Waste Not! Rendering Lard...

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.

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.

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!

The Walking Stick

There are many pieces of equipment that farm folks need. Items like tractors, welding equipment and gear, axes, saws, feed buckets, water hoses, good gloves to work fencing, vet wrap, etc. The list is probably endless and I've never met someone living on a farm who would say "no" to another tractor or other conveyance used to haul ________ (hay, critters, wood, feed, fill in the blank). I bought my husband his tractor for his birthday and I really have enjoyed driving it myself. It helps us take care of the animals who in turn take care of us and help us work the land. I think, however, my favorite piece of farm equipment is...my walking stick.

On our farm here in the Ozarks, you cannot take for granted that the ground on which you are about to tread is solid or level. You cannot take for granted that the "domesticated" livestock animals you are working around are not going to spook and react from their innate prey instinct which is usually to fight and /or fly. You cannot take for granted that a wild animal will not be lurking around or in your chicken coop, searching for eggs, chickens, chicks, ducks, ducklings, or "D", all of the above. You cannot take for granted that your docile Highland cattle are not going to crowd you or try to force you to give up some cookies. You cannot take for granted that your horses are your best buddies in the whole wide world and would never harm you unintentionally.

With my walking stick, I have a longer and higher reach, a stabilizing extra appendage for navigating rocky, steep and/or soggy ground, and I a light weight but useable weapon. I can push away something I don't want to come closer. I can use my stick to hold back brambles and thorns so I can pass through. My stick helps me to appear bigger and bigger (along with louder sometimes) usually wins the psychological intimidation game with critters. I can firmly tap a Highland horn from a safer distance and establish my higher ranking in the herd, backing off those that are pushing forward more assertively. I can walk up and down the rocky and sometimes incredibly steep slopes on our property and not worry that I will be rolling to the bottom of our valley and into the pond when gravelly footing unbalances me. I can walk through hay fields where the armadillos have burrowed and left a hidden gaping hole for the unwary foot. I can (and have!) launch an opossum through the air and out the chicken coop door with the greatest of ease. When I approach the sheep pen with my stick, I give a clear signal to my young (and learning) Anatolian female that when I say "enough!" I mean it. (Regarding this last statement, I never use the stick to physically correct our dogs; it is a prop I use, along with a deeper voice and intense face to enforce my command. It works...no physical force is necessary...partly because I'm alpha and that Anatolians are wickedly intelligent.)

You don't have to be old, feeble, crippled or timid to use a walking stick. You don't have to live on a farm or in the mountains to use a walking stick. You don't have to be an avid hiker to use a walking stick. You don't have to be short or tall, young or old, busy or leisurely to use a walking stick.

I got this walking stick on my one and only "I am a strong, independent woman and can vacation by myself" experiment back in the early 90s. I bought it at a small "artsy" store near Oxford, Maryland. I think it is birch, but I am not certain. It probably cost me all of $10, it is light weight and fits my hand well. I have lugged it around for nearly 20 years and I believe I found it's true worth here on the farm.

My walking stick, regardless of my purpose when I pick it up, is always ready for me to use when and if needed. And sometimes it merely says "walk with me and let us see".

New Year, New Baby

I didn't write about this event before as I've been bouncing from project to project and before I know it, time has run out or I can't seem to write anything. Sometimes the words aren't there to be composed and sometimes the words are there but the time isn't!

Our first calf of the year has been born and is a heifer. Dotty, from our short-legged Angus cow Dolly, appeared on 2 January, a few days after JoJo died. She is adorable, as all babies tend to be. We named her "Dotty" because of the white spots on her head (she also has one on her chest and under a leg). She is a cross between Dolly and our Highland bull, Gunner. She is fuzzier than "regular" calves, but the spots are definitely all from Dolly because Highlands don't have spots. It honestly looked as though a bird had deposited droppings on this little girl's head...and I wasn't about to name her "Shatupon". harhar! Maybe her Native American name can be "Pooped On By Bird" (nearly all the critters on the farm/in the house have Native American names...'cause hubby is part Native American and partly because we have unusual senses of humor).

Anyway, as you can see by her photos, she is a lovely thing and is very lively, nurses enthusiastically, runs and jumps and plays, and is "well put together" according to a neighbor and long-time cattle rancher. Even the young bull Tater is gentle with her and she can sometimes get him to play a little. She is figuring out that she will see us every day and that those things we are giving her mom are something her mom likes but she isn't convinced as of yet (range cubes).

I am looking forward to seeing how she grows and whether her coat will change at all. She seems pretty friendly so far although she hasn't let us touch her yet. She is a pretty girl and we are glad to start off our new year with a new baby.

Oh Saladmaster, how I love thee! Now, can I have a Saladmaster machine please?!!

