Day 1 – The Journey Begins
Today marked the first day of my journey into making tallow from scratch, and I’m already learning that it’s both a bit of a science and a slow, meditative process. If you’re unfamiliar with tallow, it’s rendered fat from beef (or sometimes mutton), and it has a ton of uses, from cooking and baking to skincare products and even candles. The process isn’t too complex, but it does require some patience. So, let me take you through my first day of prepping the fat and getting everything started.
The Prep
I started with a large batch of beef fat, which I sourced from a local butcher. The first step in making tallow is chopping the fat into small, manageable pieces. I made sure to slice it into chunks no larger than 1-inch cubes. This will help the fat render down more efficiently and cook evenly. It’s important to chop the fat up as small as possible because it makes the whole process quicker and more effective.
Into the Crock Pot
Once the fat was chopped, I moved on to the next step: cooking it down. I added all the chopped fat into my trusty crockpot and poured in enough water to cover the fat completely. The water helps to prevent the fat from burning as it begins to melt and break down. I set the crockpot to a low heat setting, allowing the fat to gently render for several hours.
This is the point where patience really comes into play. The crockpot was bubbling away slowly, and I checked in occasionally, giving it a little stir, but overall, I just let it do its thing.
Straining and Cooling
After several hours of slow rendering, I noticed the fat had melted down nicely, leaving behind small bits of remaining solid fat and impurities. It was time to strain it. I took a cheesecloth and placed it over a strainer, then poured the liquid fat through. The cheesecloth did an excellent job of catching all the solid bits, leaving me with just the clear, golden fat.
Once I had all the liquid fat strained into a large bowl, I let it cool for about an hour. It was at this point I could really start to see the tallow taking shape. I could already imagine all the amazing things I’ll be able to do with it once it solidifies.
Refrigeration for the Win
After cooling, I placed the bowl in the fridge to solidify overnight. The next morning, I’ll be able to scrape off the solidified tallow from the top, leaving behind any remaining water or impurities. This first step of letting it cool overnight is key because it lets the tallow fully solidify, which makes it easier to separate from any leftover liquid.
Day 1 Done, Day 2 to Come
And that’s where Day 1 ended. Tomorrow, I’ll be diving into Day 2 of the process, where I’ll finish the separation and do any necessary clean-up. From there, the tallow is ready to be stored and put to use in whatever projects I have in mind—whether that’s for cooking, skincare, or something else entirely.
Stay tuned for the next post, where I’ll share how the tallow turned out after it’s been properly separated and solidified. So far, this has been a pretty satisfying process—simple, but rewarding.
See you tomorrow for Day 2!
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