When it comes to rearing animals we like to use “everything but the squeak”. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t some worthy goal, we simply can’t afford to be wasteful. Having said that, it’s amazing how often it’s possible to produce items from “waste” that are eco-friendly, money saving and higher quality than shop bought. Soap is a great example. Next time you are in the supermarket, take a look at the ingredients of the soap for sale. We’re prepared to bet that you can’t find any that isn’t made using palm oil. Using oil for soap that is made by clearing rain forest then transporting the oil around the globe seems ludicrous to us, especially when, in our opinion, far better soap can be made from animal fats.
MAKING LARD
Our friend Martha raises rare breed pigs (incredible high welfare pork, look online for The Decent Company). Martha tells us that many of her customers buying half a pig don’t want the leaf fat (dense fat from around the kidneys of a pig). We suspect much of this is because so few people render lard these days, but it’s simple to render leaf fat into snowy white lard that makes epic roast potatoes, incredible pastry and the best soap ever!
When we render lard all we do is to chop the leaf fat into small pieces and melt it very gently in a pan. Any bits of pork attached to the fat won’t melt so we filter the lard through a sieve and then through some muslin to get rid of them. When we learned about this we were scared the lard would cool and clog the cloth, but it doesn’t cool quickly enough for that to be a problem.
Denne historien er fra May 2023-utgaven av The Country Smallholder.
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Denne historien er fra May 2023-utgaven av The Country Smallholder.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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How to Buy a Smallholding in France- Long-time smallholder Lorraine Turnbull looks at the practicalities of moving to rural France
Aspiring smallholders are continually thwarted by the prices of smallholdings and property with land located within the UK. Even the humblest croft in Scotland comes with a substantial price tag and conditions which would make even an adventurous wannabee consider carefully. But all is not lost. For those willing to take the adventure of a lifetime, there is always Europe, and one of the most popular places is France.
Meet the Bournemouth goats and their supporters
These capricious animals are hard workers preserving the natural habitat
Still warm enough to sit outside with a Pizza
Henrietta Balcon uses fresh figs to create an unusual dish at Harvest time
Goodbye to the birds of spring and summer
If you look and listen you might be able to see them preparing to leave says The RSPB
Get ready for the colder weather in the warmth of late summer
Claire Waring advises on doing the best to make sure your colonies survive until next spring
Preparing the Veg Patch for Winter
Lee Senior says, a well-run plot can excitingly continue to produce good quality, tasty, fresh food for much of winter
Time to prepare to plant your orchard
Wade Muggleton, smallholder and author of The Orchard Book, shares his practical experience so you can create your own fruit collection
Choosing feed for the autumn
As autumn approaches, Joanna Palmer, nutritionist at the Smallholder Range, offers advice on choosing the right feed to support your adult birds through their annual moult and ensure your young birds grow and finish well at this time of the year.
Vet advice from an experienced poultry vet
Reflecting on how much the humble hen has helped people world wide plus advice on stopping the scourge of red mite
Give your hens some support
Paul Donovan looks at the right and wrong ways of handling birds
