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Goat Raiser Makes Soap From Goat Fat
"When I butcher a goat for table use, I save the fat for soap-making," says Jo Eberhardt, who raises a herd of Saanen goats near Elkhorn, Wis. "Goat fat contains lanolin, an ingredient that is much sought after for making soap. It brings a high price on the commercial market."
Here's how Eberhardt goes about mak
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Goat raiser makes soap from goat fat AG WORLD Ag World 14-1-20 "When I butcher a goat for table use, I save the fat for soap-making," says Jo Eberhardt, who raises a herd of Saanen goats near Elkhorn, Wis. "Goat fat contains lanolin, an ingredient that is much sought after for making soap. It brings a high price on the commercial market."
Here's how Eberhardt goes about making soap from goat fat:
First, she selects a pot for cooking the goat fat, along with beef fat "extender", on the stove. Half of the total poundage is goat fat and other is beef. She uses 6 lbs. of fat for a standard batch.
"You must use a stainless steel or enamel pot. Never use aluminum since it will react to the lye. I use a big wooden spoon or paddle to stir the solution."
Ina separate enamel pan , Eberhardt mixes 6 cuts of goat's milk with a 13-oz. can of lye, plus five heaping teaspoons of Borax. "I also add a cup of sugar or a cup of honey and two cups of coarse oatmeal. The goat's milk gives the soap a brown color and the oat-meal gives it a flaky appearance. If you want white soap, use water instead of milk."
When the fat is melted on the stove, she takes it off and lets it cool until it is the same temperature as the mixture in the enamel pan. Then she adds the entire 6 lbs. of goat fat to the mix, along with about 2 oz. of glycerine. She stirs the mixture for about 15 min., until it feels like jelly.
"When it begins to form a scum around the sides of the container, it's ready to put into a mold or container. I pour it into molds made of cardboard. The molds must be lined with thin, wet cloth to keep the soap from sticking. Or you can pour the mix into a stainless steel pan coated with mineral oil. I cut the bars after the molds have set for 6 hrs."
Eberhardt figures it costs about 6 cents a bar to make the soap. "You pay 50 cents or more to buy soap this good in a store. The lanolin and oatmeal make it a real beauty soap since both ingredients are widely used in cosmetics," she says, noting that she sells or gives much of the soap to friends and neighbors.
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