One of our best selling products is our grass-fed beef tallow, or rendered fat, otherwise known as lard. Enjoy the many health benefits of cancer-fighting CLA, Vitamin K2, and heart-healthy omega 3’s while cooking with grass-fed beef tallow. Over the years we have been asked a lot of questions about tallow, so we thought we would put together a blog post explaining the rendering process, the color variations, the many uses of tallow, and recommended storage.
Rendering Process:
We use the same methods as the pioneers in the 1800’s. The tallow is brought to a simmer for approximately 8-10 hours to evaporate the water from the raw suet in order to produce tallow. Simmer temperature is approximately 180-200 degrees F.
Color Variations:
There are many factors that influence the color of the end product: the age and weight of the animal at slaughter, the type and quality of forage they are consuming – which will be influenced by the weather, rendering process, etc. While our beef tallow is generally white in color, it will vary from batch to batch. Since we don’t use any food dyes, variances in color between batches is normal. It has not been bleached, deodorized, hydrogenated, or altered.
Uses For Beef Tallow:
– Cooking or frying
– Baking – makes a delectable pie crust
– Flavoring – a great addition to ground beef and vegetable dishes
– Creating your own pemmican
– Making soaps and candles
Storage:
As far as storage, the USDA requires the frozen sticker because we do not use preservatives or additives. The container can sit on the pantry shelf unrefrigerated for a month without issue. At some point, the surface will begin to oxidize. Since the tallow is not highly perishable, it just comes down to personal preference for storage. A lot of our customers opt to keep it in the fridge, while others that use it more frequently, may leave it on the kitchen counter covered and out of direct sunlight. For long-term storage, we recommend dividing the tallow into smaller containers for freezing. It will keep for years in the freezer and months in the refrigerator.
Nutritional Information:
We welcome your feedback. Please let us know if you have any additional questions we can answer or any comments you would like to share.
