I heard one time that tallow is great for leather work. However, I've also heard that it can harm leather due to a certain salt content. Is any of this true?
Using Tallow
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Not sure about the leather piece but I was told by a reliable source that there can be enough salt in deer tallow to rust up a gun barrel. He also stated that the longer you "cook" it the more salt is boiled out. I still have been using in my ML and have found no issues
I know they say animal fat is pretty much a perfect source of nutrients. So it only seems to make sense that it would have plenty of salt and other minerals in it. I was just curious. Thanks for the reply
Bacon fat has salt in it, if you buy lard or tallow it should be pretty clean
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Isn't salt added to bacon as part of the process of making bacon? In other words, it is not naturally salty?
Yes. Unfortunately a lot of it has phosphates and a lot of unnecessary stuff added to it. That's a good point though. Processed meats, such as bacon, have a lot of stuff added to it. At least the commercial stuff does.
Spillikins
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I use mutton tallow as patch lube, with a bit of beeswax to firm it up. I boiled the tallow in water to get rid of any impurities and reduce the smell. it floats to the top and when cold and hard you can just lift it off.
Mousegunguy
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I just dressed two lambs last week, like I do every year. I always render the fat to make tallow with it. Then it gets made into candles or gets mixed with beeswax to make lube.
I’ve cooked with it occasionally and don’t taste any salt at all.
Maybe my taste buds just don’t pick it out?
I’ve cooked with it occasionally and don’t taste any salt at all.
Maybe my taste buds just don’t pick it out?
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I've been using deer tallow, bear grease/oil and hog lard for patch lube and leather for a long time. All home processed. I've never had any problems with it, other than the dogs licking my boots when they're freshly greased.
Cured bacon contains salts. Most of what comes from the market also contains nitrates to retain the pink color.
Mutton tallow is great greasy stuff. I have been using it for patch lube for several years. When I first got into muzzle loading back in the 70's there were not so many commercial options for lube other than the Thompson Center grease, the smell of which always reminded me of finger paints in kindergarten. My maternal grandfather was a great source of historical information on muzzle loaders as that's what he used in his youth. I asked one time about what grease did they use in the old days. He said, "mutton tallow".
Walkingeagle
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What if you filter the bacon grease (warm) through a cloth. Would some salts remain?
Walk
Walk
Sure, that's why tallow is marketed today on shelves across america as a premium salt free leather care.
Think about it,,
I'm not sure. Maybe so.
Spillikins
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I imagine that all the salts would remain.
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Agree. I don't know about the solution with back grease but if you pour salt water through a typical filter it won't remove any salt.
Yes. The salts impregnated the meat and fat.
Today the meat is quick cured and has to remain refrigerated. Old bacon was dry salted then fluid poured off and resalted then fluid poured off again. This went on for several days. After the bacon was smoked and then let hang for several weeks.
In both cases meat and fat was saturated with salt.
Not as heavy in quick cured, you can go from packaging to frying pan. Old bacon had to be soaked in water before frying or it was too salty to eat
Just taste a little of the fat and you can taste the salt
Lard, or tallow fat goes in a cooker raw. As it melts the melted portion is skimmed off leaving pure fat. In the bottom the collagen is left that gave structure to the fat on the animal
I bought beef suet a couple of years back from the local supermarket, and rendered it. mixed it with bees wax and have had no rusting problems.
I've been using bacon grease that I render and strain. I mix it with old candles and a little olive oil. Its greasy, tacky, and doesn't run when its hot outside. I use it on the arbors of my cap n ball revolvers to grease the cylinder. Works pretty well and smells like bacon when its fired!
rafterob
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I have a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics so am familiar with nutritive values. Look up nutrient values for tallow. 0% sodium.
