Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1918-10-09
UTILIZATION OF WASTE" FATS
IN THE HOME


From the last issue of the Orlean.
County Agricultural Association New!
bulletin:
Fats from mutton, ham, sausage
and even from beef, salt pork anC
poultry, many housekeepers consider
undesirable cooking fats and allow tt
be thrown away. This is an unpar.
donable extravaganza, as they can be
used in preparing wholesome and ap.
petizing dishes, unless the appetite
has been "overorganized" and is fa1
too whimsical.
In ordering meats prepared at the
market for cooking, as roasts, chops
all the trimmings, which have been
paid for, should be sent home with
the meat. To "render" these for use
clean and wash the pieces of fat
place in saucepan over a moderate
simmering heat until all the fat has
been melted out from the membrane
holding it. Strain through cheese
cloth or thin cotton, if necessary, in
! turning off and keep in cool place
| for use.
Methods of Clarifying Fats
To Clear merely without removing
f1avors.-Melt fat with an equal vol
ume Of water and heat short time.
Cool mixture, remove layer of fat
which is hardened on top, scrape any
impurities from under surface.
To remove slight f1avOrs and Od0rs.
Cook thin slices of potato in fat
until thoroughly Drowned. Strain off
fat and cool.
To remove odors and flavOrs not too
strong and to reduce strong favors
and doors. To each pound of chop
ped, unrendered fat, add about IL
pieces Of clean hardwood charcoal the
size of walnut. Render in double
boiler, let stand for two hours after
and strain.
Perhaps the most satisfactory
method: heat thoroughly two pounds
of rendered fat with one-half pint of
milk, preferably sour, stirring care
fully and straining through a thick
cloth. After leaving for some time
until thoroughly cool, the impurities
may be removed from the lower sur
face of the fat which has formed on
top.
Beef and mutton fats treated in
this way may be used in frying and
have the advantage over butter and
lard that they do not "crack" or
scorch as readily. They may be used
for any shortening purposes.
CAUTION; in the use of substi-
tute fats for butter or oleomargarin.
Butter and oleomargar1n are not pure
fats. They contain only about 81 or
SO per cent fat. In using pure fat,
therefore, as chicken fat or the other
rendered fats, the amounts should be
reduced one-eighth.
The Extension Service of the Uni
versity of Vermont, through it's
Home Economics specialists, and the
Committee on Food Production and
Conservation of the State Public
Safety Committee advise concerning
USE OF VARIOUS FATS
Chicken Fat. Chicken fat is
most excellent substitute for butter
in cooking. In the proportion of half
and half when used with oleomargar-
in or butter, it cannot be distinguish
ed either in flavor or texture in the
most delicate cakes or pastry. 1t
may be substituted wholly with un-
questionable success. See caution in
use of substitute fats for richness.
Beef Fats. Tallow from beef, as
substitute fat, has the disadvantage
overcome this to some extent, it may
be combined with softer fats to make
very satisfactory shortening for bis
cults, mullins and cakes which are to
be served hot. The correct proper
ton for combining different fats is
two of the harder mutton tallow or
beef drippings, to one part of the
softer fats, like lard, pork, bacon or
sausage. Beef fat from the brisket
yields a softer fat than from other
cuts of beef. A small amount of beef
drippings may be used with lard for
sauteing Gin frying PAM, but larger
gives a bad flavor and a
hard, fatty coating.
Mutton Fat. Clarified mutton fat
may be used as beef fat. These may
be used in cakes in place of butter
IN such combinations as will mask
any unpleasant taste remaining in the
fat, as gingerbreads, spice and choco-
late cake or cookies.
Bacon, Sausage and Ham Fats.
These because Of their more persis-
tent f1avors, test cooks skill in
pleasant in the right places. They
add a very appetizing flavor to fried |
potato, mush, or other vegetables,
whose own natural favors blend we'll |
with those Of these particular fats. |
So popular is this use of them that |
beef and mutton fats are often happily |
to these so-called "savory |
fats" according to the following re- |
cipe:
To one pound of unrendered fat,
chopped fine add one slice of onion
about one-half inch thick and two |
inches in diameter, one teaspoonful /
broken bay leaf and about Is tea
spoon pepper. Render in a double
boiler and strain.
Bacon cooked with vegetables gives
them pleasant flavor and supplies
the fat otherwise added as butter.
Some ham fat from a boiled ham
should be used, together with the
liquor, to improve split pea soup. All
these fats are enjoyed by many in
shortening corn meal mullins, corn
cakes, corn griddle cakes, etc., this