How to Render Lard

Rendering lard is one of those things that, before you try and do it yourself it seems like this really hard task. I mean, making your own fat to cook and bake with doesn’t seem like it should be easy, does it? However, it really isn’t too complicated. And, if you are like me and use a slow cooker, well, it’s that much easier!

What is Lard?

Lard is the fat that comes from a pig. It’s used for cooking and baking. It’s even used in soap bars, and as a moisturizer. Lard has a high smoking point which makes it a good choice for frying. It makes the best flaky pie crusts and biscuits, and it makes some delicious deep-fried donuts.

And, if you raised a pig yourself, or have access to the fat for free from someone else who raised a pig, it’s exceptionally frugal to render yourself.

Walking the aisles of the grocery store is enough to make anyone stressed out with the prices, and I know wherever I can save a buck on food I am going to try and do. Give me all the ways to live frugally, am I right?

Today I’m going share with you how to render lard in a Crock Pot. Rendering lard on the stove-top is much of the same process, but it will require a super low temperature and watching it more carefully.

I rendered it in the slow cooker because I didn’t want to have to babysit my lard too closely. There’s too much to do in this house to worry about that.

Benefits of Lard

Saves you money: As I said above, making lard is frugal, especially if you have a source of pork fat for free. You’ll buy less oil and you’ll have all the fat you need!

Contains vitamin D: I know, it sounds crazy, right? But pork fat not only contains vitamin D, it has quite a bit of it. One tablespoon can contain 1,000 IUs. I live in Canada where we barely see the sun for 6 months of the year so you can bet I will get vitamin D wherever I can!

It might make you feel better: Lard has the ability to reduce inflammation due to it’s healthy fats. Maybe it’s because I’m over 40 now, but inflammation is real and I’m all about the foods that might help it!

Is lard healthy or not?

When it comes to healthy food, it’s a little confusing, am I right? Once upon a time they told us not to eat eggs, now they are healthy again. How many foods can I add to the eggs where we were told it was healthy or unhealthy only to be told years later something different?

It can be confusing, but that’s because the experts learn new things every day. When it comes to pork fat, what once was labelled as all bad is starting to make a turn. Pork fat is now being hailed as a healthy fat, within moderation of course.

Frankly, I don’t recommend eating any oil in large quantities (not even olive oil) but in moderation it can be part of a healthy diet. Bring back the lard, I say!

Can you use all the fat from a pig?

Yes, you can. But not everyone chooses to based on their preference. I’m in the camp of using EVERY LAST INCH of fat you can because, that’s the frugal way. It reduces waste which I’m a big supporter of.

However, some people prefer to only use certain types of fat due to quality. It’s true that not all fat on the pig is of the same quality. So, if you are looking for the very best fat, you may want to stick to leaf fat and back fat.

Leaf Fat: This is the fat that you’ll find around the pig’s kidneys and other internal organs. The leaf fat is considered to be the very best fat on the pig quality wise because it has a mild flavor and is an excellent fat for making pastries like pies.

Back Fat: You’ll find this fat along the pig’s back. It’s great for cooking and frying. People like to use this fat for making things like sausages. You’ll discover that the pig has more back fat than leaf fat.

The reason many people use any fat that they can get off the pig, not just the leaf and back fat is because you will get much more lard if you use all the fat you can get off the pig.

How to Render Lard in the Crockpot

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Tools you’ll need:

• Slow cooker
• Mesh strainer and/or cheesecloth (I use both)
• Large mixing bowl
• Mason jars
• Canning funnel

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Lard
• 3 tbsp water

Step 1: Take your pig fat and either cut it up nice and small (aim for 1 inch sized pieces), or run it through a meat grinder. If you have to cut up your lard this will be the most time consuming part of this whole endeavor. I highly suggest using a meat grinder if you have one.

To make it a little easier to cut up the fat pop it in the freezer. Cutting it up when it’s a little frozen is easier than when it’s thawed. You don’t want it completely frozen. Just enough to make it easier to cut up your lard.

Step 2: Place your fat into the crock pot. Pour the 3 tbsp of water in with it. Put your crockpot on as low as it will go. Slow cookers tend to vary in heat. Some run hotter than others so if yours runs hotter you’ll want to check in on it more frequently.

Step 3: Continue to cook on low for a few hours, stirring frequently. You want to prevent sticking on the bottom and the sides. I used a rubber spatula to help get the fat off the sides of the crockpot.

Step 4: Your lard is done cooking and ready to be strained when you see little pieces called “cracklings” float to the top of the liquid. You want your lard to be a nice yellow color, not a deep brown color.

If you render it too long it develops a “porky” flavor. That’s fine for cooking, but you probably won’t want to use that lard in baking if that happens.

Step 5: strain your lard through cheesecloth and a mesh sieve. I like to strain it over my large mixing bowl.

Step 6: Transfer your lard into mason jars. It’ll look like a golden yellow in the jars at first.

Step 7: Let cool. As it cools the yellow liquid should turn a nice creamy white solid.

What Should the Finished Lard be Like?

You want your lard to be white, odorless, with either no porky taste, or a slight mild porky taste. If it has an unpleasant taste to it or is it tan or brown in color, you may have overcooked it.

However, if you did accidentally overcook it, all is not lost. It’s still very useful for frying so don’t throw it out! Just, maybe skip the pie made with lard this time around.

How long can you store lard?

The answer to this question tends to change depending on who you ask. Most people say that if you store it in the refrigerator it’ll last up to a year. If you store it in the freezer it can last for years, though it might not taste as best as it could taste as the years go by.

Others will store lard in a pantry for months and have no problems with it going rancid at all. I prefer to put mine in the fridge because I like to overthink and worry about everything. However, if you’d rather store it in your pantry, rest-assured that lard is very shelf stable.

If my lard is in the fridge I can trust it’ll be just fine. But, as I said, many people have stored their lard on the counter or in a cool pantry and lived to tell the tale. Of course, remember that cooler is always better. if your house is wickedly hot, the counter may not be the best place for the lard.

If your lard turns moldy, or develops a strong smell, you’ll want to toss it.

Rendering lard is an easy frugal activity anyone can do to save some money and use a fat in their homes that will be less processed than the oil or fat you will purchase in a grocery store.

It doesn’t matter if you have a 50 acre homestead or a one-bedroom apartment, anyone can render lard. If you don’t have land where you can raise your own pig, reach out to a local butcher and you may be able to purchase pork fat from them.

Rendering fat is just one more way you can be self-sufficient. Now, go fry up your dinner in some freshly rendered lard!