question about my newly rendered tallow...

[bornthrifty]

so yesterday I rendered tallow, got several jars now of white self sealed tallow on my counter, I am understanding that tallow should be stable and safe to keep at room temp once rendered,

some of my jars have some brownish specks on the bottom like meat residue or what ever, so the whole jar is white, and the bottom is where some of the residue has settled,

tell me please, is that safe to keep at room temp?

I am guessing yes since there was a time when people would preserve meat in fat...of course that was well cooked meat and winter time


lmk if I should put those couple jars or all in the fridge

thanks

 

[so lucky]

I think I would feel safer putting the extra in the fridge. (Just my opinion, however) When I render lard I keep the extra in the freezer.

 

[ORChick]

If it is just a thin layer down at the very bottom I wouldn't worry about it. As you say, meat used to be kept by covering it in fat. And after all the length of time spent in rendering you can rest assured that it is all well cooked. I would, however, keep the jars in a cool, dark place rather than out on the counter. If the coloration is mixed throughout though, I would refrigerate or freeze.
You could also remelt the fat in a pan with water. Let it all cool together, lift off the fat from the top, and you should find that the impurities have sunk to the bottom of the water (if not, scrape them off the bottom of the fat. Remelt again, cooking gently till bubbling stops (means all the water will have boiled off) and pour into sterilized jars, to seal as you have done before. More work, and in my opinion probably not necessary, but might help your peace of mind.

 

[k15n1]

Avoiding rancid fat is more an issue of taste than safety.

A typical confit has a certain note of rancid to it that I think is unpleasant.

If you have space in your refrigerator, it's fine to keep it there. Or in the root cellar. Cool and dark is the key.

You can reduce the breakdown of the tallow with low temps, exclusion of oxygen, and clean jars. I've heard of using antioxidants but I don't know enough about it to make any specific recommendations.

 

[bornthrifty]

thanks!!

 

[BlueReuben]

Fats go rancid when exposed to oxygen and light. This does not mean they are unsafe to consume. They are fine, but the flavor changes for worse. As fat is present in every meat and sausage, we can expect the flavor to deteriorate in time. Rancidity will develop even when meat is refrigerated or frozen.

 

[k15n1]

In the freezer? Doesn't the chemistry slow down in cold temperatures?

I've been told that double-wraping things and evacuating air pockets helps prevent freezer damage. Maybe one factor is the fats going rancid... Of course, there's always the ice chemistry that happens when the temperature is cycled by automatic defrosters, opening the door, etc.

 

[~gd]

so yesterday I rendered tallow, got several jars now of white self sealed tallow on my counter, I am understanding that tallow should be stable and safe to keep at room temp once rendered,

some of my jars have some brownish specks on the bottom like meat residue or what ever, so the whole jar is white, and the bottom is where some of the residue has settled,

tell me please, is that safe to keep at room temp?

I am guessing yes since there was a time when people would preserve meat in fat...of course that was well cooked meat and winter time


lmk if I should put those couple jars or all in the fridge

thanks

Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.

 

[BP4469]

I have a mason jar of deer tallow sitting on the counter for about 7-8 months now. It is only covered with a piece of cotton fabric and the band screwed on(no lid) and the tallow is still like day one. No bad odor, taste, or anything.
This is just what works for me. The only time I had a bad smell was when I did use a lid and kept the tallow in the refrigerator.