Lardinators! What lard do you use?

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

"La-ard, Armour la-ard.
What kind of soapers use Armour la-ard......?"

As the brand I use (Oma's schweineschmaltz) is not likely to be available in too many other counties, I just wanted to share the song that is now stuck in my head

 

[snappyllama]

I use Morell Snow lard from the grocery store. I'd order from Soapers Choice to save a little money (since lard is my primary oil), but I really do not have room to store large amounts.

 

[pinksmartapple]

The lard in the photo looks really solid. The lard I buy here (for cooking) is more creamy than hard. Would that be a problem if I decided to use it in soap?

 

[Susie]

I buy whatever is cheaper from Wal Mart or HEB. It works fine for soap. Armour, Sno-Cap, or that stuff in the 25 lb pail. Funnily enough, I am finding the small quantities are the best price/oz lately, also. And our stores are now selling what they had left over from Christmas pretty cheaply. The good news is that my hubby likes to cook with it occasionally, so he is happy to buy it.

 

[DeeAnna]

Pink -- The lard I render myself is not as hard as the lard I buy and I bet my home rendered lard is more like the lard you are using. Most commercial lard in the US has been hydrogenated so it has a longer shelf life at room temperature. This hydrogenation changes the fatty acid content -- there is more oleic acid in home render or other non-hydrogenated lard and more stearic acid in commercial hydrogenated. I use both interchangeably to make soap, even though there are obviously slight differences, and I get good results.

 

[pinksmartapple]

Thank you. I'll go for it then.

 

[Arthur Dent]

Like a lot of folks here, I use the Armour brand. I used some Field brand from Kroger once, but it was very smelly and made smelly soap, so never again.

 

[dixiedragon]

I buy whatever is cheaper from Wal Mart or HEB. It works fine for soap. Armour, Sno-Cap, or that stuff in the 25 lb pail. Funnily enough, I am finding the small quantities are the best price/oz lately, also. And our stores are now selling what they had left over from Christmas pretty cheaply. The good news is that my hubby likes to cook with it occasionally, so he is happy to buy it.

That must be a regional thing. I never see lard on sale!

 

[lenarenee]

That must be a regional thing. I never see lard on sale!

I suspect you're right as it goes on sale here in S California before and after Christmas for the Mexican custom of making tamales.

 

[topofmurrayhill]

I have used supermarket brands like Armour, but they have a weird texture. When my main production recipe included animal fats, I used Soaper's Choice lard. This was a pretty real-seeming lard that worked well. For those who use artisanal lard, I am wondering what you think you're really getting out of wasting such a product on soaping. I would use that stuff for pie crusts or biscuits. Besides, for soap you probably want a more commercial product because it's less likely that you're going to get iron from blood or muscle meat that will give your batch DOS.

 

[Susie]

That must be a regional thing. I never see lard on sale!

I moved 3 hours away from where I used to live. They have lard on sale here. They never did there. It is definitely regional.