Storing Lard

[Necie]

A friend gave me a 25 lb bucket of lard that still has 10-15 lbs left in it (about 1/2 full). I don't really want to keep it in the bucket as the lid does not fit tight. I was thinking of melting it and pouring it into quart jars and storing in the cellar. Does this sound ok? Or any other suggestions would be great.

 

TIA

[Cat]

I'm guessing your lard is the type that needs no refrigeration? (Check the label):

 

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Lard

 

Lard is pork fat that has been rendered and clarified to produce a product that is firm and evenly textured with a mild flavor. Lard that is not processed has a soft, greasy texture and a strong flavor. Processing methods include bleaching, filtering, and hydrogenation. The fat around the kidneys produces lard with the best quality. At one time, lard was extremely popular as an all-purpose cooking fat and for use in baking. It has become much less popular because of the health problems associated with the overuse of saturated fat in the diet. However, it is still preferred by many pastry cooks because it produces the most tender and flaky crusts. Some cooks add butter to lard when making pastries in order to make the crust more flavorful.

 

Like butter, lard will absorb flavors and aromas so it should be tightly wrapped when it is stored. The label should be checked for the proper storage method because some types of lard, depending on the processing technique, may be stored at room temperature, while other types require refrigeration.

 

Common Uses: baking, frying

Hormel - about fats

 

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I'm guessing it should be a great way to store it, *IF* it's already been processed by the producer to be stored without refrigeration.

 

 

[Necie]

Thanks, Cat.

 

It does not say that it requires refrigeration or to refrigerate after opening. Also does not say that it does not require refrigeration. Nada-nothing on the subject. Don't think I've ever had lard that required refrigeration-except bacon grease.

 

Was more concerned that melting it down would affect it in an adverse way. Would be easier to store in quart jars in the cellar, than having the bucket sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor. And with the lid not being tight, I don't want to put the whole bucket in the cellar for fear of critters or bugs getting into it.

[Safety Lady 2]

Lard does turn rancid. I had three pound blocks I had in a cool room. When I went to use it it was bad. It was brand new, never opened. My underground room stays at 52. It was never opened. I will be making soap out of it.

[Necie]

Ok-I got 9 qts in the cellar!!

 

We kinda discussed this a little in chat last week-but here are a few thoughts while doing this:

 

Thought that if I poured the hot lard into hot jars and put the lids on that it would probably create enough of a vaccuum to seal-kinda like the old way of doing tomatoes, pickles and jelly and such.

 

Well, in order to do this, I would've had to kept the jars hot-in water. Didn't want to pour hot lard into anything with any water-even droplets-in it.

 

Was afraid that if I poured hot lard into not hot enough jars that they may crack or break. (And melted lard will get alot hotter than boiling-which is unlike anything else I've ever put into a jar.)

 

So I just ran the jars under hot water and dried them very well. Then melted the lard in a small pan on very low heat-just enough to melt it-not get it real hot. (Figured since it doesn't require refrigeration, then it doesn't require being sealed and better safe than sorry.) Also since I didn't require the seal factor-I reused lids.

 

Then I figured that since lard would expand as it went from liquid back to solid in the jar, I left about an inch of headspace. (Actually, it didn't expand that much.)

 

Also put it in large mouth jars-will be easier to scoop it out to use.

[Pigzzilla]

I do a lot of canning and have a very small kitchen. I wash my jars in hot soapy water, rinse well and then put on a large sheet pan that just fits in my oven. I set the oven to 225-230 when I first wash the jars. Don't have that extra pot of water cooking away on the stove that way. By the time I'm ready to fill the jars, they have been in the oven 30-45 minutes at least. I just add more jars to the sheet pan as I use them. Been doing this for years and no problems so far. No cracking or breakage. If you try this method for lard, the jars are hot and dry.

[Cat]

You might have tried leaving the jars in a warm oven until time to fill, too.

 

The only trick would be in safely handling them, but no worry about water droplets.

[Cat]

[Necie]

I had thought of that-AFTER I was done. Not sure of this theory....just thoughts on it.