Lard from WalMart

[DeeAnna]

Most of the local groceries here in northeast Iowa carry the 1 pound and 4 pound containers of lard. They are usually near the meat case, not in the shortening aisle as in Walmart. Problem is ... lard in Wally World is $1.40 per pound, give or take a bit. At the other groceries, it is closer to $2 per pound. Quite a price difference!

 

[Moonshea Botanicals]

Really? Maybe it's more popular here in the South

People hear LARD and think UNHEALTHY. It doesn't matter if it's going into soap, lard=unhealthy, plain & simple. So big brand stores don't want to people to think they are not thinking of healthy things, so it's just not sold.

 

[Mrs. Bubble]

My goodness I love you all! My grandmother cooked with lard in EVERY meal she made. It was in a big white 5 gallon bucket with a red pig on it. She lived to be 95 yrs old and died of skin cancer. Do not be afraid of the lard - it makes the most amazing buttermilk biscuits you will ever eat. Who would have thought I was from the deep south !?!

 

[DeeAnna]

Not just the South, Mrs. Bubble. My grandmother made lard soap, lard pie crust, lard for frying, etc. Not so much biscuits, so I bow to your southern roots on that one. My mother and women in my generation of my family don't use lard so much, even though both my brothers are hog farmers. The genetics of pigs have really changed in the past couple of decades, so there is not nearly as much lard on a hog as in my grandmother's day. I actually think the use of lard for cooking -- especially pastries, pie crusts, and biscuits -- is coming back a little bit in some circles. And here in the rural midwest, many folks don't blink at the idea of lard in soap.

 

[VanessaP]

No meat based shortenings left here either, in the South. Once the stores sold out a few years ago, that was it. No more ordered. All shortening is vegetable based. The only place that still carries lard is WalMart, and I shiver every time I go that once it is gone, it is gone for good.

Ummm. Untrue. Walmart's store brand shortening is still has tallow in it. I know this is fact because it is currently in stock in our store and I have a tub of it sitting in my pantry.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Shortening-42-oz/10451501

ETA: Save-A-Lot, Kroger's and Food City all carry lard as well.

 

[Skatergirl46]

You can usually find lard at Mexican markets.

 

[mel z]

Ummm. Untrue. Walmart's store brand shortening is still has tallow in it. I know this is fact because it is currently in stock in our store and I have a tub of it sitting in my pantry.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Shortening-42-oz/10451501

ETA: Save-A-Lot, Kroger's and Food City all carry lard as well.

Interesting, ours does not here. It is the same ingredients as Crisco now, and has a label that differs from the one from the website. That's fine with me as I stopped using any type of shortening, I don't like the soap it makes, and it really is not cheap here. May as well buy lard at Walmart it is cheaper than shortening.

Hmmm. I know our Kroger stores do not have any lard here. Don't have a Food City. There is a Save-A-Lot and I'd bet the have lard, if Walmart stops selling lard, I'll have to drive to the scary part of town to Save-A-Lot to check it out. Or find a Mexican grocer, we have quite a few of those. Ooh, I bet the Asian grocer's have it, and the Indian grocer.

 

[ghia61]

Walmart has two different shortenings, one all vegetable, the other a tallow based mix. If you can't find it in your local store, it is available online. Check the bottom shelf of the baking section-that's where it usually is.

As for the lard - makes the best tortillas! Also a scoop in refried beans to make them creamier. And if I die from the lard, I'll die happy!

 

[mel z]

Walmart has two different shortenings, one all vegetable, the other a tallow based mix. If you can't find it in your local store, it is available online. Check the bottom shelf of the baking section-that's where it usually is.

As for the lard - makes the best tortillas! Also a scoop in refried beans to make them creamier. And if I die from the lard, I'll die happy!

Not here on the 2 shortening ghia. That is what moonshea and I are trying to explain. In some parts of the U.S. it is no longer available, FDA rules and regs about it, and complaining customers.

I have to agree about lard and food. I was raised with lard or leftover bacon grease in nearly everything we ate. That is some good food. I was sad when McD's couldn't keep animal fat in the fries too. It DOES make a big taste difference.

 

[cmzaha]

For tallow you can buy meat-based shortening at any grocery store. It's supposed to be about 96-98% tallow. Can't prove that, but have seen several people on forums say they've personally spoken to the manufacturers and gotten that information.

Love it and use it all the time. It's actually cheaper than Lard, usually. I just like the sound of tallow better than lard on the label.

At least here in So California Smart & Final also carries tallow shortening in blocks

 

[VanessaP]

Not here on the 2 shortening ghia. That is what moonshea and I are trying to explain. In some parts of the U.S. it is no longer available, FDA rules and regs about it, and complaining customers.

I think its more a matter of what sells locally, because I'm in the South, and still have the tallow shortening, and new12soap does in the central Florida area as well, I believe. Just because its not available in your part of the south doesn't mean that it isn't available in other parts. If your area has a large population that are vegetarian or vegan, then sure, the tallow-based likely won't sell very well at all, but if you live in a more rural area where 95% of the population enjoys their meat, it sells very well.

 

[melibee]

Ooh, I bet the Asian grocer's have it, and the Indian grocer.

You won't find lard or tallow at the Indian grocery. You'll find lots of soybean, "olive" oil, sunflower and gorgeous golden jars of ghee. My local Indian grocery has incredible prices, both on oils and produce. Definitely worth a trip if you have an Indian community nearby! Plus, ghee is just delicious in your coffee and for cooking.

 

[toxikon]

You won't find lard or tallow at the Indian grocery. You'll find lots of soybean, "olive" oil, sunflower and gorgeous golden jars of ghee. My local Indian grocery has incredible prices, both on oils and produce. Definitely worth a trip if you have an Indian community nearby! Plus, ghee is just delicious in your coffee and for cooking.

Hey Melibee, welcome to the forum! This thread is from 2013, so you're not likely to get a response from the person you replied to.

Why don't you pop over to the Introduction subforum to introduce yourself?

 

[melibee]

Hey Melibee, welcome to the forum! This thread is from 2013, so you're not likely to get a response from the person you replied to.

Why don't you pop over to the Introduction subforum to introduce yourself?

Thanks, I know it's an old thread, but it ranks high when you search for info about soap-making and lard, so thought I'd provide some info for future reference.