Canning Lard

[Mom5farmboys]

I recently rendered my own lard for the first time. Out of 10 lbs of pork fat I got just over 7lbs of lard. I was wondering if there is any way to can it. I wasn't sure so I froze it. If it is possible to can it, do you need to use a pressure canner or is a water bath canner ok. I would think you would need to pressure can it, because meat is low acid and needs to be pressure canned. If anyone knows could they share the method with me Please? Thanks!

[sbemt456]

Hey Mom of 5 farm boys, sounds like ya have your hands full from the word go. As for canning lard, not sure it could be called canning by any method. But if you notice in the grocery store lard is sold in usually plastic buckets sealed with a piece of plastic.The biggest issue would be it getting rancid. So in my opinion it could be stored in jars. I stored lard in jars by melting it and letting it get almost hot enough to smoke and the poured it into hot jars and put on lids and bands. It will seal. I have kept it this way for over a year and it still be fine. And this is home made with NO preservatives. Or you can jus leave it in the freezer, it will keep for a few years.Growing up we did our own butchering and made lard. In the winter it was left in the meat house in the lard can till spring and then either put in the jars as described above or put in the freezer. This is just my method, maybe this will give you some ideas.

Have a great day!

stella

[NCLee]

I've never seen any instructions for canning it. And, I wouldn't even consider doing it in a pressure canner. If a jar were to break, especially when exhausting the canner, it would probably ruin the pressure gauge, not to mention the mess it would make.

When we were growing up, my folks make large quantities of lard when they killed hogs. The lard was stored in "lard stands" - Metal containers like those sold at Christmas filled with popcorn.

The lard would usually last until the following summer. About the time it would be used up, it was beginning to turn rancid. Thinking back, it would probably last about 6 months without doing anything more to it.

Also, I remember Mama canning sausage. She'd fry the sausage, put in a dry sterile jar. Then pour the sausage grease about 1/4 the way up the side of the jar. Put on the lid and ring. Then turn the jar upside down. Doing that would both seal the lid and protect the top of the sausage with the congealed grease. (Much like wax sealing a jelly jar.)

Mentioned this since the sausage grease is actually flavored lard.

Anyway, freezing is what I'd do today with lard, as it'll last longer before it turns rancid. Even there, it will turn, so my second recommendation is go ahead and start using it as a part of your routine cooking. The fresher it is the better for flavor. And, you'll figure out how much you'll use over a given time. (If you don't already have a handle on that.) That'll help you decide how much you want to do with the next batch you make.

One more note. When growing up, we didn't have central heat in the winter. (Before the time of running water that had to be protected from freezing.) The house would be ice cold before someone got up and started a fire in the wood heater(s). Everything that needed cool/cold storage tended to last longer than it does today. That's been my experience, anyway.

Hope these thoughts are useful.

Lee

[kawalekm]

The regular instructions for pressure canning don't apply here because lard is not a water based product. It will go rancid from exposure to air though. What you can do is heat your lard to 250F (same temp as a 15psi canner) and pour into pre-sterilized canning jars. Put the lids on and let them cool. Heating that high will drive off all the water, so none is available for bacterial growth, and the heat kills them just as fast as in the canner. Once the lids are on the jars they'll seal and the lard will be protected from air.
Michael

[NCLee]

Michael what is your estimated shelf life of doing it this way? We're on a low fat diet, so I can't use very much, but do like to keep it on hand for some special things, such as holiday pie crusts. I'd like to be able to keep some in jelly jars for single use situations.

TIA!
Lee

[kawalekm]

The lard I keep in the frig lasts for months in a screw-cap jar, but that's open and closing it daily. I don't use it as much for cooking as I do for oiling our iron cookware.

I would guess that in a sealed glass jar kept cool and in the dark that it would be good for a year. Longer if kept refrigerated.

[Mom5farmboys]

Now that I think of it, I do remember that lard was used as a preservative way back when, so it makes sense to me to preserve it in a sterile canning jar, just get my temp up to 250 and put it in jars and put a lid on.

