How long can leaf lard be stored in the fridge?

[Norcalbaker59]

Since everything spoiled in my refrigerator/freezer during the firestorm power outage, I’ve spent the last few days making food to restock my freezer. I purchased 2 pounds of freshly rendered lard from the charcuterie in town to make tamales. The butcher accidentally gave me 1 pound of leaf lard. So I’m saving it for pie crust. But I don’t have time to bake pies until the end of the week or beginning of next week. Does anyone know how long leaf lard will stay fresh in the refrigerator? Normally I buy it and use II in baking within a day or two.

 

[Apocalypso]

According to this, it lasts a very long time. https://www.chowhound.com/post/store-lard-347652. But you could also freeze it I guess, only you might want to separate it into small pieces, say about the quantity you'd need for one crust recipe? - so you don't have to thaw a whole block or container.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

According to this, it lasts a very long time. https://www.chowhound.com/post/store-lard-347652. But you could also freeze it I guess, only you might want to separate it into small pieces, say about the quantity you'd need for one crust recipe? - so you don't have to thaw a whole block or container.

Perfect, I’m going to freeze it. That way it takes the pressure off me.

Did you scroll down through the comments on the lard post? Someone posted a recipe for molasses cookie with lard… I copied it. I’ve never used lard in anything but pie crust and biscuits. I’m going bake those cookies to see what they are like.

 

[Apocalypso]

Interesting! I read a good ways down, and I did see that recipe, but I had to look again to see what it was. I remembered the ginger and not the molasses. I've had bad luck with recipes with molasses, and I gather that there is a wide variety of styles and thicknesses. I made a gingerbread biscotti as one of three biscotti types about five years ago for Christmas gifts, and I didn't get a dough, I got a batter. It did eventually bake up, but I gather the molasses I bought must have been vastly different from the one the recipe writer used?

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Interesting! I read a good ways down, and I did see that recipe, but I had to look again to see what it was. I remembered the ginger and not the molasses. I've had bad luck with recipes with molasses, and I gather that there is a wide variety of styles and thicknesses. I made a gingerbread biscotti as one of three biscotti types about five years ago for Christmas gifts, and I didn't get a dough, I got a batter. It did eventually bake up, but I gather the molasses I bought must have been vastly different from the one the recipe writer used?

That’s interesting about the thin biscotti dough. I don’t bake a lot with molasses since it’s not one of my favorite sweeteners. I much prefer honey or golden syrup if I’m not going to use sugar or brown sugar. But I always have molasses in the pantry. A friend loves gingersnaps and molasses cookies, so I bake them a few times a year. I’m curious about the lard cookies. The poster raved about the cookie...I’m hoping they are good.

 

[Apocalypso]

That’s interesting about the thin biscotti dough. I don’t bake a lot with molasses since it’s not one of my favorite sweeteners.

Same here. I remember either America's Test Kitchen or Cooks Country did a comparison of molasses and there were big differences, but I don't recall what the results were, and I let my site subscription lapse.

I hope those cookies are great!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Same here. I remember either America's Test Kitchen or Cooks Country did a comparison of molasses and there were big differences, but I don't recall what the results were, and I let my site subscription lapse.

I hope those cookies are great!

I find the unsulphured molasses, first boiling light molasses tastes the best. The blackstrap molasses is the worst. In the south blackstrap molasses is used in animal feed.

But the horses on the property here won’t eat the blackstrap. If it’s not the first boiling light molasses, then turn their noses up and walk away.

 

[ChesterV]

Leaf Lard?




Thats a new one on me.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Leaf Lard?




Thats a new one on me.

Leaf fat is any fat that grows around the kidney of an animal. So they call the lard made from the fat harvested from that area leaf lard.

The leaf fat makes up about 25% of the total lard from a pig. The rest of the lard comes from the back fat.

It’s prized for its texture and taste. It has a higher moisture content than the back fat, so it’s softer than back fat lard.

It is also more delicate in flavor. Given it’s softness and lighter flavor it is coveted for pie crust. That’s why when I discovered they accidentally gave me 1 pound of leaf lard I didn’t want to waste it in my tamal dough.

The best wheat pie crust is a 50/50 mix of butter and leaf lard. The lard gives a tenderness and flakiness you can’t achieve with butter alone.

Given it softness, it’s best to cut it into pieces and chill it. Cut your butter into your flour first. Then add the leaf lard.

Since so little leaf fat is available, it’s not readily available. The butcher shop in stores like Whole Foods doesn’t even carry it.

I buy it from the butcher and charcuterie in town. The lards from their shop are all freshly rendered, so must be refrigerated.

I don’t use lards very often. Just fresh back fat lard in my tamal dough since I haven’t achieved a light tamal dough with olive oil.

And when I want to splurge on family and friends, I use butter and leaf lard in my wheat pie crust. I haven’t tried it in a gluten free crust.

I won’t use the lard from the grocery store. That stuff is retched.

 

[ChesterV]

Leaf fat is any fat that grows around the kidney of an animal. So they call the lard made from the fat harvested from that area leaf lard.

The leaf fat makes up about 25% of the total lard from a pig. The rest of the lard comes from the back fat.

It’s prized for its texture and taste. It has a higher moisture content than the back fat, so it’s softer than back fat lard.

It is also more delicate in flavor. Given it’s softness and lighter flavor it is coveted for pie crust. That’s why when I discovered they accidentally gave me 1 pound of leaf lard I didn’t want to waste it in my tamal dough.

The best wheat pie crust is a 50/50 mix of butter and leaf lard. The lard gives a tenderness and flakiness you can’t achieve with butter alone.

Given it softness, it’s best to cut it into pieces and chill it. Cut your butter into your flour first. Then add the leaf lard.

Since so little leaf fat is available, it’s not readily available. The butcher shop in stores like Whole Foods doesn’t even carry it.

I buy it from the butcher and charcuterie in town. The lards from their shop are all freshly rendered, so must be refrigerated.

I don’t use lards very often. Just fresh back fat lard in my tamal dough since I haven’t achieved a light tamal dough with olive oil.

And when I want to splurge on family and friends, I use butter and leaf lard in my wheat pie crust. I haven’t tried it in a gluten free crust.

I won’t use the lard from the grocery store. That stuff is retched.

YEAH! More info!!! Thanks!

I've never really used lards or fats of that nature in my baking. If something ever called for any kind of "grease" product, I use oil. And depending on the item being produced, will depend on what oil I use.

I think the only "lard" I ever use on anything is the buttercream frosting. I like the butter flavored Crisco for that....I know it's not real lard, but people around here call it a lard. Depending on what the buttercream will be used for, on occasion I have used cream butter instead.

I experimented with oily pie crust dough once, and I hated it, so I only use butter on pie crust I make. And that is an extremely rare thing. LOL