Let me clarify a few points from the beginning: I do not sell Saladmaster; I am not endorsing it for anyone but me and my family I am merely relaying our experience. If you are interested in trying Saladmaster, I know folks who can show you how to get it. And yes, this means you attend a sales demonstration in which you get to eat the best tasting food you've ever tried for FREE--you do not have to buy anything. However, after the eating and discussion, you will want this cookware and especially this Saladmaster machine. And I want the Saladmaster machine BAD!

If you've read our farm website page "On Your Table", you know why we came to the Ozarks and that we are growing/raising our own food. We aren't at the point of self-sufficiency in that regard, but we're getting there. It is a process, it takes time and experimentation to find the best way (for us) to work this all out. What I didn't realize was that I was missing a critical piece of the freezer/pantry-to-usable nutrition puzzle.

I understand growing, raising and butchering humanely, cleanly, and with as little stress as possible. This, in my opinion, is good for the animal which passes on that good to me. What I didn't think about was how and in what I was cooking that "good". In walks a product brand I'd never heard of, although a few years ago I had attended a demonstration for a similar (but not the same!) product type. We have great friends who have a Saladmaster business; they called one day and asked to demo and cook a dinner for us. We enjoy supporting small business people like ourselves, so we said "yes'em, we'll take a look and enjoy having you visit the farm".

We had a great time with our friends, we had a lot of fun participating in the demonstration, we got to taste how good the food was when cooked in Saladmaster, and I didn't have to cook that afternoon (bonus!). What was the clincher for me? It was the pot test...your pots (teflon coated, cast iron, aluminum, "green" cookware...) against Saladmaster. Wow. My pots, especially the brand new ones I bought 2 years ago, were an Epic Fail against Saladmaster. Then I got scared, thinking there was no way we'd be able to get this cooler than cool cookware.

I was wrong--there, I typed it. It doesn't happen often, but that day I was wrong for a brief moment. Whew, glad it passed quickly.  

We are now the proud owners of a set of Saladmaster cookware and I am constantly amazed at how GOOD our meals taste. I am in learning mode and there are times when I read a recipe and think there is NO WAY I can have dinner ready in 20 minutes tops. But I do and it all tastes fan-freakin'-tastic!

One thing is missing though from my nearly perfect kitchen...the Saladmaster machine! You can get a free Saladmaster machine when you have three couples (who own their own homes) attend a dinner. Well, we aren't hugely social, so we don't know very many married folks who own their own home. We know some couples who do, but they say they "can't afford it", even though they don't know how much any of this costs and after I have forbidden them to bring check books or credit cards.

I. Must. Have. A. Saladmaster machine!! So come on y'all, come for dinner. You don't have to buy anything, just savor the experience and have a good time with us. It's a win-win any way you look at it: you eat fabulous food and I get goodies!! ;-D

Mulefoot...It is NOT the Other White Meat

Mulefoot pork...you know you want some!

Last night, I opened a package of Mulefoot pork chops. I was taken aback by how pretty the meat was that I HAD to take a photo of it and put it in with this blog post. It looks like a photo of a few small steaks, doesn't it? RED meat with a beautiful layer of white clean fat along the edge. That fat is clean...it looks clean, smells clean, and tastes clean.

I know that meat (and other food products) don't taste good based solely on their breed type. How the animal is raised, what it is fed, what it drinks, if it gets sunshine and fresh air, and so forth all play a crucial role--and these factors always will. This isn't a rant against large farming corporations; they have supplied thousands of grocery stores with relatively inexpensive food. This has been good for folks who don't have a lot of money to spend on food, can't grow their own food (be it veggies and/or food animals), or don't have access to small independent farms. I simply don't want to feed myself or anyone else food that has been unnaturally enhanced to grow quickly and then processed in an assembly-line manner with less than zero regard for nutritional quality. I want and deserve better.

When the pork marketing gurus came out with their campaign that stated pork was "the other white meat", I thought it was brilliant. Seriously, how else could this campaign have influenced so many folks into buying (and liking! *koffkoff*) GREY meat that tastes like...nothing? If your doctor wants to know why you use so much salt on your food, you can probably say, with complete honesty, that it doesn't taste like anything unless you load it up with "seasonings". Those aren't seasonings to enhance the flavor, they're disguises to cover up the lack of flavor!

Let me put away my tiny soapbox and say this: do yourself a favor and try fresh, humanely grown food. It doesn't have to be Mulefoot, although I am wholly biased toward Mulefoot pork and the breed itself. Get a package of pork chops or beef steaks from your local organic or slow-grow farmer and cook them up along side a package of pork chops or beef steaks from the grocery store. Don't use salt or any other seasonings...just taste them side by side. Will the fresh meat taste differently? You bet! Will the fresh meat taste odd? Probably because your palate isn't used to what fresh food tastes like. Will you like it? Only one way to find out and that is to try it for yourself.

