Lard mathmatics (in case anyone is interested)

[tinuviel_k]

I have been making lard over the past year with leaf lard I get from a local, "beyond organic" farm with pastured pigs. I pay $3.99 a pound for the unrefined lard. I've been curious as to what I am "really" paying for my finished lard, and about how much rendered lard I get per pound of raw lard. Today when I made a big batch I wrote down all the numbers, and thought I'd post them in case other were interested in what you get when you buy a pound of unrefined lard.

I started with 9 lbs 0 oz unrendered leaf lard.
I trimmed off 4 oz of meat and muscle scraps.
After cooking down and straining off the liquid fat I had 1 lb 1 oz cracklings.
I ended up losing 12 ounces to moisture evaporation
I finished up with 7 lbs 1 oz rendered lard. 5 lbs 5 oz of that is "pastry quality" lard, and 1 lb 2 oz is "cooking quality" lard.
(I strained off the "pastry " lard throughout the cooking process, and it is white and light flavored. The cooking lard came from the cracklings the last hour and is yellower and much stronger flavored. A little too "meaty" for pie crust, but amazing in food.)

So I figured that I lost 22% of the original weight. I paid $3.99 a lb for my raw lard, and my finished price was 5.13 a pound.

[velcromom]

Thanks for crunching the numbers, and your description of the lard made me hungry, lol.

[greenmansions]

Can I ask what process you used for making your lard? I bought some organic leaf lard at the farmer's market and they told me to put it in the oven at 300 for at least an hour to render it. So I did that, and strained it. I used it for pie crust and it tasted OK, thought not great, with pumpkin pie, but fruit pie just tasted too "porky" and it has me reconsidering Crisco since we don't eat pie all that often. What exactly do you do to get your pastry lard? Do you just spoon it off the top or what? Does it really not taste too meaty? Thanks for any advice.

[mbravebird]

Wow! We pay $1.00 a pound for unrendered lard here. You must live in a lard-enlightened area.

Greenmansions, I do lard at 225. 300 will result in a stronger tasting lard. I also put about a quarter cup of water in the bottom, to keep it from scorching in the beginning. Scorching will also result in a stronger tasting lard.

At 225, it takes about 4-5 hours to get to where most of it has rendered, but the cracklings aren't brown yet. That's when I strain off the pastry lard. Then I put the cracklings back in for a good while longer, until they're brown, and a good amount of more fat comes off of them in the process. That fat is more cooked and brown, and we do not use it for pastry.

I also use a mix of butter and lard in my crust, and I freeze the lard for 20 mins or so after I measure it out, and before I cut it into the flour. That way it distributes correctly -- otherwise it's usually too soft.
YUM!!! Lard & butter crust is the best in the world. IMHO.

[greenmansions]

mbravebird, thanks for the help. I will try your way next time I make lard.

We also pay a lot for leaf lard. Not worth it from a financial and time perspective, but I prefer to use it for health reasons.

[tinuviel_k]

Originally Posted by mbravebird

Wow! We pay $1.00 a pound for unrendered lard here. You must live in a lard-enlightened area.

Greenmansions, I do lard at 225. 300 will result in a stronger tasting lard. I also put about a quarter cup of water in the bottom, to keep it from scorching in the beginning. Scorching will also result in a stronger tasting lard.

At 225, it takes about 4-5 hours to get to where most of it has rendered, but the cracklings aren't brown yet. That's when I strain off the pastry lard. Then I put the cracklings back in for a good while longer, until they're brown, and a good amount of more fat comes off of them in the process. That fat is more cooked and brown, and we do not use it for pastry.

Yep, that is exactly what I do, too!

[serenbat]

Wow! We pay $1.00 a pound for unrendered lard here. You must live in a lard-enlightened area.

I pay $6.00 for 5lbs of RENDERED lard- if I bought more it would be cheaper- I can get it in 1, 2, 5, 10 up to 40lbs containers- more you buy cheaper it is, and the work is already done- organic.

[tanyalynn]

OP, your detailed description unintentionally answered a lot of questions I've had about rendering lard--and I've done it a few times. So thanks!

Originally Posted by serenbat

I pay $6.00 for 5lbs of RENDERED lard- if I bought more it would be cheaper- I can get it in 1, 2, 5, 10 up to 40lbs containers- more you buy cheaper it is, and the work is already done- organic.

Where do you live???

[serenbat]

Where do you live???

Pennsylvania

[deditus]

Originally Posted by serenbat

I pay $6.00 for 5lbs of RENDERED lard- if I bought more it would be cheaper- I can get it in 1, 2, 5, 10 up to 40lbs containers- more you buy cheaper it is, and the work is already done- organic.

Wow - I pay $30 for a 5 lb pail of rendered lard.

[Ms. B. Sprout]

Interesting!

I just got done rendering 8 pounds.