Rendering Lard

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Ingredients 3 ingredients

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

Hot oil. Never put water on an oil fire: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp tea towel. Pat food dry before it goes into hot oil, and lower it in gently, away from you.
Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

The leaf lard should be rendered by itself, as it does not take so long as that with the skin on.
Cut it up fine and put it in a clean pot with half a pint of water, stir it frequently and let it boil fast at first, when the cracklings are light-brown and float on the top, it is nearly done, and should cook slowly, when done, strain it into your vessels with a thin cloth put over a colander.
If you put lard in stone or earthen jars, it should be cooled first, as there is danger of their cracking, white oak firkins with iron hoops, and covers to fit tight, are good to keep lard, and if taken care of will last for twenty years.
The fat that has the skin on should be cut very fine, taking the skin off first.
It takes longer to boil than leaf lard, and there is more danger of burning, put a pint of water in the pot.
The skins should be boiled alone, and will do for soap-fat after the lard is out of them.
Soak the inside fat all night in salt and water;
wash it in the morning, and put it to boil without any water in the pot.
It is not so nice as other lard, and should be strained by itself.
It does very well for frying.
Lard keeps well in large tin vessels with tight covers and is not apt to mould.