Render Your Own Lard

Got a bag of pig fat in the freezer just waiting for you to turn it into lard? Don’t put it off any longer!

In this video, Carolyn will show you how to easily turn that fat into the ultimate homesteading kitchen multi-tool... lard!

Get the printable, step by step directions here:

Rendering fat is the process of melting animal fat and straining it to remove the
meat, veins, tissues, and impurities that would make it go bad. The result of properly rendered lard should be white, creamy shortening (a fat that is solid at room temperature and liquid at warmer temperatures).

The byproduct of rendering is cracklings, the tissues removed from the fat and deep-fried during the rendering process.

This exact same method is used to render beef fat, sheep fat, goat fat, deer fat, bear fat, chicken fat or goose fat.

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[michaelvarney.]

Pro tip...
Take a tablespoon of previously rendered lard and melt that into the pan at the beginning to start things off. This will allow you to start the rendering at a lower temperature when you put the bigger pieces in.

[nancycogar]

I was raised rendering lard. My daddy raised hogs and everybody in the holler that had one that needed to slaughtered what come together and we would render lard and package all the meat. My uncle did all of the cutting, he was the best butcher around. Those were days!!!

[hereholdthiswillya]

Pro tip: if you're going to store jars of stuff in the freezer, make sure you don't fill above where the jar starts to curve centerward toward the mouth of the jar. That spot is called the jar's hip. If your stuff is over that place, when it expands as it freezes, the jar will bust, but below that spot, and it magically expands upward and everything turns out fabulous

[emmaschauer]

I know this is an older video, but Carolyn, I love the way you explain things. Just like a friend giving advice. You and your family are a joy and an inspiration. Thank you, and God bless you all. ❤

[RR-epuc]

Warm up a corn or flower tortilla put your cracklings add some hot salsa and oh my God your in Heaven eating your burrito. Also fry your pinto beans with this lard and they’ll taste wonderful. Thank you for sharing your talent.

[williamstanley]

I am noticing that patience produces the best food preparation results. Combined with the fact that we (generally) need to eat every day, and food preparation becomes a Patience Education Center. I love how God created us!

[ellenfisher]

Wonderful video ! It's amazing how many people think it is horrible to use lard ~ yet use Crisco & margarine !!!

[OnTheFritz]

So much healthier than trans fat shortening!
Great vid!

[hollystanley]

Thank you for this video. I bought 2 pork lions from a local butcher to can. It had a lot of fat on it and it looked really white and so I decide I would try my hand at rendering lard. I watched many other videos but yours was so good and you explained and showed every single step so well. Well I did it exactly like you said snd every step went just like you said it turned out great. Thank you!

[fourdayhomestead]

I rewatched your big batch lard rendering for "a years supply" 😊 .. Awesome family event!

[ButterFly-zhho]

I do the same thing with the skin of chickens,

I use grilled skin like chips and I keep the fat of the skin in a jar for cooking vegetables, pasta or rice.

[lacyhay]

Now I know why my grandmother pies were so good and everyone loved them. Her health took a turn for the worse before she could teach me everything. I'm glad I found your channel!

[kerry]

I rendered 7 pints of lard from our pigs today!! God Bless you for teaching these ways of living and processing food!!

[GrapeApe]

The bottom of beyond further patching, cut off blue jean legs, whip stitched closed at the cut end makes great covers for jars that need darkness. The factory hem makes it's own kickstand if you will, to keep shelves tidy without bulk from collapsed fabric pooling using towels and such.

[cameronmccoy]

Would it not be better to put the straining cloth between the mesh strainer and the funnel? I would think it would help hold it in place as well as letting the larger holes in the mesh strainer catch the larger particles and keep them out of the cloth, leaving it to handle the finer particles.

Just a thought

[daniellegrazianistone]

I just finished my first batch of rendering fat. I made the fat a little too big, the size of my little pinkie finger from the last knuckle to the tip of the finger. Got plenty but not what I was expecting. My second batch I cut them so much smaller and I'm getting a ton of product! Three times as much! Thank you so much for the helpful video!

[MarysNest]

Hi Carolyn, Thanks so much for the great demonstration. You are always so interesting. Thanks for sharing your info!! Love, Mary ❤️😘❤️

[Jimmy-wdnk]

This is Jimmy from Indiana. Thanks so much for this valued information. My wife and I are raising 3 feeder pigs on our homestead for our own fresh pork. I am planning on rendering our own lard. When I was growing up my mom and mamaw did this. But you know kids especially boys don't pay attention. Thanks again. And I am going to use an iron pot. God bless!!!

[jimbob]

My family used to do this every winter. We used great big cast iron "wash pots" But we also would render 100 pounds or more. This is the best tutorial I have ever seen on this process. Thank you so much for doing this.

[kathyjohnson]

I know this is an old post, but I just made my own lard following your very clear instructions. It wasn't as disgusting a process as I imagined. Thank you.
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