smelly lard

[t4lenza]

Hi I'm new here. I have made one batch of soap, for which I purchased the lard. It turned out great. This time around I rendered my own. Now while I did not go out of my way to smell the store bought stuff I am pretty sure it had no odor. While mine still smells pretty darn porky. After the first rendering, I cooled it scooped off the good stuff and reheated and restrained it. It is currently cooling on the back porch and looks great. But still smells a bit.
I can find nothing that addresses this in any artical. Is it a non issue?

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Peel a few potatoes next time you render and throw them in the water or just the pork fat. The potatoes will absorb the lard smell and leave your lard without, or very little smell! It really works! Try adding a little salt to the water or fat also when you render.

Paul, been there, done that!

 

[t4lenza]

Thanks Paul,

Can I still do it with this batch, even though I have melted it twice?

Toby

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Thanks Paul,

Can I still do it with this batch, even though I have melted it twice?

Toby

Yea, just remelt in on low and don't get your lard too hot, or hot too fast, as that is what really brings out the "oink" smell in the lard!

 

[Woodi]

I just made some lard soap with what seemed like meaty-smelling lard at first. (A neighbour gave me some lovely jars of pure, organic pork fat she rendered herself) I added clove, peppermint eo's. The soap came out fine, smelling mostly of peppermint. I won't sell this one though, just for personal use.

 

[gsferg]

I've got a hunch that the smell mostly comes from how you render it- with or without water- but I'm still experimenting. I think you end up with a cleaner, less smelly fat if you render it in water but rendering it without water is certainly faster, and simpler. I've heard about the potato trick but haven't tried it. Yet. I will.

The stuff you buy in stores is heavily processed and refined and usually included preservatives to keep it from going rancid. The lack of smell actually bothers me...

 

[LaLuna]

How do you render lard? Do you just boil the meat and scoop the fat off the top? Is that what lard is - straight animal fat? What part of the animal do you use? I mean, if you were killing your own animal, could you use the bits that you don't want to eat? Whats the difference between tallow and lard? Excuse my naivety in this matter

 

[Soapmaker Man]

How do you render lard? Do you just boil the meat and scoop the fat off the top? Is that what lard is - straight animal fat? What part of the animal do you use? I mean, if you were killing your own animal, could you use the bits that you don't want to eat? Whats the difference between tallow and lard? Excuse my naivety in this matter

I have rendered more tallow than lard. When I go to my butcher I ask for the kidney fat as it is the best. I boil it in water and let the fat, tallow from beef, lard from pork, come to the top. By putting it in the refrigerator, in the morning the clean lard or tallow pops right out. I clean by scraping the bottom goop off and place in storage Glad containers.

Paul

 

[t4lenza]

So after all that smelly talk, I rerendered my lard Saturday morn. and used the potatoe trick. I was satisfied when I took the potatoe out that it smelled better. I sat it out on the porch as it is still quite cold here and about 7 went to start soap making. Again I convinced myself it was too smelly, so as I was heating it, I threw in two more potatoes, let it go for about ten minutes, then just pulled it off the heat and added my other fats. All seems to have gone well. The EO I used seems to be taking up any slack and I have sixty new bars of soap. So batch #2 is complete and curing.

thanks all for the response. So much to learn.

 

[Saltysteele]

am searching for new recipes, and found this thread. thought i'd give it a bump for any other animal-fat-soap lovers out there wondering about the best way to render

 

[artisan soaps]

..

 

[IrishLass]

Doing a final wet rendering with baking soda also works to get rid of the smellies.

IrishLass

 

[Jody63]

I just use the Lard in the tubs at Wal Mart. Is there any benefit to the soap in rendering Tallow/Lard yourself? Do most grocers willingly save the fat for you? I would have to work up the nerve to even ask, but that is just me I guess. :wink: