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Learning how to render lard at home is a skill many homesteaders and farmers want to know, and with good reason. It’s an intensely healthy fat that has gotten a bad reputation in past years as not being healthy.
Years ago, rendering lard was an ordinary skill on the homestead. It was customary to save the fat when butchering a pig or steer. But thanks to years of misleading information this skill has almost disappeared.
If you dream of rendering fresh lard at home, this article will walk you through step-by-step stocking your pantry shelves. You’ll be amazed how simple it is to bring this lost art back to life on your homestead.
My first experience of rendering lard was as a kid. I grew up on a small 5-acre farm, and my family raised and butchered pigs every fall. Though I married and moved away, the flavor of cooking with fresh lard never left my mind.
Thankfully, after more than 30 years of marriage, my husband and I now butcher our own pigs here on our homestead and enjoy the delicious taste of homemade lard again in our kitchen.
RELATED: Discover timeless food preservation techniques with this Ultimate Guide to Food Preservation Methods, including freezing, canning, and dehydrating, along with troubleshooting and creative ways to store food safely.
What Is Lard?
Lard results from rendering or “cooking down” pig (pork) fat using low heat, around 95°F to 115°F. When butchering an animal, the fat is separated from the meat and then heated, making it a liquid.
Any meat portions will separate and can be removed from the liquid. When pork fat has cooled to room temperature, it becomes a smooth white, soft, solid texture that is not only delicious but healthy to consume.
Types of Lard
There are three types of lard; they all have different flavors and are used for different purposes.
- Leaf Lard
- Back Fat or Fatback
- Pork Belly
Leaf Lard
Leaf lard is the fat that comes from around the kidneys and other organs of the animal. This fat is the purest form and is most famous for baking.
When I started rendering lard for myself as an adult, I didn’t realize the difference and sadly used leaf lard as a common lard for frying and cooking. Little did I know it was perfect for baking flaky pie crust and making homemade biscuits.
Leaf lard looks more like a rope, and it is whiter in color than the other lards. It reminds me of a tenderloin steak, only pure white.
Back Fat or Fatback
This lard is often called either of these two names. It comes from the pig’s back. It protects the backbone. It’s sometimes used like bacon but has very little meat on it.
It is a bit creamier (darker) in color when it cooks down than the leaf lard. Fatback is perfect for frying. It can also be used as a seasoning for smoking meat. Others grind it up in sausage to make it juicy.
Pork Belly
Pork belly is also pig fat, but a more common name is bacon. I think everybody knows what bacon is.
I don’t recommend rendering pork belly. It’s better smoked or cured and used as a delicacy for breakfast or other meals.
And then you can enjoy fresh bacon for breakfast. But don’t pour out the grease! You can render the bacon grease and use it for so many purposes.
Lard vs. Tallow
The difference is that lard comes from a pig, and tallow is the fat from a cow or grazing ruminant, including lamb, deer, etc.
Tallow’s taste is much stronger than lard. It’s better known for making soaps and skin care products. But people do cook with it as well. We prefer lard over tallow for cooking.
Both tallow and lard are cooked down using the same cooking process.
Is Lard Healthy?
YES! Despite what we’ve been taught for years, lard is not bad for you.
Pasture-raised pork is high in vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids and low in omega 6, unlike the GMO-shortening such as Crisco, vegetable oil, and corn oil.
This article from Prevention magazine will help to explain more in detail.
Where to Get Pork Fat for Rendering
Of course, if you raise your own pigs, you will want to save the fat from their butchering, but not everyone can raise pigs, and I understand that.
In the past two years, we finally gotten a farm that allows us space to raise them. We currently don’t have pigs on our homestead, though. But that is planned to change this year.
A neighboring homestead raises 10-12 annually, and we have bought a whole hog from for several years. They have a butchering area on their farm, and we go there to help with the butchering process and bring our whole hog fully processed.
So we know exactly how it was processed, rather than sending it to a butcher shop.
But, if you don’t have a farm available, you can also buy fat from a local butchering shop since many people don’t want it. Or you can also buy fat from the store.
The fat you get in the store is likely, not pasture-raised and may not be as healthy as you prefer. But it’s an option that is healthier for you than Crisco.
How to Store Rendered Lard
If fat is rendered down entirely with no impurities, it is shelf-stable for 1 year. But it’s important to know it’s wholly rendered, or it can become rancid.
