patient and wait till 6 weeks is up and then give my final judgment on it. Maybe the pig will go away in that time.

But yeah I'm not gonna shower in something that smells like roast pork. I like roast pork but I dont wanna smell like it