Classic Cook Books
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page 186
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.
Rendering Tallow.
Cut the tallow fine, and put it to boil in a large pot with a quart of water;
stir it frequently and keep it boiling moderately for six hours; when the
cracklings begin to turn brown, it should boil very slowly till done.
Put a little water in the bottom of your dutch-ovens or tin pans, and strain it
in with a cloth over the colander, or the settlings will run through and hurt
the looks of your candles.
Soap.
It requires some care and experience to have good soap; but when you once get
beforehand, it is easy to keep up the supply if the ashes are good. The
ley-stand should be made of cedar or pine boards, in the shape of a mill-hopper,
and have holes bored in the bottom for the ley to run through; have four posts
planted in the ground to support it; let it be high enough for a small tub to
set under.
If you cannot have it under a shed, there should be a tight cover of boards to
protect it from the rain. Put some sticks in the bottom of the ley-stand, and
some straw, and pack in a bushel of ashes, then half a peck of lime, and when it
is half full of ashes, put in two buckets of water, and another when you get
near the top; pack it well, and put on some more water; then cover it over; pour
on hot water three times a day for
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Classic Cook Books
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