Guest guest Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 I just want to thank someone -- I think it was -- who talked a bit ago about making tallow. Turns out last time I didn't let it go NEAR long enough. This time I cooked it until it could fry a tortilla chip and all the bits were crispy, and wow, what a difference! The tallow is smooth and creamy like paraffin (well duh, they used to make candles from it). It's also very yellow, from the brown cracklins or from the grass fed cow I'm not sure. I suspect a candy thermometer might help in the process -- I was very fearful of getting it TOO hot and it catching fire so maybe I went too slowly. But it only started getting HOT towards the end, after all the liquid had boiled away. When it stopped bubbling I started watching more closely. -- Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 Heidi, Glad you kept an eye on it at the end, it could burn as the bits of meat and such settle to the bottom. Belinda > > I just want to thank someone -- I think it was -- who > talked a bit ago about making tallow. Turns out last time > I didn't let it go NEAR long enough. This time I cooked > it until it could fry a tortilla chip and all the bits were > crispy, and wow, what a difference! The tallow is smooth > and creamy like paraffin (well duh, they used to make > candles from it). It's also very yellow, from the brown > cracklins or from the grass fed cow I'm not sure. > > I suspect a candy thermometer might help in the > process -- I was very fearful of getting it TOO > hot and it catching fire so maybe I went too slowly. > But it only started getting HOT towards the end, after > all the liquid had boiled away. When it stopped bubbling > I started watching more closely. > > -- Heidi > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 2003 Report Share Posted November 19, 2003 In a message dated 11/18/03 10:52:46 PM Central Standard Time, writes: > Ah, sorry, I remembered your name incorrectly. Thanks > for the tips! Have you had any other problems with it? > I'm mainly afraid of grease fires (I had one once, in the oven) > so I went REAL slow but I'm thinking it doesn't really > heat up til the end? I stirred it every so often to keep > it from sticking. > > -- Heidi > I wouldn't worry too much about grease fires but you can burn the tallow so that it has a burnt taste and is not very good for anything but making candles. Belinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 >I wouldn't worry too much about grease fires but you can burn the tallow so >that it has a burnt taste and is not very good for anything but making candles. > >Belinda Thanks. I tried the next batch in the oven, and it went SOOO much faster. Have you ever made tallow candles? The suet I made earlier melted at a rather low temp, but this is much more solid. I had some fat that got contaminated by stomach contents or dirt and I was thinking that would be fun to use for something non-edible. I do keep reading in the old expeditions when they ran out of food they ate the candles ... -- Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 In a message dated 11/20/03 2:34:56 AM Central Standard Time, writes: > Thanks. I tried the next batch in the oven, > and it went SOOO much faster. > Have you ever made tallow candles? > The suet I made earlier melted at > a rather low temp, but this is much more solid. > I had some fat that got contaminated by stomach contents > or dirt and I was thinking that would be fun to use > for something non-edible. > > I do keep reading in the old expeditions when > they ran out of food they ate the candles ... > > -- Heidi Nope, not gotten to making candles yet. Got the milk items down and the butchering and lard/tallow making and soap making. Am working on spinning and weaving next then guitar playing. Maybe I should put candle making in line after the guitar? <G> Belinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 >Nope, not gotten to making candles yet. Got the milk items down and the >butchering and lard/tallow making and soap making. Am working on spinning and >weaving next then guitar playing. Maybe I should put candle making in line after >the guitar? <G> > >Belinda Wow. I just got my spinning wheel together and I sheared the goats but no spun goat hair yet (I can't figure a way to earn a living doing the FUN stuff). In Quicksilver son describes going into a tavern. The guys were in one room, drinking beer and talking. In the next room were the women, with their spinning wheels, spinning while one woman played a violin. Ah, those were the days ... you could be a guitar player AND a spinner! Our power was out all yesterday and we were burning candles all evening. The expensive kind that turn liquid as they burn. And I was thinking ... wow, 