Looking for a local slow-grow farmer? Start at http://www.eatwild.com/ or http://www.slowfoodusa.org/ .

Wanna try Mulefoot pork, see a Mulefoot hog up close and personal, and you live near the Ozarks? Visit our farm site for more information at http://www.theheritagehills.com/

The New Next Door Neighbor

We are very lucky to have with us a new addition to the farm, a charming and woolly in the extreme fella named Stormy. Stormy comes to us from a local friend's farm; we picked him up on the morning of the first day of the new year. It took about 40 minutes or so to get him loaded. Mostly it is all in the set up and how to best move the animal forward. However, once I remembered how to walk backward and UP into a stock trailer with a bucket of oats, it didn't take too long that he jumped right up into the trailer with me. I love "Ta Da!" moments like these!

Stormy, in all his pre-felted glory!

Stormy is currently hanging out in the pasture next to where we have the ewes (and dogs). We wanted to give him some time to meet and greet through the fence. I know there are folks who would just dump him in with the group and let them figure it out on their own. Because it is all about me (harharhar!), I am not happy creating a stressful situation for the animal(s). We are not in a rush, we have plenty of pasture for everyone, and we have plenty of time to move him in with the girls and the dogs. We have found this pokey but easing-in approach to be the best course of action for our critters be they fuzzy, fluffy, furry or woolly.

Our male dog, Grizzie (14 months), has been fine with him, but our young female, Fiona (8 months), has been on high alert with the new next door neighbor. Stormy, however, lowers his head and lunges forward and the dogs jump waaaay back...as they should. Anatolians are to guard, not necessarily be in charge. Stormy has be flirting incessantly with Lensey and Lacey, showing them where the best leaves and grass are along the fence line and touching noses through the fence. I've never seen courting rituals between sheep, so it has been fun to watch.

As can be seen from the photo, Stormy has a big ole bunch of wool on him and it is literally felted. It looks like a carapace or crinoline it is so stiff! We have been joking that he is carrying his own house around with him like a snail or hermit crab! We debated about taking at least some of it off, but was advised to keep it on until April or May when he could be sheared of the whole thing. I can't wait to see what he looks like under all that wool!

Welcome JoJo!

We were rather anxious this past Wednesday morning because we knew our Jersey cow "Jilly" (who we cross-bred with our Highland bull "Gunner") was due to have a calf at any time. TA DA! A ball of slightly damp fuzziness was parked in a bunch of hay and mom was cleaning up. The fuzziness has thus far served it well because it was a cold and windy day when "JoJo" was born.



This is JoJo in mid-baby moo!

We were very concerned that it was too windy in the open pasture where Jilly gave birth so we prepared a stall in the barn with plenty of straw for bedding and hay and water for Jilly and proceeded to "coax" this cow down the driveway to the barn. Easier said than done! My husband picked up this shivery, leggy fuzz ball and held her as I drove us slowly in the mule, hoping that Jilly would follow her calf.

Jilly had other plans. After getting her through the gate, Jilly decided that she had found grass nirvana and wouldn't budge while JoJo baby moo'd and pooped on my husband's coat. After 15 minutes of trying to get Jilly to follow, we took the baby down to the barn, settled her in the hay and drove back up to get Jilly to move along. Once she rounded the corner of the house and saw the other cows, she remembered being down there before and headed straight into the barn where she found her calf in the warm straw and plenty of fresh hay to munch.

This morning I had a feeling that JoJo wasn't nursing--she seemed too hungry and a bit too bony. She needed the fat in her mama's milk to bulk her up and keep her warm as her fuzzy coat won't do the job alone. We got out the old stand by calf bottle, prepped milk replacer and tried to get her to suckle first with my finger and then with the nipple. She didn't seem to know how to suckle and I also think something is off with her lower jaw so this had me very concerned. Thank goodness my husband grew up on a dairy farm...he poured some of the milk replacer in a bowl and JoJo started to drink it! Yes!!! He said we may have to milk Jilly and feed JoJo from a pail.

However, this little exercise in "hey, this is what I've been missing" with JoJo seemed to get her appetite rev'd up because she got up and started to actively search for mom's teats. We were the quietest cheerleaders on earth with all our encouraging words spoken in whispers as if JoJo were able to process any of the instructions! "No JoJo, go to the left", "don't let go of the teat", "that's mama's leg, not the udder, keep searching", "now hang on and suck and you'll get the good stuff". Maybe it helped, maybe it didn't, but when we headed back to the house JoJo seemed to have finally figured it out. Whew!