We have part of our home that we don't heat in the winter, it stays very cold here in the winter, but not cold enough to freeze. My friend is raising a pig and doesn't want her fat, she offered it to me and thats why I was experamenting with rendering it down. I wanted to be sure I could do it easily before I accepted it from her. I just don't want it to fill up my freezer as we are planning to put up our own cow this winter too.

Thank you so much for your responses. I don't think I will have any trouble using it up in one year. I have 5 hungry boys here plus a hungry husband! I'm thinking this will save me quite a bit of money.

[NCLee]

Thanks for your thoughts on the shelf life, Michael. Sounds like you've given me a plan.

Render a batch. Put up in sterile jars. Next day wrap each jar with a piece of brown paper bag to keep the light out. Put those in the pantry. Also, put a couple in the back of the refrigerator for longest storage.

Mom of 5, growing up there were 7 in our family, too. So, I know what you mean about using it up before it goes rancid. :)

This fall, I'm planning to buy a whole hog from a place that sells them for BBQ. Then, finish butchering myself. That'll save a heck of a lot of money. Current price is $1.29 per lb. Sure can't buy ham and sausage for that price around here. Anyway, that'll be a lot of lard, so it's good to know about keeping it in jars. If all goes well, some of it will go into Christmas gift bags, as we won't be able to use all of it.

Again, thanks.
Lee

[MOGal]

We freeze our excess lard.

[CarolAnn]

Just a note on using that stuff in cooking . . .

I know lard (or any kind of fat) is out of fashion right now, but oh - if you use some to make a pie crust, you will NEVER go back to any other kind of shortening! So tender and flakey - (even if you just use half lard and half Crisco or another shortening - the results are amazing! A tsp. of vinegar or lemon juice in the water also adds to a tender crust.

So after you find a way to keep it - keep using it! It's amazing stuff! :)

[NCLee]

Agree with that! Lard is absolutely the best for pie crusts.

And for biscuits and fried chicken. Growing up lard was the staple in our house for baking and frying. One of my Mom's cake recipes calls for lard "about the size of an egg" to be included.

I also remember when Mom switched from lard and butter to margarine and Crisco shortening because they were more "healthy". Years later learned those were actually far worse due the trans fats. (sigh)

Thank goodness some common sense is coming back into the subject of fats. When our health problems arose, the info that the hospital gave us was to severely restrict all fats and sources of fats. Even nuts and fatty fish. Today there's been a 100% reversal on some of that early advice.

For example, it used to be fat-free only salad dressing on green salads. Now, it's some fat is needed for the body to extract the nutritients from the salads. About a 1/4 c of nuts per day aid in keeping the good cholestrol levels up.

Anyway, before I ramble on forever, we've put lard, in modest amounts, back into our diet. It's reserved for those pie crusts, for example. But, we no longer run in fear as we did about 10 years ago.

Lee

[Anon001]

I agree that it's nice to see common sense coming back into our diets. I use nothing but lard for cooking, frying, etc. It goes in all my recipes instead of "vegetable oils" and my doctor is pleased with my health..... good arteries, normal lipids. He told me to eat like the old folk ate... "meat and potatoes, but don't forget the fruits and vegetables."

[danville]

LARD! The best ingredient in baking and frying. We always just rendered the lard over low heat side of the wood stove, strained it, reheated it until it was almost scorching hot, poured into hot jars and put the lids on. Set it in a cool place for a day and then placed the jars in a cabinet on an unheated enclosed porch. It lasted until the next butchering season. I only remember it turning rancid one time. The summer following canning was swealtering and all the lard turned bad in August. You know from the looks and smell of the lard that it is bad. It gets loose and grainy. My parents both remember lard sandwiches. I remember the best fried chicken and homemade frenchfries that I have ever tasted. Also great to season cast iron cookware.

[sbemt456]

Danville, you mean there are other ways to season cast iron?:secret: Dont tell me, I dont want to know.

Have a great day!

stella