Get off my a$$ about lard!

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DWinMadison

DWinMadison

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I'm glad to see so many of you putting lard in your soaps. It's a great ingredient, but has gotten such a bad wrap that I think people tend to shy away from it as well as other animal fats, like my preference, beef tallow (GV shortening) in soap making. If find many people somehow translate their negative views of lard as a food/cooking method to their views of applying it their skin. Do you guys find that as well? I don't sell soap, but I've given it as gifts and sometimes people look a little of-put when they ask "what's in it?" and I list words like lard or tallow. I've even been tempted to use the word "manteca" just to make it less offensive. I also find there to be a general feeling that animal fat is somehow inferior, "cheaper" products in soap making. Thoughts?
 
Most people I give my soap to do not ask what is in it. And I use lard in the 55% range routinely. I adore what it does to soap!
The two(my kids) who do ask are making sure I put lard in there, LOL. I have had one friend ask what was in there, and I discussed the EO blend. They were perfectly happy with that info.
 
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I spend three days and several hours rendering my own tallow until it's completely white and hard as a rock with nothing but clear water separating by the final render. It is completely scent free as well. It's a luxury in my opinion in that I spend so much time and effort doing this and have a wonderful final product. I'm proud of it and wouldn't hesitate to tell someone as such seeing as I put so much work into it. That, and my best soaps have a ton of tallow in it. Don't like it? Move along then :) lard I'm sure is also awesome. Just had to give my 2 cents on the animal fat thing.
 
Susie said:
Most people I give my soap to do not ask what is in it. And I use lard in the 55% range routinely. I adore what it does to soap!
The two(my kids) who do ask are making sure I put lard in there, LOL. I have had one friend ask what was in there, and I discussed the EO blend. They were perfectly happy with that info.
Click to expand...

I think most people are intrigued when you tell you MADE soap, so they naturally ask questions. Most are then surprised to learn that soap is made with any sort of fat at all. And to be fair, it is fairly counter-intuitive. We've been so conditioned to believe fat = bad that a lot of folks just can't get past it.

lionprincess00 said:
I spend three days and several hours rendering my own tallow until it's completely white and hard as a rock with nothing but clear water separating by the final render. It is completely scent free as well. It's a luxury in my opinion in that I spend so much time and effort doing this and have a wonderful final product. I'm proud of it and wouldn't hesitate to tell someone as such seeing as I put so much work into it. That, and my best soaps have a ton of tallow in it. Don't like it? Move along then :) lard I'm sure is also awesome. Just had to give my 2 cents on the animal fat thing.
Click to expand...

You go pioneer woman! I want to live in the tent next to yours when the zombie apocalypse comes!!!
 
lionprincess00 said:
I spend three days and several hours rendering my own tallow until it's completely white and hard as a rock with nothing but clear water separating by the final render. It is completely scent free as well. It's a luxury in my opinion in that I spend so much time and effort doing this and have a wonderful final product. I'm proud of it and wouldn't hesitate to tell someone as such seeing as I put so much work into it. That, and my best soaps have a ton of tallow in it. Don't like it? Move along then :) lard I'm sure is also awesome. Just had to give my 2 cents on the animal fat thing.
Click to expand...

My closest source of tallow is a butcher an hour from here. All the butchers in town sell their beef fat to some company. And since it is hunting season, there is no one willing to give/sell beef fat :(. I am sure tallow works as well as lard, I just don't have easy access to it.
 
Susie said:
My closest source of tallow is a butcher an hour from here. All the butchers in town sell their beef fat to some company. And since it is hunting season, there is no one willing to give/sell beef fat :(. I am sure tallow works as well as lard, I just don't have easy access to it.
Click to expand...

Original Walmart GV shortening has a large % of beef tallow in it. The other main ingredient is Palm. Now bad could that be? It works great as in ingredient in your soaps.
 
Susie, if you can get a hold of some deer or bear fat, do it. It makes the best tallow and is well worth the time spent rendering it.

I use lard in nearly all my soap, luckily no one in this area really seems to care. If someone did have issues with it, they can get their soap somewhere else.
 
I'm not suggesting that we be defensive about it. I'm merely suggesting that in a largely urban world, where all things "fat" are demonized that we need to 1) not apologize for using animal fats in soap and 2) educate folk about the many benefits of animal fats. Plus, I thought the "lard a$$" reference was kinda funny.
 
So lard is in the process of redemption! That's great!

The cool thing is we soapmakers of the world can be part of its redefinition. It's a rare occasion when someone asks me what's in the soap, and should they freeze up at hearing the L word, I wax historic - mentioning how our forefathers used lard and tallow soap to wash our ancestors at Plymouth and Williamsburg. (Insert patriotic music here) Lard and tallow were fundamental ingredients in making soap, and today we can add other wholesome ingredients like essentials oils and shea butter to the improve the classic recipe.

And if that doesn't work, go into the green thing.
 
DWinMadison said:
Original Walmart GV shortening has a large % of beef tallow in it. The other main ingredient is Palm. Now bad could that be? It works great as in ingredient in your soaps.
Click to expand...

Thanks for mentioning that. I've been curious about trying tallow, but not willing to render my own or buy from etsy. I'm going to look for that next time I have to pick up so early lard.
 
I've only had a few people hesitate at my lard soaps, but once they try they ask for it again. Im pretty sure my semi kosher/vegan mother in law would balk at it, but her gourmet husband wont :)
 
DWinMadison said:
I think most people are intrigued when you tell you MADE soap, so they naturally ask questions. Most are then surprised to learn that soap is made with any sort of fat at all. And to be fair, it is fairly counter-intuitive. We've been so conditioned to believe fat = bad that a lot of folks just can't get past it.



You go pioneer woman! I want to live in the tent next to yours when the zombie apocalypse comes!!!
Click to expand...

No comment.:cool:



Sorry Susie. That really is crummy. I have a butcher I go to once a week. They have more than enough for me. They don't charge now, and fingers crossed they don't get wind of the fact they could charge and people would pay for it! Shhh, did I say it out loud?
 
lenarenee said:
So lard is in the process of redemption! That's great!

The cool thing is we soapmakers of the world can be part of its redefinition. It's a rare occasion when someone asks me what's in the soap, and should they freeze up at hearing the L word, I wax historic - mentioning how our forefathers used lard and tallow soap to wash our ancestors at Plymouth and Williamsburg. (Insert patriotic music here) Lard and tallow were fundamental ingredients in making soap, and today we can add other wholesome ingredients like essentials oils and shea butter to the improve the classic recipe.

And if that doesn't work, go into the green thing.
Click to expand...

That makes me want to stand up and eat apple pie...with a lard crust.
 
Lard is just awesome in soaps and in food!

We use store bought lard for pie crusts and dumplings. One of the first things I bought for my kitchen when just starting out was a grease saver (the kind with the little filter holes on top) to save my bacon grease. The bacon grease is used to make roux (for various Cajun dishes and cream gravy). I also use it to make chicken fried steak... mmm. We don't eat any of those things very often. But if you're going to do something, it should be delicious.

Crisco and margarine aren't great for you either... they just had good marketing campaigns.
 

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