Before I started the endeavor of rendering lard, I did a lot of researching across the internet. I even found a few blog entries that discuss how to render lard, so while this may seem redundant to some, it is all new to me!
Since we were refilling the freezer, I had to process these large frozen packages of lard that were taking up a lot of space. Fortunately for us, we purchased a large beer-making vat last December (for scalding our huge turkey in) so I knew I could render this lard down outside. I've heard that it doesn't smell "that bad" but I didn't want to find out how bad. The vat has a temperature gauge and sits on a frame which is hooked up to a propane bottle. Super easy to use and it can be moved around wherever it is most suitable.
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| Fresh lard in the vat. |
I had to let the lard thaw overnight and the next morning it was ready to be pulled apart and put into the vat. I pulled it apart only to get it to start melting faster instead of dumping the whole mass into the vat. I did not add any water, although next time I will add an inch or so in the bottom. Some of the cracklings started browning before I had poured any of the fat off and I didn't want a "toasty" smell or taste to the lard.
I kept the temperature fairly low...no more than 100 degrees. It only took about an hour and a half over the low heat, with the lid ajar, before the fat was melted down and the cracklings were visible. I used the lid only because it was outside and the wind was blowing little pieces of leaves and such around.
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| Cracklins'...yummy! |
At first I poured off the melted fat through the vat's spout, but this proved to be very slow going as the tube would clog with cracklings. I resorted to using a ladle to scoop the fat and cracklings out. I placed a piece of flour sack cloth into a large colander which I set into a deep bowl and loaded fat and cracklings into the colander; the fat then strained through the cloth, leaving the cracklings behind which I bagged into freezer bags. From the bowl I poured the strained fat into clean mason jars.
I was actually fascinated by how quickly the lard set up...and the way the color changed as the fat cooled.In the photo, the jar on the far right is the "newest" pouring compared to that on the far left which is the "oldest" pouring. You can see that it starts out amber, but lightens as it sets up and cools.
The following morning I made my husband cornbread, which I hadn't done for a long while. I toasted some cracklings first (they POP! which is why they call them cracklings...and that pop of fat can hurt!) which took a little time. After I had the batter made for the cornbread, I added a cup of cracklings and the fat from the cracklings right into the batter.
This cornbread was FANTASTIC! The cracklings added a mild flavor but it didn't alter the taste so much that you didn't think it wasn't cornbread.
So now I have jars and jars of lard and room in my freezer for meat. I also have a bunch of projects I am itching to try out. I want to use lard in soap making; to make a pie crust from scratch with the lard (versus butter, which I normally use); biscuits from scratch; and fried chicken!
