My daughter wants to make a balm with tallow and herb infused sunflower oil. What preservative would be best?
Preservative for tallow balm?
- Thread starter Obsidian
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Since my tallow balm recipe doesn't contain any water, I don't use any preservative. I do use antioxidants: ROE in my tallow when I render it, and some vitamin E in the recipe. HTH.
I regularly make balms using rice bran oil that has been infused with various dried botanicals (calendula, broadleaf plantain, lemon balm, etc.). I don’t use a preservative because the infusions are anhydrous. I use ROE as the antioxidant.
I’m confused. If I render pure tallow and leave it at room temperature, won’t it eventually turn rancid if there is no preservative? I have had other oils turn rancid in the absence of water, too. Last month I had to bin multiple containers of embeds because the oil in them turned rancid.
"...If I render pure tallow and leave it at room temperature, won’t it eventually turn rancid if there is no preservative?..."
@ScentimentallyYours: No, a pure fat won't turn rancid if you don't use a preservative, which is an additive that helps inhibit microbial growth. The fat may turn rancid quicker without an antioxidant such as rosemary oleoresin extract (ROE), however. But any fat will eventually turn rancid.
Additives such as antioxidants and preservatives and chelators will increase the shelf life by inhibiting microbial growth or oxidation, but they can't give a product an indefinite shelf life.
@ScentimentallyYours: No, a pure fat won't turn rancid if you don't use a preservative, which is an additive that helps inhibit microbial growth. The fat may turn rancid quicker without an antioxidant such as rosemary oleoresin extract (ROE), however. But any fat will eventually turn rancid.
Additives such as antioxidants and preservatives and chelators will increase the shelf life by inhibiting microbial growth or oxidation, but they can't give a product an indefinite shelf life.
To prevent or delay rancidity in oils, you need an antioxidant or chelator, or both.
To prevent or delay microbial growth in water-based products, you would use a preservative.
EDIT: sorry, didn't see @DeeAnna's post above, which already explains all this more clearly.
