Refining Lard with Puller's Earth

Ingredients

• two ounces of lard purifier to every 100 ibs
• two ibs
• one per cent of clay is put
• two per cent
• three per cent of moisture
• five per cent of fuller's earth is used to refine
• half full of water
• 12 cents per pound

Directions

1. THE METHOD USED FOR REFINING LARD IN LARGE PACKING HOUSES.

2. (Copyrighted; Reprint Forbidden.)

3. The large packers all refine Lard and Tallow with the Fuller's Earth process, and for the benefit of the small packers, who would like to know how it is done, we will give the full directions, although a small pack- ing house can hardly afford to put in a plant for the process, as it requires a man who is experienced to refine Lard and Tallow in this manner. If a packing house does not make enough Lard and Tallow to afford to keep a man especially for this purpose, it will not pay to put in a refinery, which consists of the follow- ing machinery: A Eeceiving Kettle, which is a large open tank with steam coils in it to dry the Lard or a large Jacket Kettle will do. A Clay Kettle, which is a tank with steam coils in it for heating the Lard and an air pipe at the bottom of it connected to an air compressor. A Lard Cooler with Agitator to cool and stir the Lard while it sets so as to have it thor- oughly mixed. A Pump, Air Compressor and Filter Press. An ordinary size outfit will cost from $2,000 to $3,000.

4. First, the Lard, Tallow or Cotton Seed Oil, which is termed stock, is placed in the Clay Kettle. The Clay Kettle is simply an iron jacket with a coil in the bottom of it through which air is pumped. In this kettle, the Fuller's Earth is added. To each and every 100 Ibs. of stock, there is added from one to two Ibs. of Fuller's Earth; the quantity depending upon the grade of stock. Before the stock is treated a small test is made as follows. A small quantity is heated; in a part of it one per cent of clay is put, in another part 1^ per cent, and in another two per cent. Mix each lot thoroughly, put them into a funnel over filter paper and allow them to filter. By examining these samples, one can tell how much earth to use to the stock in the kettle. This must be done when the stock varies. Of course, when the Lard, Tallow, or Oil are running uni

5. form, it is not necessary to make the test, but where the stock changes, it is always advisable to test before treating, for the reason that too much Fuller's Earth put into the stock will give the Lard an objectionable flavor. Before stock of any kind can be treated with Fuller 's Earth, all the moisture must be out of it; Lard usually contains two to three per cent of moisture, and very often considerably more, so it must be heated in a Jacket Kettle until all the water is evaporated. If there is any water in the Lard, the Fuller's Earth attacks the water first, and the Lard is not affected, because wet Fuller's Earth has absolutely no effect upon Lard. When the Fuller's Earth is added to Lard, it must be 155 degrees hot; Tallow must be 185 de- grees hot, and Cotton Seed Oil 140 degrees hot. After the desired heat is obtained, regulate the steam so the temperature will remain stationary, turn on the air, and when it is blowing hard, put in the Fuller's Earth and blow for about 20 minutes; then start the force pump and pump the stock through the Filter Press. If the stock is of fine quality and only a small percent- age of Fuller 's Earth is used, it can be pumped directly into the Receiving Kettle, but if a large percentage of Fuller's Earth is used, it is advisable to let the Lard run back into the Clay Kettle, and keep on letting it run through the filter and pumping it round until it is thoroughly clarified; then allow it to run into the Re- ceiving Kettle.

6. If inferior stock is used, sometimes as much as four and five per cent of Fuller's Earth is used to refine it, but it is not advisable to use that large amount as the clay gives off an odor which the stock sometimes ab- sorbs. Always use the least amount of clay that good judgment indicates will do the work, and after pump- ing through the filter, if it is not as it should be add more clay and refilter it.

7. To make Compound Lard, treat the different stocks separately, run them in different tanks, and then mix them. After they have been put into the receiving tank or the mixing tank, it is advisable to mix them by blowing air into *he bottom of the kettle in which are

8. Lard, Tallow and Oil; this will mix even better than any process or method that we know of. The amount or kind of stock to be used depends upon the season of the year, and the kind and quantity of goods you wish to make. Equal parts of Tallow, Lard and Oil make a very good Compound. All the cloths for the Miter Press should be washed every day after using them as they must be kept perfectly clean; the cleaner the better.

9. After the Compound Lard has been thoroughly mixed it must be put into an Agitator and agitated until it is thick like cream before it is run off into buckets.

10. HOW TO RENDER TALLOW WHITE,

11. ODORLESS, FLAKY AND SOFT,

12. LIKE LARD IN TEXTURE

13. (Copyrighted; Reprint Forbidden.)

14. It is an easy matter to render Tallow so it will have a very light color, in fact, will be almost white and at the same time flaky and soft like Lard, if the in- structions which follow are carried out. When so ren- dered, the Tallow will sell at a good price, as it will be entirely free from a tallowy odor, and is an excel- lent thing for baking purposes. Tallow rendered ac- cording to these instructions can be mixed with Lard and it will even improve the Lard. But it must be sold for what it is.

15. Take Beef Suet and all the Beef Fat trimmed from steaks and other cuts, and run it through a Chopper, chopping it very fine. It will thus become soft and sticky so it can be rolled in small balls about one and one-half to two inches in diameter. While this is being done, fill Rendering Kettle half full of water, dissolving in the water about two ounces of Lard Purifier to every 100 Ibs. of Tallow to be ren- dered, and start it to boil. While the water is boiling the small bails of Tallow should be placed on top of the water until a sufficient number of balls have been thus put into the water to make a layer three or four inches deep, but not deeper. After the Tallow is rendered out of the balls, the heat should be turned off and the Tal- low should be permitted to cool. Just as soon as the boiling has ceased, all the cracklings that are on the surface should be skimmed off, put into a press and

16. pressed out. The Tallow that is on the surface should be skimmed off and put into buckets. Care should be taken that no water is taken out with the hot Tallow. The tallow which remains on the water can be left there until it is hard, when it can be taken off and melted if desired, and then run into buckets. The ad- vantage in rendering Tallow in this manner is to pre- vent the Tallow from becoming too hot, and thus to keep it from turning dark; besides, the water and Lard Purifier purifies the Tallow and also draws out the tallowy odor.

17. Any butcher can build up a large trade on home- rendered tallow when it is prepared in this manner. In fact, his trade will like the Tallow so well that he will not be able to supply the demand. As a rule, the butcher sells his Tallow unrendered at a low price, but if he will render it himself and follow the above in- structions carefully, he can sell the Tallow for at least 10 to 12 cents per pound, owing to the fact that Tallow rendered in this manner produces a very fine fat for cooking purposes. We believe it is much better than Lard.