I just bought a 50 pound block of palm oil from Bulk Apothecary. I have read...

[lfr1110]

I read that you have to melt the whole thing to distribute the fats and stearic acid evenly unless it's homogenized? Bulk apothecary doesn't say if this block of Palm oil is good out of the box and just scoop them out. What do u think?

 

[snappyllama]

I don't use palm, but I've read that folks using it melt down the whole thing and then re-package it into more conveniently sized containers.

 

[Kamahido]

If it doesn't say I would err on the side of caution and melt/repackage it. One of the reasons I moved to Beef Tallow.

 

[cmzaha]

I do not melt all mine down. Actually I no longer purchase the 5 gallon buckets of palm, but when I do I scoop it from different areas of the bucket, because I can see the stearic areas. I now buy 50# blocks of 100% palm shortening which is homogenized Palm Oil

 

[Arthur Dent]

Doesn't the red palm oil make funky yellow/red lather? I haven't tried it, just read it somewhere.

 

[shunt2011]

I too just noticed it said its red. That's going to make a lot of orang/yellow soap unless it's mislabeled. Before I pour hazed the homogenized palm I used regular and never bothered to melt and portion it out. But never had any problems. Now I mostly use lard though.

 

[lfr1110]

It does say red Palm oil but the one I got is actually off white color. I believe it's been refined.

 

[Dahila]

I got red palm in costco cause it was cheap , I tried to use it , but finally it went to garbage. I have wasting things but I can not take the color or the smell of it. Oh if is white that's ok
Melt it mix it with the spoon and freeze it, You will not get the stearic spots

 

[Jsoaps21]

My gallon jug of palm oil is sitting outside in the sun to day to melt and mix and pout into easier to manage containers. Should be a better way to package in my opinion.

 

[topofmurrayhill]

My gallon jug of palm oil is sitting outside in the sun to day to melt and mix and pout into easier to manage containers. Should be a better way to package in my opinion.

Oil left in the sun is subject to photo-oxidation. Just put it in hot water.

 

[KristaY]

My gallon jug of palm oil is sitting outside in the sun to day to melt and mix and pout into easier to manage containers. Should be a better way to package in my opinion.

That's exactly why I don't buy palm from ED anymore. The gallon jug is such a PITA to melt down then portion out.

 

[KristaY]

I do not melt all mine down. Actually I no longer purchase the 5 gallon buckets of palm, but when I do I scoop it from different areas of the bucket, because I can see the stearic areas. I now buy 50# blocks of 100% palm shortening which is homogenized Palm Oil

Carolyn, are you using the shortening as full replacement for palm oil? I've been using it at about 10% plus regular palm at about 20%. I've had a few cases of DOS so was wondering if it's the shortening or some other random cosmic loophole.

 

[shunt2011]

Carolyn, are you using the shortening as full replacement for palm oil? I've been using it at about 10% plus regular palm at about 20%. I've had a few cases of DOS so was wondering if it's the shortening or some other random cosmic loophole.

Not Carolyn but I get the homoginized palm from Soaper's Choice which is likely the same thing she is buying. I use it for all my Palm and have never had an issue. I do use mosly lard now but still make it with the palm I have left.

 

[KristaY]

Thanks Shunt! I get my palm shortening from Smart & Final. Just can't beat the price as it comes out to 4 cents per oz which is lot cheaper than regular PO. I think I'll do a test batch using it as a whole PO replacement and see how I like it. I remember Carolyn doing an experiment on it so I'll see if I can find her thread.

 

[SplendorSoaps]

I do not melt all mine down. Actually I no longer purchase the 5 gallon buckets of palm, but when I do I scoop it from different areas of the bucket, because I can see the stearic areas. I now buy 50# blocks of 100% palm shortening which is homogenized Palm Oil

Carolyn, are the heavy stearic areas the ones that look kind of ashy? I tried melting down a 28 lb. bucket of palm, and it was such a pain that I've been basically doing what you do. It seems like the drier, "ashy" parts seem to contain the most stearic acid for me, but I'd love to hear your two cents on this.