How to Make Soap From Bacon Fat

You can make soap at home.

Before the creation of synthetic detergents, soap was typically made with wood ashes and oil, usually animal fat. Pork fat, or lard, remains a common ingredient in many homemade soap recipes. Lard can be purchased pre-rendered or collected as grease after cooking fatty cuts of pork, such as bacon. Lye, a corrosive alkali that is sold either dried or in a water solution, is typically substituted for wood ashes. Any shallow, nonreactive (glass, ceramic, or stainless steel) container can be used as a mold for the soap mixture. Plastic soap molds can also be purchased at many craft stores.

Things You'll Need

• 3 pounds lard and/or bacon grease (strained)
• Sieve or coffee filter
• 3 cups cold water
• 12 ounces lye (flakes or powder)
• 1 10 x 12 inch nonreactive dish pan or soap molds
• Glass or ceramic saucepan (should hold at least 2 quarts)
• Wood or plastic spoon (do not use metal)
• Plastic dish gloves
• Protective glasses or goggles

Instructions

1. Accumulate at least 3 pounds of bacon fat that has been strained to remove any pieces of meat or other impurities. To strain the fat, heat it in a saucepan until it becomes a liquid. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool slightly. Pour the cooled, but still liquid, fat through a sieve or coffee filter into a glass jar.

2. Make sure that the room is well ventilated. Put on the plastic dish gloves and safety glasses. Lye is corrosive and can cause serious burns to the skin and eyes, so these safety measures should be taken before moving on to the next step.

3. Pour the lye carefully into the saucepan filled with water, stirring it in slowly. A chemical reaction will cause the water to heat up as the lye dissolves, releasing pungent fumes into the air. Avoid breathing directly over the saucepan. Let the mixture cool for approximately one hour.

4. Make sure that the bacon fat is room temperature or slightly warm. If you are making a single batch of soap in one dish pan, pour the warm or room temperature bacon fat into the pan. If you intend to use soap molds, pour the bacon fat into a glass or ceramic bowl.

5. Pour the cooled water-lye mixture very slowly into the dish pan or bowl, stirring constantly. Continue to stir until the mixture reaches a thick consistency. If you are using molds, transfer the mixture from the bowl to each mold, pouring slowly. Store the soap in a cool, dry place that is out of reach of children or pets.

6. Wait 24 hours and, if you are making a single pan of soap, the mixture will be solid enough to be cut into bars. Do not remove the bars from the pan for at least a week, however. The same goes for the molds.

7. Remove the cut or molded bars after one week.

References

• The Farm: How to Make Soap
• Soap Making Resource: Lard Soap Making