Home-Made Lard.
Home-made lard is undoubtedly the best as well as cheapest. If leaf is not to be had, take 10 lbs of solid white pork, as fat as possible, which is quite as good, if not better; cut in pieces uniformly the size of your finger, and put in a vessel with a thick bottom—one of iron is preferable—and adding 1 pint of water, put on the range; keep tightly covered until the water has evaporated in steam, when leave off the cover, letting it cook slowly, until the scraps turn a light brown, when take off, and while still quite warm, strain through a colander, pressing the scraps hard with a potato-masher; pour the liquid into cans and set away. The next day it will be found snow-white, solid and of a fine and equal consistence; and for cooking purposes, quite as good as fresh churned butter in making biscuits, any kind of pastry, or frying eggs.
[In frying lard keep a careful watch and see that it does not scorch.]