In an old, old issue (late '70's or early '80's), I found a great soap recipe called something like "Never Fail Homemade Soap". I believe it may have even been one that had been sent in by a reader. It was very appropriately named, since it always, always worked. Now I have misplaced it and would like to find it. Can anyone help me?

Beth (bbard@alltel.net) North GA

-- Beth Bardinelli (bbard@alltel.net), March 28, 2001

Answers

Response to I am looking for a recipe that was in a very old issue.

Look in archives, soapmaking, that's where mine came from. DW

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.com), March 28, 2001.

Checked my issues from 78-85, found some recipes but none called "never fail homade soap". Could it have been called "Comes Out Right" (Dec 81)? Do you remember if it had any special ingredients? Might help narrow down the choices. If nothing else, thanks for giving me an excuse to walk down memory lane by digging through the old back issues. Kinda fun to remember what the homestead was like when each issue was received.

-- Nancy Bakke-McGonigle Mn. Sunset (dmcgonig@smig.net), March 29, 2001.

The recipe was in a letter titled A Soap Recipe That"Comes Out Right". > > Countryside: The soap I tried making never came out right until I came > > across this recipe. This soap comes out smooth and creamy and sudses > nicely. > > Whenever possible, I use just rendered beef tallow as the fat. > > 6 quarts cool water > > 1 can (13 ounces) lye > > 10-11 cups melted fat > > 1/2 cup powdered borax or 1 cup liquid bleach (optional)

Pour water in a large enameled or stainless steel container. Slowly add the lye. Stir well with a wooden spoon until the lye is dissolved. Now stir in the melted fat and, if you wish, the borax or bleach, or both.Stir thoroughly. This mixture will be watery and thin. Stir frequently for the next two to four days. The mixture will soon be like a lumpy mush, then get solid.

Now heat over a low fire until melted.Pour into molds and cool. Cut the soap into large bars, as this soap shrinks when it dries. It will need to cure a month or more. When thoroughly aged and grated, this makes a nice laundry soap.

When making soap to be used only as a toilet soap, I omit the bleach and borax.Here are some more things to try with this recipe: Citrus-spice soap: Put peel of four to six oranges or lemon through blender. Add some cloves and cinnamon. Mix with10-11 cups melted fat. Let set in a cool place for several days. Melt and strain before making the soap. Milk & Honey soap: After melting and just before pouring, thoroughly stir in one cup dry milk and half a cup honey. Scented soap: Another way to make a scented soap for the bath or face cleaning is to add a small jar of your favorite cold cream or scented bodl lotionto the melted soap just before pouring.

Remember, as with any soap making, to heed the warnings on the lye can and keep your mixing pot out of the reach of children and pets. - Merilynn Putnam, Rice Lake, Wisconsin

Just fyi for anyone else interested.

-- Nancy Bakke-McGonigle Mn. Sunset (dmcgonig@smig.net), March 30, 2001.