Lard - Rendering

Directions

1. Add about a quarter inch of water to a large deep pot and heat it up on a low temp.

2. Cut up your leaf lard into small chunks (approx. 1" in size). Precise cuts are not necessary but try to keep them even for consistent heating.

3. Add lard to pot and heat with a medium low. You will be tempted to crank up the heat but you'll end up with a burned mess and may cause a fire.

4. Stir every once in a while but be patient as the lard chunks render down and release the fat.

5. Some of the chunks will begin to sink to the bottom as they release and once things begin to crisp up then they've done their job.

6. Turn off the heat and strain off the cracklings. My method is to spoon them out over a metal strainer (or cheesecloth) over a Pyrex measuring cup. Then pour the liquid into a jar or other appropriate container. Seal them up and toss it in the fridge or freezer.

   Supposedly it only keeps 4-6 months in the refrigerator but you will likely use it sooner than that and I have yet to see it go rancid myself.? It takes a bit for high fat content to break down.

   **Sprinkle some salt on the cracklings and enjoy them as a high fat snack.

7. 

   This is how it will look before cooling and settling to a nice white color