Plain Tallow

Method

1. 1

   The tallow has to be clean before it goes on skin. If it still smells strongly of cooked meat, or if any water sits under it, render it again: melt it gently, strain it through a cloth, and let it cool uncovered until it is firm and dry. Water left in the fat is what makes a balm spoil.

2. 2

   Let the solid tallow sit at room temperature until a spoon dents it. Whip it with a mixer until it turns pale and soft. This can take several minutes.

3. 3

   Pack it into a clean jar. Keep it covered, out of the sun. A cool cupboard is enough. The refrigerator is fine in a hot kitchen. Use a clean finger or a small spoon. It should last several months if the fat was dry. If it smells sour, throw it out.

From the kitchen

• Nothing aromatic goes in this one. No essential oil, no fragrance. That is what makes it the family jar, including for children.
• This is a fat, not a medicine. It will not treat an infection, a weeping rash, or a burn. If the skin is broken and angry, leave it alone and ask someone who can see it.
• A little on damp skin after washing goes farther than a thick coat on dry skin.