With today's economy, any small thing we can do for ourselves to save a penny or two is worth it to our pocketbooks. Anything we can make as naturally as possible is worth it to our health. Making bacon soap from scratch offers both of these options - it is cheap to make and good for your skin.
The Smell
One of the first things we are asked when we mention making bacon soap is, "Does it smell like bacon?" The answer is no. Each soap bar is allowed to cure for at least two weeks before using and the bacon smell dissipates during this time. We often add a scented essential oil such as lavender, so the end result is a soft lavender scent from a bar of soap that lathers great, keeps our skin soft and moisturized, and lasts much longer than the average bar of soap.
What You Need
You will need a pint jar of bacon drippings, a stainless steel pan, lye, a wooden spoon, a plastic measuring cup, a second small cup, a kitchen food scale, a motor boat hand mixer, wax paper, non-stick cooking spray, soap coloring (optional), essential oil fragrance (optional), and a soap mold which can be purchased at a store like Hobby Lobby or Michael's.
The Recipe Steps
Step 1: Begin by scooping your pint jar of bacon drippings into your stainless steel pan. Fill your empty pint jar with water up to the rim beneath the first threads and pour the water into the pan. Turn on the stove and bring the mixture to a boil. There is no need to stir. Once you reach a good boil, remove the pan from the heat and, using your pint jar, stir in one-half a jar of cold water to the hot mixture. Allow the mixture to cool for about a half an hour, then put it in the refrigerator. You have just rendered your bacon grease with this boiling and cooling process and the "clean" fat will rise to the top as it cools. You will be ready to make soap in just a couple of hours.
Step 2: Scoop the clean fat from your stainless steel pan into the plastic bowl of your kitchen food scale. Underneath the clean fat is water, so you can skim the top of the water until you have all the clean fat. Wash your stainless steel pan thoroughly.
Step 3: Measure your bacon fat on your kitchen scale. One pint jar measures about one pound four ounces or 20 ounces. You need to know this so you can calculate the amount of lye and water you will need. With 20 ounces, you would need 2.56 ounces of lye and six ounces of water. For 10 ounces of bacon fat, you would use half the amount of lye and liquid, so 1.26 ounces of lye and three ounces of water. Use an online lye calculator to determine the exact amounts. Pour the water into a plastic measuring cup and add the proper amount of lye. Stir with a wooden spoon and set aside.
Step 4: Transfer your bacon fat to the stainless steel pan and melt it to liquid. Remove it from the heat, let stand for one minute, then add your lye mixture stirring constantly with your wooden spoon. This is where you may want to switch to your motorboat hand mixer for a bit, then go back to the wooden spoon when the liquid begins to thicken. It will take approximately 30 to 40 minutes for the mixture to reach trace.
Trace is when you can see trails behind the spoon as it moves because the liquid has gotten thicker. When you see thin trails, you can add soap coloring and/or fragrance if you choose. When the trails appear deeper, you have reached trace.
Step 5: Quickly spray your soap mold with a non-stick cooking spray and pour your soap into the molds. Set your mold in a spot where it will not be disturbed for 48 hours.
Step 6: After 48 hours, remove your soap from the mold and place it on wax paper, allowing it to cure for two weeks before use.
This particular recipe with a pint jar of bacon drippings makes four 4 ounce bars and two 2 ounce bars, though you can use any type of mold you choose for your soap. We personally prefer the rectangular soap bar.
Directions always sound more complicated than the actual process. You will find that making bacon soap is fun and easy. Best of all, each bar is a fraction of the cost you pay at the store for a bar of soap and one bacon soap bar lasts for nearly a month.
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