Posted: Tue May 31, 05 9:19 am Post subject: Lard for soap
After making our sausages, we were left with some spare belly fat. So I rendered it, filtered it, bottled it, and plan to use it for soap.
Current plan is 250g pork fat, 250g olive oil, 250g coconut oil, and flavouring it with elderflowers, lots of which I'll add at trace.
Opinions anyone?
judith
Joined: 16 Dec 2004 Posts: 22789 Location: Montgomeryshire
Posted: Tue May 31, 05 9:41 am Post subject:
I was going to ask the very same question as I seem to have a mini rendering plant up and running at the mo.
Is lard a suitable fat for a total beginner to use?
I've used animal fats before, but they tend to give a wee bit less foam; I've made some lovely goose fat soap, but never lard. Ought to be fine, though; my books tell me it'll give a hard-ish soap, but less hard than tallow, which is why I thought I'd add some coconut oil.
But lard soap is a new one for me. I'll be asking my soap guru this weekend about it.
judith
Joined: 16 Dec 2004 Posts: 22789 Location: Montgomeryshire
Posted: Tue May 31, 05 9:54 am Post subject:
Keep us posted then.
If a lard-based soap is less foamy, presumably that would make it suitable to use as the base for a clothes-washing soap for use in an automatic washing machine. Or would I still end up with foam all over the kitchen floor?
If a lard-based soap is less foamy, presumably that would make it suitable to use as the base for a clothes-washing soap for use in an automatic washing machine. Or would I still end up with foam all over the kitchen floor?
No, pork fat is often used for this; I have recipes for that, and most of them have some added borax, presumably as a water softener? Remind me to dig the recipes out if you like.
judith
Joined: 16 Dec 2004 Posts: 22789 Location: Montgomeryshire
Posted: Tue May 31, 05 10:02 am Post subject:
cab wrote:
No, pork fat is often used for this; I have recipes for that, and most of them have some added borax, presumably as a water softener? Remind me to dig the recipes out if you like.
Yes please, if you have the time. It looks like I have all the ingredients I need now, including the borax, so there really is no excuse for me not to try this.
Yes please, if you have the time. It looks like I have all the ingredients I need now, including the borax, so there really is no excuse for me not to try this.
Rightyho. Prod me this evening or tomorrow evening, I'll get the recipe posted.
I use lard for my soap along with coconut oil and a little rapeseed or sunflower oil. I use 100g coconut to 500g lard and it is very foamy indeed, it lasts ages and doesn't go snotty when it's wet.
I have made soap using only lard but instead of using water, I used chilled goat's milk and it turned out well. It is less bubbly but I use it in the bath with one of those scrunchy bath puffs and get lots of bubbles.
For household soap, lard is perfect. The only difference is that you have little or no excess fat in the household stuff and so it is harsher. To make household soap with lye, calculate for 0% excess fat and use gloves while using it as it will dry your skin. (remember the housewives with red, chapped hands? That was the soap!)
All this talk of soapmaking is making me interested in trying it - keep on talking, one of these days I'll become brave enough (or maybe one of these days I'll find I have some free time - that would help!)
VC, my soap guru offered to do a beginners soap making article a while back. She's at our place for a barbecue on Saturday, I'll remind her. It's a great hobby to get into, with very little effort being needed to make all of your soap. I make maybe five batches a year, and I've got more than plenty to give it away in present bundles.
Cab, let me pop up Sally's guide that she gave us permission to reuse from the forum, and show it to your friend so she knows what people know, so to speak, it might give her a chance to cover a different version/ingredients etc.
I've currently got a bar of Sally's Oatmeal and Honey soap in the bathroom and I'm rather impressed, and that's from a oooh, "icky wet soap" bar-o-phobe (although I will be removing it when four of my nephews come for tea this week, I know what little boys are like )
Cab, let me pop up Sally's guide that she gave us permission to reuse from the forum, and show it to your friend so she knows what people know, so to speak, it might give her a chance to cover a different version/ingredients etc.
I've currently got a bar of Sally's Oatmeal and Honey soap in the bathroom and I'm rather impressed, and that's from a oooh, "icky wet soap" bar-o-phobe (although I will be removing it when four of my nephews come for tea this week, I know what little boys are like )
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