Rendering the fat

[Hpacres440p]

I decided to try rendering this past weekend-had sold a majority of the kidney fat to a friend, who got 16 pints. Anyway, from the 5 lbs or so I attempted, I got this beautiful tallow. When I was cutting it up, even fully frozen, it didn't feel "cold"-my hands sure got soft afterwards!
My processor charges us to keep the fat, not a biggie, but I wish it was easier to find other than just from my own butcher animals. I know people sell tallow for $10/lb or so…sheesh! I just want some for home use.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Them slices make me want to bite some cheese!

 

[Hereford2]

When I saw the title of this post I got a flash back to when I was in Walmart and these heavy girls walked by in belly shirts. I'm FOREVER SCARRED......

 

[sstterry]

Them slices make me want to bite some cheese!

None of us are surprised by that!

 

[Down in Dixie]

I decided to try rendering this past weekend-had sold a majority of the kidney fat to a friend, who got 16 pints. Anyway, from the 5 lbs or so I attempted, I got this beautiful tallow. When I was cutting it up, even fully frozen, it didn't feel "cold"-my hands sure got soft afterwards!
My processor charges us to keep the fat, not a biggie, but I wish it was easier to find other than just from my own butcher animals. I know people sell tallow for $10/lb or so…sheesh! I just want some for home use.

Are you just rendering it down in a crockpot or a regular pot? I have about 15 lbs of fat I want to render down and looking for the best way to do it.

 

[M.Magis]

I used a crock pot when I did my last one. If I recall, I put the fat in cheese cloth. I may have strained the rendered oil through cheese cloth after rendering also, not positive. It makes some good french fries.

 

[Hpacres440p]

Are you just rendering it down in a crockpot or a regular pot? I have about 15 lbs of fat I want to render down and looking for the best way to do it.

Crockpot. I cut it up into small pieces, added about 1/2 cup of water to keep it from burning before it started to melt.
Cooked about 6 hours, had a few larger soft fat pieces left and ran an immersion blender on low to break those up.
When I had mostly all clear liquid, I strained through coffee filters(cheesecloth probably better) in a mesh strainer-those clog pretty quickly after the first load of mostly liquid goes through.

 

[Hpacres440p]

Crockpot. I cut it up into small pieces, added about 1/2 cup of water to keep it from burning before it started to melt.
Cooked about 6 hours, had a few larger soft fat pieces left and ran an immersion blender on low to break those up.
When I had mostly all clear liquid, I strained through coffee filters(cheesecloth probably better) in a mesh strainer-those clog pretty quickly after the first load of mostly liquid goes through.

Oh, a friend gave me a tip to use a crockpot liner bag next time-cut a small hole in a corner and drain from there, keeping solids more limited from strainer. If you do that though, be ready to strain the whole amount at once…nowhere to put a holey bag of liquid fat easily!

 

[tex452]

Personally, I believe it's better for you than vegetable oil.
I haven't cooked any out for years, but it use to be a way of life for us.
I do buy lard from the store.

 

[Hpacres440p]

Made pork fried rice last night with it-tasty and no smoky house from hot oil. A little more "residue" on the lips, but just a good moisturizer, right?

 

[greybeard]

Lardy Me!!

from "cookin in the 50s"

'Oil was for lubricating stuff. Fat was for cooking.'