Lard and Ways to Use it

proc·ess
noun
1. a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end.
verb
perform a series of mechanical or chemical operations on (something) in order to change or preserve it.

As I was writing this post, the word process came to mind. Finishing the post was a process. The larger process, however, was all of the steps that it took to render the lard that came with our half hog delivered last autumn. Rendering the lard and using it in various products is all part of the even larger process aimed at our daily effort to slow down, and return to a more simple way of life. Along the way, I learned a thing or two, and thought that I would share my experience. 

This post really began last fall when we purchased a half hog. In a way, our purchase was an experiment. Did it make sense to buy such a quantity of meat? Would we actually consume it- that is all of the cuts that came with our order? It turned out that the answer was a resounding YES!  The taste and quality were unlike what we could purchase at our local market (even our favorite market). Having specific cuts of meat on hand did motivate us to plan our meals around what was already in the freezer, rather than plan meals and then head to the grocery store. Admittedly, we didn't opt for the organs. 

Along  with the obvious more attractive meal options that included thick slab bacon, ham steaks, breakfast and Italian sausage and shoulder roasts, it came with nearly 20# of lard including the highly treasured leaf lard that your ancestors probably used for pie crusts among other things. What to do with all that lard?  I wasn't sure what I was going to do with nearly twenty pounds of fat, but I was determined to use every bit of our purchase. To be honest, the lard sat in our freezer until last week. With another half hog on the way in about three weeks, I knew that I had to do something with all of that fat!

I know, I know-- the fat. Fat is what many of us try to avoid if we're trying to live a healthy lifestyle. I realize that I may have lost some of you by now. I don't imagine that you may be thinking about buying lard from your local butcher. I also don't imagine that lard may ever make a comeback with the majority of people. Let's face it. Pork fat seems taboo. It's what you avoid if you want to be healthy. Interestingly enough, some of the oils that we cook with like canola oil that touts healthful effects may be less healthy than pork fat. This is due to the amount of processing that products go through before they make it to the grocery store shelves. The goal of this blog is not to convince you one way or the other. There is tons of research out there, and there are a lot of factors, some very personal, that influence our eating. My goal is to simply share what one can do with the various parts of a hog beyond using the lard for cooking.  

Finally, after researching and reading a variety of homesteading articles, I had a plan: Render the lard. Store. Have on hand for candles, soap, hand lotion, and even suet cakes for our wild birds. I committed nearly an entire day to the process. And what a process it was! If you want to read about how I rendered the lard into a beautifully white, creamy product, then check out my blog How to Render Lard. 

There is a long list of practical uses for rendered lard that include seasoning cast iron cookware and lubricating our outdoor tools to help protect against rust. It may also be combined with bees wax, to create balms to moisturize and protect skin. Wood furniture and leather seats can also benefit from its moisturizing qualities. 

Fully rendered and stored, we were ready to undertake our first project of transforming the lard into soap.  I found the soap making process a bit intimidating because it involves working with lye and it is critical that you heed warnings such as wearing a mask, safety glasses, and gloves, and working in a well-ventilated space. 

A loaf just prior to cutting

And no, these aren't manly bars of bacon scented soap! Since it was our first time making soap, we kept it simple and produced  beautiful lemon grass citrus bars. 

The results were amazing! Now that I am over my initial concerns, I plan to add soap making to my list of homesteading skills to learn and to explore.  In the end, it was all a process-- both physically as we transformed fat into useable lard, and then lard into soap, which we will be using in our daily lives. 

The bars were cut after 24 hours and will now cure.

These are the types of experiences that I find to be the most rewarding. Transformations. Connections. Learning and discovering alternatives. Steps toward self sufficiency. Coming full circle.