If you are unsure that all the impurities have been rendered out, it is best to keep it in the refrigerator.
When I render lard, I render large amounts of 12-20 pint jars at a time; therefore, keeping it all in the frig is not an option. I don’t have the space.
The best way to store fresh lard is in the pantry, where you have more space.
Once you’ve rendered it fully, filter it from the hot pot into canning jars, use the 2-piece lids, and allow it to sit on the counter overnight until thoroughly cooled. Finally, date it with a label, and it’s shelf stable for the pantry.
When you open a jar, it can set out on the counter if you plan to use it within a month. Otherwise, it is best kept in the refrigerator beyond this time just to be safe.
Should I Add Water When Rendering?
No! Never add water to the pot when rendering lard. The idea is to cook or render all the impurities out, and adding water is the perfect way to ruin a whole run of fat.
The best way to get a run started is to add 6-8 cubes, depending on their size, to the bottom of the pan and melt it down to a liquid before adding more.
This prevents fat sticking and doesn’t add unwanted impurities that very well may not render out and spoil your lard.
Best Tips for Rendering Lard
- Freeze the fat solid before trying to render it. It will keep in the freezer for up to one year, so it’s a great way to store fat until you plan to render it.
- On rendering day, take it out of the freezer and let it sit on the counter for about 2 hours. This will make it soft enough to dice it with a knife or run it through a grinder. Grinding or cutting is easiest when it’s still partially frozen.
- Chop or grind fat into small chunks. The smaller, the better.
- When chopping, use a knife to remove any meat bits left on the fat. Large meat pieces shouldn’t be rendered. They will not store and cause your lard to go rancid.
- Cook it low and slow! Rendering lard is not a quick process. So you’ll need to set aside time to process it by cooking it on a low setting and slow.
- Cook it slowly, and it will begin to bubble with some time. Bubbles are a sign of impurities still in the fat. Continue to cook as long as it is bubbling to ensure that all contaminants have cooked out so it’s shelf-stable.
- Don’t boil your lard. Cook slowly. Boiling will scorch the fat and cause the flavor not to be tasty.
- Stir it often. I prefer to use a wooden spoon for this. I also have a large wooden paddle my granny used to stir her lard when I was a kid. So I use this or a large wooden spoon, depending on how much I render. Stirring helps to prevent sticking and scorching.
- Save the cracklings. Cracklings are the leftover brown crumbles or bits from the fat melting. These are delicious for making crackling cornbread or eating as a healthy snack. They will keep in the freezer for about a year, but ours never last this long.
How to Use Homemade Lard
Lard has so many uses. From baking to frying recipes, it also makes a terrific lard soap.
Another use is for seasoning cast iron skillets. I cook with cast iron all the time. I make everything from pizza casserole to my Tuscan Chicken recipe in them.
But baking casseroles or cheesy dishes in cast iron dries the skillet’s seasoning, so it has to be reseasoned. Rubbing on room temperature lard while the cast iron is warm, not hot, then wiping it clean with a towel it’s good for next time.
My husband uses lard on squeaky door hinges. Just rub in the crevice or crack, and the squeak is gone. It works a lot like WD-40, only it’s free!
How to Render Lard (Step-by-Step Guide)
As mentioned, rendering lard is a lost art making a comeback. It’s a healthy fat to consume and easy to make. So filling your pantry with fresh homemade lard is simple to do.
Equipment – Supplies Needed
- Large, heavy-bottom stock pot
- Glass canning jars (I prefer pint jars)
- Canning Funnel
- Slotted Spoon
- Large Wood Spoon for stirring
- Metal Strainer
- Ladle
- White cotton cloth or large coffee filters
Ingredients
- Pork Fat (ground or cut into small chunks)
Step One:
Place the heavy bottom pot on the stove and turn it on LOW.
Step Two:
Immediately put about a cup of pork fat in the pot and melt it on low, stirring often. It should completely cover the bottom. If not, add a little more fat and repeat. I like to have about ⅛ – ¼ inch deep.
Step Three:
Add the remaining fat, a little at a time, stirring to cover with the liquid fat. Leave the stove burner on LOW. This is a slow process, but you don’t want to scorch your fat by turning the stove to a higher temperature. Stir often while the fat is melting to prevent it from scorching or burning.
