ghee or clarified butter

[Blaundee]

Can you use ghee instead of lard to make soap?

I've never made soap, but I have a hard time imagining a cost effective way to make soap out of expensive butter. I think "in the old days" the off cuts from fatty meat were rendered down for soap.

It's not expensive if you already have it And it's easier to get than rendering fat from bone and other scraps. Someone said it is the consistency of lard- that's why I'd like to know if it can be used for soap like lard can.

 

[Emerald]

Can you use ghee instead of lard to make soap?

I've never made soap, but I have a hard time imagining a cost effective way to make soap out of expensive butter. I think "in the old days" the off cuts from fatty meat were rendered down for soap.

It's not expensive if you already have it And it's easier to get than rendering fat from bone and other scraps. Someone said it is the consistency of lard- that's why I'd like to know if it can be used for soap like lard can.

Have you checked any of the soap calculators to see if they include it? it might be hard to figure out how much lye to use. I know a person on another forum who recommended not using pork lard for soap but only due to the fact that it tended to clog your pores. but the lard soap was fine for cleaning. Since he and his wife used to make soap to sell I trust his advice.
I have to say that I have not heard of any butters in soap other than coco butter and shea! it would be interesting to know it butter, butter would work!

 

[moolie]

It has a very strong smell (like butter! only different) so people might find bathing with butter-scented soap a little weird?

 

[Blaundee]

It has a very strong smell (like butter! only different) so people might find bathing with butter-scented soap a little weird?

LOL Or some might find it makes everyone around them want popcorn.... hahaha

 

[Blaundee]

I've never made soap, but I have a hard time imagining a cost effective way to make soap out of expensive butter. I think "in the old days" the off cuts from fatty meat were rendered down for soap.

It's not expensive if you already have it And it's easier to get than rendering fat from bone and other scraps. Someone said it is the consistency of lard- that's why I'd like to know if it can be used for soap like lard can.

Have you checked any of the soap calculators to see if they include it? it might be hard to figure out how much lye to use. I know a person on another forum who recommended not using pork lard for soap but only due to the fact that it tended to clog your pores. but the lard soap was fine for cleaning. Since he and his wife used to make soap to sell I trust his advice.
I have to say that I have not heard of any butters in soap other than coco butter and shea! it would be interesting to know it butter, butter would work!

I dont even know what you are talking about with "soap calculators".... I am very, very new to making soap.

 

[k15n1]

I have also heard many good things about ghee, and have planned to make it ... but never did. Then, last summer, a friend came to visit, and (as we were the last stop before going home) left most of her travel food with us. Part of that was most of a pound of salted butter. I don't use salted butter usually, having a low tolerance for salt, but I thought maybe I could clarify it, and use the residue with vegetables that need a bit of salt with them. The clarifying was easy, and as it turned out the salt was mostly left behind. The ghee has been very useful - I keep it in a closed container in a cupboard near the stove. Interestingly, the remaining solids, although very salty, were quite addictive for me; I don't crave salt in any way, but I used the salty remains from the ghee to season vegetables, and was sorry when it was gone. I will make ghee again when this is gone, though from unsalted butter. The salty remains made me think of salty buttered popcorn that my mother used to make. I didn't make popcorn while I had this residue, but it would have fit with it perfectly.

Interesting that you used salted butter, everything I found on the topic said to use unsalted. Definitely try it again with the unsalted, I did a big freezer cook this morning and sauted all my onions for the various dishes in ghee--the kitchen smelled heavenly!

I have read this too. In fact, I've read it so many places without justification or eloboration that it makes me wonder if it's even true.

I assume that the salt is soluble only in water and it's left at the bottom of the pan with the protein bits.

 

[Emerald]

It's not expensive if you already have it And it's easier to get than rendering fat from bone and other scraps. Someone said it is the consistency of lard- that's why I'd like to know if it can be used for soap like lard can.

Have you checked any of the soap calculators to see if they include it? it might be hard to figure out how much lye to use. I know a person on another forum who recommended not using pork lard for soap but only due to the fact that it tended to clog your pores. but the lard soap was fine for cleaning. Since he and his wife used to make soap to sell I trust his advice.
I have to say that I have not heard of any butters in soap other than coco butter and shea! it would be interesting to know it butter, butter would work!

I dont even know what you are talking about with "soap calculators".... I am very, very new to making soap.

To keep from derailing this thread I would suggest reading as much as possible about soap making here on this site by using the search feature and all over the internet. it is more complicated than what I just put here quickly and while complicated it is not hard to do.

 

[moolie]

I have also heard many good things about ghee, and have planned to make it ... but never did. Then, last summer, a friend came to visit, and (as we were the last stop before going home) left most of her travel food with us. Part of that was most of a pound of salted butter. I don't use salted butter usually, having a low tolerance for salt, but I thought maybe I could clarify it, and use the residue with vegetables that need a bit of salt with them. The clarifying was easy, and as it turned out the salt was mostly left behind. The ghee has been very useful - I keep it in a closed container in a cupboard near the stove. Interestingly, the remaining solids, although very salty, were quite addictive for me; I don't crave salt in any way, but I used the salty remains from the ghee to season vegetables, and was sorry when it was gone. I will make ghee again when this is gone, though from unsalted butter. The salty remains made me think of salty buttered popcorn that my mother used to make. I didn't make popcorn while I had this residue, but it would have fit with it perfectly.

Interesting that you used salted butter, everything I found on the topic said to use unsalted. Definitely try it again with the unsalted, I did a big freezer cook this morning and sauted all my onions for the various dishes in ghee--the kitchen smelled heavenly!

I have read this too. In fact, I've read it so many places without justification or eloboration that it makes me wonder if it's even true.

I assume that the salt is soluble only in water and it's left at the bottom of the pan with the protein bits.

Many of the makers of the youtube videos I watched prior to making my first batch mentioned that they had tried salted butter in the past with disastrous results, thus my comments as I've never tried it myself. I figure there's no reason to reinvent the wheel when others have found the best way to do something

 

[ORChick]

Interesting that you used salted butter, everything I found on the topic said to use unsalted. Definitely try it again with the unsalted, I did a big freezer cook this morning and sauted all my onions for the various dishes in ghee--the kitchen smelled heavenly!

I have read this too. In fact, I've read it so many places without justification or eloboration that it makes me wonder if it's even true.

I assume that the salt is soluble only in water and it's left at the bottom of the pan with the protein bits.

Many of the makers of the youtube videos I watched prior to making my first batch mentioned that they had tried salted butter in the past with disastrous results, thus my comments as I've never tried it myself. I figure there's no reason to reinvent the wheel when others have found the best way to do something

"Disastrous?" -- This was my first time making ghee, but I'm not unfamiliar with the process, or with the result, and would hardly say my results were disastrous. In fact, I think it turned out pretty well. As K15n1 says, the salt seems to have precipitated out with the milk solids, leaving none, or very little, in the finished ghee. I will be using unsalted butter in future, but should I ever find myself with a gift of salted butter again I will certainly remove the salt by clarifying in this manner.
(Moolie, I am commenting on what you say the videos point out, and have no wish to kill, or even offend, the messenger . In fact, I agree with you that using unsalted is probably best. But, in my experience, using salted worked quite well)

 

[moolie]

No worries I know you have actually tried it and therefore have experiences that I don't

I only started this thread to let everyone in on a neat way to make butter last longer and to be able to use it in cooking in ways that regular butter smokes and burns. I'm really enjoying reading everyone else's experiences, since I'm still new to the process--having only done it a few times.