How to Render FatYou can render fat for your soapmaking recipes by cooking it on low heat for one to two hours, but this can be dangerous. A friend of mine got severe burns once trying to render fat. A chunk of fat slipped out of his hands and landed in the hot oil, causing it to splash on his face. So if you choose to render your own fat, please remember this one thing: Be extremely careful when working with hot fats, and make sure you cook them on low heat. Start SmallIf rendering fat for the first time, take it in baby steps. You will need to render one pound of fat more than you will need for your soap recipe. That means that if you need six pounds of lard, you will need about seven pounds of fat.As the fat heats and becomes liquid, the solids will sink to the bottom of the pot. Slowly pour the liquid into a clean pot and throw away the solids. Allow the fat to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Then add an equal amount of lukewarm water. Bring the fat and water to a gentle simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Set it outside overnight to chill, or put it in your refrigerator. In the morning, the fat will have risen to the top. The remaining unwanted solids will be in the bottom of the pot. Using a spatula, remove the top layer of fat. If there is a jellylike substance on the bottom of your fat, scrape that substance off and throw it away. You only want the pure, hardened fat. Cook It AgainThen break up the hardened fat into chunks and put it into another pot. Add an equal amount of water and one large potato cut in half. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.Allow it to cool overnight. Then lift the fat out of the water and scrape the bottom clean. Congratulations! You now have rendered fat for your next soap recipe. Either use it right away or store it in the freezer for future use. This recipe comes from the book, Milk Based Soaps by Casey Makela.
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