Step Four:
Continue to cook on LOW until the fat pieces are no longer bubbling AT ALL. The bubbles are the impurities cooking out. If you see any bubbles, the lard is not done processing. The leftover chunks (cracklings) will be a nice golden brown.
Step Five:
Next, using a slotted spoon, scoop out the cracklings, let the liquid drip through the slots until it’s about stopped, and then put the cracklings aside on paper towels to drain.
You can salt these while they are hot and then eat them as a healthy protein snack when they cool. They are delicious or even perfect on fresh salads. Or you can put them inside plastic bags and store them in the freezer. They will store safely for up to 1 year.
Step Six:
Turn OFF the heat! Put the funnel and metal strainer in your CLEAN DRY canning jar. Line the funnel with a coffee filter or clean white cotton cloth. I use cotton muslin.
Step Seven:
CAREFULLY ladle out a scoop of melted fat, pour it into the funnel and strainer, and let it slowly drain into the jar. This step will take a little bit of time. The cloth or filter is thick, and so is the hot oil. The fabric and strainer will strain out any remaining cracklings.
Step Eight:
Fill the jar to about a ½ inch headspace, wipe the rim with a clean paper towel, and quickly place on the lid.
Step Nine:
Set the filled jars aside to cool overnight. Next morning, label them with the date, and store them in a dark, cool pantry. Or you can keep them in the refrigerator or even in the freezer.
So there you have it. What do you think? Are you amazed at how simple it is to render lard? And now you wonder why it has taken you so long to do it. I often feel this when I realize how easy something is that I’ve been putting off for a while.
More Preserving Articles
How to Render Lard
Rendering lard is a lost art that is making a comeback. It's a healthy fat to consume and easy to make. So filling your pantry with fresh homemade lard is simple; this recipe will walk you through it step-by-step.
Ingredients
- Leaf Lard or Back Fat (ground or cut into small chunks), depending on how you plan to use it
Equipment
- Large, heavy-bottom stock pot
- Glass Canning Jars (Clean and Dry)
- Canning Funnel
- Slotted Spoon
- Large Wooden Spoon
- Metal Strainer
- Ladle
- White Cotton Cloth or Large Coffee Filter
Instructions
- Place your heavy pot on the stove and turn the heat to LOW.
- Immediately put about a cup of pork fat in the pot and melt it on low, stirring often. It should
completely cover the bottom. If not, add a little more fat and repeat. I like to have about ⅛ - ¼ inch deep. - Add the remaining fat, a little at a time, stirring to cover with the liquid fat. Leave the stove burner on LOW. Stirring often while the fat is melting to prevent it from scorching or burning.
- Continue to cook on LOW until the fat pieces are no longer bubbling.
- Next, scoop out the cracklings using a slotted spoon, and let the liquid drip through the slots until it's about stopped. Then put the cracklings aside on paper towels to drain. (See blog post for how to use cracklings)
- Turn OFF the heat! Put the funnel and metal strainer in your CLEAN, DRY canning jar. Line the funnel with a coffee filter or clean white cotton cloth.
- CAREFULLY ladle out a scoop of melted fat, pour it into the funnel and strainer, and let it slowly drain into the jar. This step will take a little bit of time. The cloth or filter is thick, and so is the hot oil. The fabric and strainer will strain out any remaining cracklings.
- Fill the jar to about a ½ inch of headspace, wipe the rim with a clean paper towel, and quickly put on the lid.
- Set the filled jars aside to cool overnight. Next morning, label them with the date, and store them in a cool, dark pantry. Or you can keep them in the refrigerator or even in the freezer.
Notes
1. Fat is easiest to grind or chop when slightly frozen.
2. Keep the heat on low the whole process. It's slow, but a higher temp will scorch or burn the solid fat.
3. Never use water when making lard. It's hard to cook out and can spoil the lard.
4. Stir often with a wooden spoon to prevent scorching or burning.
5. When you open a jar, it can remain on the counter for about 2 weeks. Beyond this, keep it stored in the refrigerator.
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Dianne Hadorn is the owner of Hidden Springs Homestead, nestled in the hills of East Tennessee. A Master Gardener and lifelong homesteader, she teaches families how to grow real food, preserve it with confidence, and depend less on the grocery store. Through her practical, down-to-earth approach, Dianne has become a trusted source for beginners who want to build a sustainable lifestyle and fill their pantries with food they’ve grown themselves.