RENDERING LARD IN JACKET KETTLE OR CALDRON.
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Before putting the fat into the kettle, put in a gallon of water for every 100 lbs. of fat, as the water prevents the lard from scorching. Then put in all the fat to be rendered and start the fire or slowly turn on the steam, as the case may be.
In rendering Lard the heat should be brought up gradually, so that quite a little of the fat is melted before the full heat is applied. If the heat is brought up too rapidly, it will cause the Lard to be darker in color than when it is gradually heated.
Lard should be boiled about 1½ hours after the entire mass is boiling.
LARD PRESS
Those butchers who wish to render their Lard scientifically, with the aid of a thermometer, can do so by hanging a thermometer in the Lard and bringing the temperature gradually up to 255 to 260 degrees Fahrenheit, and then turn off the steam or check the fire, as the case may be, and allow the Lard to cook slowly until it is finished.
A butcher can always tell when the Lard has cooked sufficiently by the way the cracklings press out.
After the Lard has all been tried out, skim out all the cracklings, put them into a press and press out all the Lard, adding what is pressed out to that in the kettle.
Now the Lard is ready to be strained through a piece of cheese cloth.