Questions, questions

Yvonne Smith said:
It is hard to find tallow now, and pretty expensive when you do find it. Back when the kids were growing up and we lived in Idaho, we went to the local butcher shop (where people took their cows and deer to be cut up), and I would pick up the huge garbage tubs of bones and fat and took it home for the dogs to chew on, and it was always free. The next trip into tow, we returned their trash barrel. Lots of people who had dogs that would eat the bones did this, and it saved the butcher shop from having to dispose of it, so it helped everyone.

I think we could render it the same as bacon fat, but I have not tried that. We put the bacon grease in hot water and then poured it through a strainer to remove particles, and the refrigerate it overnight. The next day, the lard and the water had separated, and you just poured off the water and kept the clean bacon grease for frying something else.
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We call it lard, but haven't really looked for it in years now, used to be the only thing we'd make biscuits with.
Coconut oil is expensive. Also, I don't like the smell that comes from coconut oil when frying.
Yvonne I'm still looking forward to using the Creani ,already have 2 coconuts on table waiting to be cracked open and used in place of dairy.
We need to start some veggie seeds soon, and plant sweet potatoes.
I hear we're soon to be in a food crisis, true or not?
 
Yvonne Smith said:
That is pretty much what we do, too, @John Brunner ; but if you need it to be pure, then that will do it. At one time I had a little set of salt and pepper shakers that looked like old time milk cans, and it came with a small bacon grease “bucket” with a filter that probably held 2 cups of bacon grease if it were full. It was great to have and made saving the bacon grease really easy.
We do not eat much bacon now, so we mostly give the grease to the dogs and cats over their food.
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I remember those bacon grease pans well; in most houses they sat on the top of the stove.
 
John Brunner said:
Don't forget that there is Refined (higher smoke point) and Unrefined (more flavorful) coconut oil.

From the internet:
Refined coconut oil is processed from dried coconut meat and undergoes additional steps like bleaching and deodorizing, resulting in a neutral flavor and higher smoke point (400-450°F).
Unrefined coconut oil, often called virgin, is made from fresh coconut meat and retains its natural flavor and nutrients, with a lower smoke point (around 350°F).

ALDI only carries Refined. Walmart carries both. Unrefined is more expensive, but it's tough to get a fix on on what the true per ounce price difference is because there aren't comparable sizes of each in the same brand. You can get Unrefined for 42¢/oz and Refined for 24¢/oz. But for as little as you're likely to use, the higher per-serving cost for Unrefined is negligible if you want coconut flavor and the nutritional benefit and aren't using it over a high heat.

In a similar vein, I buy Ceylon cinnamon [true cinnamon] that cost $7/bottle because it does not contain coumarin like the cheap stuff (Cassia cinnamon) does. Both provide similar health benefits, but "too much" coumarin definitely causes liver problems, likely causes kidney problems, might cause lung damage, and "some studies" say can increase cancer risk "in high amounts." Cassia cinnamon contains 10,000x the coumarin that Ceylon cinnamon does, but Cassia does have a stronger flavor. $7 is a lot for a bottle of cinnamon (pre-COVID it was only $4), but a bottle lasts maybe 4-6 months in my household since I use it as a supplement as well as for cooking, so I exclusively use Ceylon.
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Thanks for the info, I didn't know there were 2 types of coconut oil.
 
Beth Gallagher said:
I mostly use olive oil for stirfry and other savory foods. In baking I prefer a neutral oil like avocado. I very seldom deep fry anything any more, but I do keep a jug of vegetable oil for occasional french fries. When I make cornbread, I still slather the cast iron with a coating of Crisco. I really don't worry about stuff like that; I'm already old so it's not like a teaspoon of oil is going to be the end of me.
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I do miss my cornbread which is full of carbs, like any other great foods I can't eat unless I want a workout.
I may do just that since you reminded of how much I love buttered cornbread.
 
Don Alaska said:
I think sometimes it is because the unrefined is less stable, so they can't put it on the shelf and leave it for two years.
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Yup. Plus the distribution network for a country as large and spread out as ours. It's interesting that other nations (specifically European nations) go to the market every day for that day's needs seemingly without worrying about supply chain interruptions. They derive a double health benefit: their food is fresh, and they don't stress like I do.
 
John Brunner said:
Yup. Plus the distribution network for a country as large and spread out as ours. It's interesting that other nations (specifically European nations) go to the market every day for that day's needs seemingly without worrying about supply chain interruptions. They derive a double health benefit: their food is fresh, and they don't stress like I do.
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From what I read and hear on news, their food is also healthier and inspected better than ours.
 
Yvonne Smith said:
We seem like the only country that puts poisons on our food to keep other creatures from eating it, and then we eat it ourselves.
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So true. We have all kinds of chemicals in our food now. I want to get the garden ready tomorrow, since today was making new trial.
Only going to grow a few things mostly sweet potato's and beans for protein, red, yellow and green veggies.
 
John Brunner said:
Yup. Plus the distribution network for a country as large and spread out as ours. It's interesting that other nations (specifically European nations) go to the market every day for that day's needs seemingly without worrying about supply chain interruptions. They derive a double health benefit: their food is fresh, and they don't stress like I do.
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They are also ill-prepared for adverse situations and breaks in the supply chains. It is relatively easily for the nasty people like Stalin, Hitler and others to starve Europeans.
 
Here is a list of oils that people use for cooking, and how much of the linoleic acid is in each one. The red ones are the oils that cause inflammation and pain in our body and clog up arteries, and the green ones are the ones that are best for cooking and salad dressings , and anyplace we use an oil.

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Marie Miller said:
My small jar is in the fridge. There is no other way to make cornbread with a crunchy crust. And there is no way to eat beans but with cornbread.
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I used to keep my "gonna throw it out" surplus bacon grease in an empty beer can on the back of the stove, until....

One day I was cleaning my kitchen while drinking a beer, and I picked up the wrong can and took a big swig. :eek: No matter how much hot water I drank and slices of bread I ate, it took a long time to de-lubricate the inside of my mouth. I still shudder when I think of it. At least it didn't make me sick.
 
John Brunner said:
I used to keep my "gonna throw it out" surplus bacon grease in an empty beer can on the back of the stove, until....

One day I was cleaning my kitchen while drinking a beer, and I picked up the wrong can and took a big swig. :eek: No matter how much hot water I drank and slices of bread I ate, it took a long time to de-lubricate the inside of my mouth. I still shudder when I think of it. At least it didn't make me sick.
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Your story reminds me of when I put Brylcreem hair gel on my toothbrush instead of Colgate toothpaste. They were both in red tubes.
 
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