Once you get the hunks of fat home, you're going to want to process it immediately. Wash it well and pat it dry as best as you can. Chop up the fatty masses and put them into a very large, non-reactive kettle/pot. Place the pot on the stove and, over medium heat, bring it to a simmer, stirring somewhat often. Please note that the scent emitted may not be to your liking but, at least it's not overwhelming (if you have a clean, fresh product, that is!).
As the fat melts, use a slotted spoon with small holes to take out the clear tissue which will appear. Once you think all the fat has melted (about 35-45 minutes later for a 10 pound batch), you're going to need to strain the resulting liquid through several layers of cheesecloth. Be very, very careful while doing this. And, yes, you must do it while the fat is fairly hot because this fat will somewhat solidify upon complete cooling, making it impossible to filter properly.
Pour the filtered fat into clean containers that seal tightly and refrigerate until you are ready to use it (up to 4 weeks). Do not add salt or anything else if this lard is to be used for soap making! (Yep, an old wives' tale just entered in here!)
If you plan on using the freshly gleaned lard for cooking purposes, you may want to freeze all but one pound of the stuff to keep it fresh. Just make certain that you fill your containers to within 1-inch of the top of any freezer-safe container. Cool it completely in the refrigerator and then pop it in the freezer. Be sure to label your containers, too.
For a few recipes for soap, please visit The Soap Making Home Page at http://www.lis.ab.ca/walton/old/soaphome...
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