Rendering lard has been on my to-do list for many months. I moved this up to priority for this week. It takes several days and you need to be home most of the time. Lard is beneficial in many ways. Before Crisco, lard was a staple in every home for baking and cooking. If you ever have time, look up the story behind Crisco and the ingredients. Anyway, I digress. I did three different renderings because it becomes more “porky” as it cooks down.

The first rendering is the most mild and I will use it as shortening when baking. It can also be used in candles (I mix it with beeswax) and other things. The second rendering is great for homemade tortillas or crackers. And the third rendering (mine is still in the pot) will be used in dishes that need extra flavor and fat. When we cook rabbit or venison, lard is a great addition because rabbit is such a lean meat.

We desire to have no waste of the animals we raise. Rendering lard is one of the ways we try to use very part of the animal.

On another note, Kathryn and I started taking raw liver shots today. We add liver to most of our ground meat meals and soups but she and I felt like we needed it on a daily basis. We cut it in small portions, placed it on the back of our tongue and washed it down with water. We didn’t taste anything and we both noticed enhanced mood and energy today! Now to convince the rest of the family….