I just trimmed two massive shoulders and have a ton of fat that I put in a gallon storage bag. I love making tallow with beef fat. Can something similar be done with pork fat?
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Lard. My grandparents had jars of that stuff they must have stored for 40+ years.
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Finster I think we can both claim some validation on our respective sides of the discussion. Longer life span, generally, is followed by more chronic health issue. Smoking cessation, heart disease prevention and cancer advances have helped reduce morbidity in those areas.
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I started saving my bacon fat. Eventually I filled a quart Mason jar. It turns out I create bacon fat (and pork fat/lard and beef fat/suet/tallow) far faster than I could ever use it.
I kept what I have, and now I toss whatever I create. The freezer space is far more valuable than that particular product.Comment
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I do every time. Great stuff! I also keep beef fat too.
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To grease pans. Or I use it in my carnitas cooks I do in the dutch oven. I go pretty heavy with it. One thing I like to do is pour the liquid fat into an ice tray and let them freeze. Then remove them from the tray and store them in a bag. They are really easy to add to chili, soups, or even wrapped meats! (Keep the zip loc in the freezer) hoovarmin
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How do yall store it and where? How long does it last in the fridge?Comment
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Render it down. Have saved it for making tortillas and other things that call for lard.Comment
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I use lard in the masa when I make tamales. My grandmother taught me that the very flakiest pie crusts are made with lard. I’ve read that it’s lower in cholesterol than butter. With all the benefits I’ve seen from eating Keto my opinion of fats has changed completely. If you render it yourself it can’t be called highly processed. Oh and those little crunchy bits left after you render the lard out are really good, try some in cornbread. In the south they are called cracklings.Comment
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Domestic, yes, wild no.Comment
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I usually have a small jar of Lard & Tallow
IMO, Duck fat is the best, I have started the tradition of duck for new years and I render the trimmingsComment
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One thing I like to do is pour the liquid fat into an ice tray and let them freeze. Then remove them from the tray and store them in a zip lock bag or air tight container. They are really easy to add to chili, soups, or even wrapped meats! (Keep the zip loc/container in the freezer)Originally posted by Michael_in_TX View Post
In the freezer it will last indefinitely. Fridge.......I am not really sure. I use it before it goes bag, but I have had jars in my fridge for months with zero issue. As long as you keep it cold it will last for a long time. Even at room temp, you can store it for a while. However, regarding storing at room temp; I can not speak to that as I keep mine in the fridge or freezer.Comment
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Rendered lard (aka pork fat) is shelf stable at room temperature -- but you have to properly render the fat to remove all moisture, collagen, and other non-fat impurities. Rendered lard should be almost white and nearly odor free. It can be used in any recipe that calls for shortening. I don't often use lard, but there are a few recipes where it can't be beat. I use half lard and half butter when making snickerdoodle cookies and use lard in my pie crust and when making pork carnitas.
Pork fat that's not rendered (of which bacon fat is an example) contains impurities that will make it go bad faster, so it should be refrigerated for longest life and used promptly. It will also have a stronger "porky" flavor and darker color than rendered lard, which limits its uses -- I'd use it for frying, for example, but not for pastry. Yes, my grandmother kept a can on the stove to collect fat from frying, but she used added it to the food she fed to the dogs and cats. She kept bacon fat she wanted to reuse in an old white coffee cup in the fridge.
Speaking as a long-time soap maker, lard is awesome when used as a major ingredient when making home-made soap. It adds mildness and longer life to the finished soap.Comment
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We seldom use it for rendering into lard, we save it mostly for grinding with other meats for making sausage and salami.Comment
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Bacon fat I keep on the stove in a covered 10" CI skillet. And keep a jar in the fridge.Comment
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I take a #2 cone coffee filter put it in a mason jar and use a lid to keep it in place. Then I filter the bacon grease or rendered trimmings through it and pour it into a ramekin. It's shelf stable after filtration so after I refrigerate it and get it out of the rammekin I leave what I'm going to use in the near term in a circular glasslock container and vacseal and freeze the rest.Comment
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