Rendering Fat

In old fashioned soap making animal fat was one of the main ingredients used in soap making. Beef tallow is the rendered form of beef fat. You can certainly buy already rendered fat at your local grocer but many butcher shops will give you pounds of beef fat for free. Call the day before to arrange for the beef fat to be set aside. It helps to have it ground but this will cost extra and can been done at home with a blender or food processor. It is easier to render the fat if is broken down in to smaller pieces (more surface area to receive heat).

Step 1: Processing the fat

Using a blender or food processor, break the fat down to very small pieces

Step 2: Rendering

Add the finely-chopped fat into your slow cooker
Add 1tablespoon of salt
Cover and cook on a low setting for 6-8 hours until the fat has liquified and has separated from the gristle

Step 3: Strain Oil

The oil needs to be separated from the cooked meat scraps
Using cheesecloth (or fabric) and a small colander strain the oil from the scraps
Store in a jar and refrigerate until ready to begin making soap