5lbs of fat would make a LOT of candles! Here I'm buying these teeny boxes for $8 or so and I have 40 lbs of fat or so just SITTING ... -- Heidi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 11, 2004 Report Share Posted September 11, 2004 > >I understand that suet is the hard very saturated fat that is found around > >internal organs and tallow is the general deposits of body fat. > > *snort* > > And here now I'm questioning everything. When I was growing up, suet was > something you put in the bird feeders for goldfinches and chickadees. " Beef and Mutton Tallows are 50-55% saturated, about 40% monounsaturated and contain small amounts of the polyunsaturates, usually less than 3%. Suet, which is the fat from the cavity of the animal, is 70-80% saturated. Suet and tallow are very stable fats and can be used for frying. " http://www.westonaprice.org/know_your_fats/skinny2.html : -) Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 11, 2004 Report Share Posted September 11, 2004 At 03:35 PM 9/11/04 -0600, Bruce wrote: > " Beef and Mutton Tallows are 50-55% saturated, about 40% monounsaturated and >contain small amounts of the polyunsaturates, usually less than 3%. Suet, which >is the fat from the cavity of the animal, is 70-80% saturated. Suet and tallow >are very stable fats and can be used for frying. " > Yup, I saw that this morning when I pulled out Trusty NT. At least you didn't have to quote the page number at me. Sausage Sunday is delayed for a while (at least the " group " thing), but I'm looking at doing some goat ... I'm thinking some sort of curry spices (cumin most of all), plus coconut oil. Except the ground goat looks like it's got a goodly amount of fat in it, so the coconut oil may just be for flavoring. Like, the kind that's making me drool as I think of it. MFJ Everything connects. The Universe is not THAT chaotic. Beauty can still be found in the most amazing places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 I feel confident the suet was not rancid as it has been frozen and came from a primo supplier of grass-fed beef. Do you think the fact that i didn't render it with water made it stronger tasting? I'm wondering if it's like liver -- another flavor i have a hard time with. I am really jealous you are getting a larder in the Bay Area! I'll have to come visit and load up. > Hi, > > Tallow should not taste bad. If it does, fats were probably rancid > before cooking. I get fat from pastured cows and it tastes sweet with > a faint beef taste, not strong at all. > > For those in Bay Area, watch for Boulettes Larder. That's right, a > store that will sell lard made fresh daily, soon opening (not sure > when) in our wonderful Ferry Building Marketplace. Rumor has it that > lard will be made with fat from Potter Farm pigs - the best! > > cheers, > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 Hi, I have rendered the fat with and without water. Water helps, but even without H20 the batch tasted fine. Remember that lard from pig fat was traditional for all kinds of pies and baked goods, and you would't expect a pork taste there. Suet Pudding is traditional English holiday dish that is made with flour, fruits, nuts and suet. NT has a recipe. Not beefy at all. Do you trim the meat from the fat before you render it? cheers, J > > >I feel confident the suet was not rancid as it has been frozen and came from > >a primo supplier of grass-fed beef. Do you think the fact that i didn't > >render it with water made it stronger tasting? I'm wondering if it's like > >liver -- another flavor i have a hard time with. I am really jealous you are > >getting a larder in the Bay Area! I'll have to come visit and load up. > > I tend to agree ... my beef fat was VERY fresh, but it tastes like ... beef fat. > Like from a good steak. Which isn't a bad thing, but it's hard to get > used to in something like a pie shell. > > > Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 my tallow came straight from the butcher, frozen in vacuum sealed bags. I think it's like Heidi says, it just tastes like beef fat. I'm going to re-render it with water and then go ahead and make some pemmican and see what happens. Worst comes to worst the birds will enjoy it. Elaine > I have rendered the fat with and without water. Water helps, but even > without H20 the batch tasted fine. Remember that lard from pig fat > was traditional for all kinds of pies and baked goods, and you > would't expect a pork taste there. Suet Pudding is traditional > English holiday dish that is made with flour, fruits, nuts and suet. > NT has a recipe. Not beefy at all. Do you trim the meat from the fat > before you render it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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