Lard.. Plain old-fashioned lard..

[Ciao Mickey]

I am about to order several used Amish cookbooks on half.com and I know that many of their older recipes call for lard.. Can you still buy something actually called "lard" in the supermarket - or would plain Crisco be the same?

If they still do sell lard, would it be in the refrigerated section of the supermarket?

Thanks!

Every supermarket around here (NJ) carries lard.

It's usually found around the dairy/bread section of the store.

I use lard when I make fried chicken, gives it a nice flavor.

You can also use lard in your pie crusts.

Pork fat rules.

Crisco has no flavor, but you could substitute it in recipes that call for lard.

 

[Carl Fredricksen]

According to this site, Bacon Grease can be kept at room temperature and pretty much will last forever...

"Bacon grease is traditionally kept in an empty Crisco can that sits on the back of the stove, but it is required that you let the grease cool before putting it in. A better solution is an old, percolater-style coffeepot. You can just keep it there, toss the grease in as soon as you're done cooking the bacon, and throw it on the burner to melt when needed. Bacon grease keeps damn near forever, assuming mice or bugs don't get in it, so don't even think of refrigerating it - it just isn't necessary. I've heard a story of a restaurant in Tennessee that fries their burgers in 85-year-old bacon grease, a tale I haven't had the stomach to confirm."

Best I could find on lard, is to keep it in a cool place and shelf life is 9-12 months refrigerated, about 3 years in the freezer. Since both Lard and Bacon Grease are from pork fat, I don't know why the huge difference in shelf life. Maybe it has something to do with the Bacon Grease being heated before storage or something. As I said, chemistry wasn't my strong suit in school...

 

[Sheree Bobbins]

I've had lard when I was staying in Scotland. Their cornish pasties are made with lard. There is nothing quite like it for flavour.

 

[Silent1CB]

Anyone else feel their artories clogging just reading this thread?

 

[Gigi22]

Where I live supermarkets usually have 1 lb. packages of lard for sale, I've never seen big tubs. I keep lard in the fridge, because I mainly use it for piecrusts and pastries, where the fat has to be cold when blended in. If I run out of lard for a recipe, I use butter as a substitute.

 

[kathie859]

Anyone fry chicken with it? I heard it makes the chicken crispier than crisco.

You haven't HAD fried chicken until you've had it fried in lard

 

[Missy1961]

I just came back from my local supermarket (Waldbaum's). They had lots of lard, it was near the pork/ham/bacon.