I hope this doesn't sound stupid, but can you use the fat (grease) from cooking to make soap? Can you save drippings from hamburger and stuff? Can you mix pork and beef fat? Thanks!

-- Kathleen (krob777@msn.com), July 22, 2000

Answers

the books say you can, I have never. Although many years ago I made soap out of bacon grease. I now really make soap with all veg oils because I sell it. But my husband still loves some of the lard and tallow soaps mixed with olive oil. Experiment. I have had many failures but if your using left over grease it is not a big expense as say when I tried a goat milk, olive oil, honey and cinnamin with oatmeal soap which separated and was dumped. Soap making is fun!

-- Debbie Wolcott (bwolcott@cwis.net), July 22, 2000.

Debbie, I've tried making olive oil soap twice and it failed twice. Is there a secret the book didn't tell. I would appreciate your advice.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), July 23, 2000.

Your soap will be darker if you are using drippings. Also if it soft your soap will likely be also. Sheep,goat and I belive deer tallow are harder and if you can add those to it will help firm it up.

-- Novina in ND (lamb@stellarnet.com), July 24, 2000.

When my children were growing up I used all the drippings. I wasted nothing. I thought the mixture of greases made a much better soap. This included chicken, duck and goose grease plus any drippings from bacon, sausage and hamburgers. I kept a strainer in a coffee can near the stove which I poured the fat through when I finished cooking. The trick to remember is that you have to clean the fat. The best time to do this is when it is cold out side. Put all strained fat in a large kettle with and equal amount or more of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for a while. I then set it out on a porch over night. Next day I removed the clear white fat from the top and discarded the rest. Relatives gave me lard and tallow which I mixed in. I usually make a soft soap about the consistency of Murphys Oil soap. I dont use drippings any more because a I live alone and dont have very many but I still make soap, right now I have quite a bit of lard in the freezer. One of the nicest bar soap recipe I made was goats milk soap from Countryside in the early 70's.

-- akp (paulal@oplin.lib.oh.us), July 24, 2000.

If the soap seperates, try recooking it. You can almost always get a usable soap that way, although sometimes the color is a little darker than it would be if it had turned out right the first time, it sure beats throwing it out! If it has hardened, cut it up or grate it, or if it is all slimy and seperated, you don't need to. Heat it up gradually, and cook it until it turns into soap. It gets a different consistency, and to make sure, what I do is to take a very small amount and rub it between my hands under running water. If it is soap there will be suds or bubbles.If it's not done cooking yet, it will probably burn and there will be no suds- wash your hands quickly with vinegar to neutralize the lye. Some soaps are sensitive to cooling too fast, and the mold need to be wrapped in a towel or covered and kept warm while the soap cools, or they will seperate.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@transport.com), July 27, 2000.

Can we somehow get that goat milk soap recipe from Countryside?

-- Tammy~Gladheart Acres (heritage@mtaonline.net), July 27, 2000.