I felt an urge to try making lard recently, so I picked up some pork fat from Bright Farm and gave it a whirl. They suggested using a crockpot to render it rather than a stove, and it worked pretty well.
The packages of fat.
Chopped up and in the crockpot.
After a few hours.
After about 12 hours or so, it looked like the solid bits were brown enough.
About 5 pounds of fat turned into 2 quarts of lard…
…and a bag of crunchy bits. Although I think I’d fry them before using to make them crispy again.
After cooling overnight.
I put one jar in the fridge, and one in the freezer. Today I made biscuits with some, and they are definitely flakier than in the past. The pork taste was only a bit noticeable, and then only if nothing was on the biscuit.
I wonder if there is a lard category at the fair.
I think the crunchy bits are called cracklings. You could also try microwaving them a bit to re-crunch, and salting them. Bacon works in the microwave. Do they taste like bacon?
Yes, cracklings. I didn’t actually try them, since it was 2am and I just wanted to put them away. But I assume they taste a lot like the fatty parts of bacon, just not as salty…
Yummy.Cracklings. Diane sent me a book of recipes from the “Father Tim” series of novels. Most call for lard. So I guess it’s just one of those things that make food taste better! (Fattier, but tastier for sure! Love, Aunt Linda
@Linda Riley
According to a chart (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lard) on Wikipedia regarding fats, lard has less saturated fat and more unsaturated fat than butter. If you’re trying to watch that sort of thing, anyways.
I give it a halfhearted try but I’m a butter lover and maybe, with those factsm may became a lard-lover (and a lard-ass(?) in the processs
Thank you for the info! Love, Aunt Linda