How to Render Lard Using the Crockpot Method

A Practical, Family-Scale Approach from Our Farm Kitchen

Rendering lard is one of those traditional skills that looks simple on paper—but once you’re standing in your kitchen surrounded by pork fat, it becomes very real, very fast.

Done correctly, homemade lard is snow-white, odor-neutral, shelf-stable, and incredibly versatile. It can be used for cooking, baking, soapmaking, and skincare. This crockpot lard rendering method is our go-to because it’s slow, controlled, and nearly impossible to scorch.

But let me start with a lesson learned the hard way.

A Quick Farm Story (Learn From My Mistake)

After one hog processing day on the farm, I made the bold decision to render almost all of the fat at once—for cooking.

What followed was pure overwhelm.

I looked around my kitchen and saw:

• Bowls piled high with pork fat
• Three crockpots completely full and in full rotation 
• The meat grinder still grinding away

Never in my life have I experienced such an “oops, I may have gone too big” moment.

I can honestly say—I will never do that again.

Rendering lard in massive quantities is exhausting, messy, and completely unnecessary for a household. Through that experience, I learned something important:

10–11 pounds of pork fat is more than manageable for a family!
It’s enough to stock your freezer without turning your kitchen into a rendering factory.

How Much Pork Fat Do You Need?

For a manageable, family-sized batch:

• 10–11 pounds of raw pork fat
• Yields approximately 4,000 grams (8.8 pounds) of finished lard

This amount fits comfortably in a single crockpot, is easy to strain, and won’t leave you questioning your life choices halfway through the day.

Choosing the Right Pork Fat

Ingredients

• Raw pork fat
  • Leaf fat – Best for baking, pastries, and skincare
  • Back fat – Best for cooking, frying, and soapmaking

Tip: Render leaf fat separately for the mildest, cleanest lard possible.

Crockpot Lard Rendering Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Fat

Cut fat into 1–2 inch chunks or grind using a meat grinder.

Helpful Tip:
Fat that is slightly frozen is much easier to cut or grind cleanly.

Step 2: Load the Crockpot

Place prepared fat directly into the crockpot.

• Do not add water
• Avoid overfilling—leave room to stir

Step 3: Set the Heat

Set crockpot to LOW.

• Never use HIGH
• Slow heat prevents scorching and off smells

Render Time & What’s Happening

• Total time: 6–8 hours
• Stir every: 45–60 minutes

As rendering progresses:

• Fat melts into clear liquid lard
• Solids (cracklings) sink, then brown and float
• Early bubbling indicates moisture evaporating

How to Know When Lard Is Fully Rendered

Your lard is finished when:

✔ Liquid is clear and light golden
✔ Cracklings are golden, crisp, and floating
✔ No bubbling remains (all water is gone)

If bubbling continues, the lard is not finished—give it more time.

Strain & Store Rendered Lard

Straining

While hot, strain lard through:

• A fine mesh strainer
• Cheesecloth for extra purity (recommended for soap or skincare)

Cooling & Storage

• Pour into clean glass jars or containers
• Cool completely before sealing

Properly rendered lard will be:
✔ Snow-white when solid
✔ Odor-neutral
✔ Stable for long-term storage

Storage options:

• Refrigerate for regular use
• Freeze for extended storage (1 year or more)

Not Happy With Your First Render? Render It Again.

If your lard doesn’t come out as clean, white, or neutral as you’d like, re-rendering is completely acceptable—and often encouraged.

Reasons to Re-Render Lard

• Stronger pork scent than desired
• Sediment at the bottom of jars
• Yellow tint
• Intended use for soap, salves, or baking

How to Re-Render Lard

1. Break solid lard into chunks and return to the crockpot
2. Set to LOW heat
3. Melt slowly—no water needed
4. Let sit undisturbed 30–45 minutes
5. Strain again through cheesecloth
6. Discard settled residue

✔ Cleaner color
✔ More neutral scent
✔ Longer shelf life

Many traditional homesteaders always render lard twice when aiming for the highest quality. This isn’t a failure—it’s refinement.

5 Ways to Use Rendered Lard

1. Soapmaking (Back Fat Preferred)

Rendered lard is a soapmaker’s staple.

✔ Slow-moving recipe
✔ Few ingredients
✔ Very forgiving
✔ Gentle on skin
✔ Long shelf life
✔ Hard, long-lasting bars with creamy lather

2. Cooking & Frying

• Eggs
• Potatoes
• Vegetables
• Traditional gravies and roux

3. Baking (Leaf Lard Only)

• Pie crusts
• Biscuits
• Tortillas
• Pastries

4. Skincare & Salves

• Healing balms
• Dry skin creams
• Traditional salves

5. Cracklings (Zero-Waste Bonus)

• Salt and snack
• Add to beans or cornbread
• Feed to chickens or pigs

Final Thoughts

Rendering lard is deeply traditional, incredibly practical, and best done in realistic quantities. Trust me—your future self will thank you for stopping at one crockpot instead of three.

Start small. Render slowly. And remember: craftsmanship sometimes means doing it twice.