Rendering the Tallow

• 1). Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
  
  
• 2). Put the tallow into the roasting pan and place in the oven for more than 45 minutes until it is completely melted. The tallow just begins to melt after 45 minutes, so keep checking the tallow until it is completely melted.
  
  
• 3). Put the peeled potato in the bottom of the pot. When the tallow is melted, strain the tallow through a fine sieve into the pot. Boil for 60 minutes and remove the potato.
  
  

Making the Soap

• 1). Pour the tallow into the one-and-a-half qt. glass or ceramic container.
  
  
• 2). Put on rubber gloves and safety goggles. Weigh out the lye and put it in a container.
  
  
• 3). Put the cold distilled water in a stainless-steel pan or glass container and take it outside along with the measured lye and the long spoon.
  
  
• 4). Stand upwind as you pour the lye into the water and stir until the lye is completely dissolved. The lye will get very hot and release vapors. Always add lye to water, never water to lye, as this may cause a small explosion and lye particles will go everywhere.
  
  
• 5). Go back inside and pour the lye mixture over the oil and tallow. Stir once every 20 minutes for the next couple of hours, ensuring that the tallow is melted with the lye. You will know it is ready to set when it has a thick honey-like texture. Make sure that your soap molds are ready to be filled.
  
  
• 6). Put your stirring utensil upright into the mixture. If it takes a minute to fall over or if it remains upright, your soap is ready to mold. If it is not ready to mold, keep stirring once every 20 minutes for the next couple of hours. It should be ready within 24 hours.
  
  
• 7). Pour the soap into soap molds. Allow them to sit for at least a week before turning the soap from the mold.
  
  
• 8). Turn out your soap from the molds onto wax paper and allow to dry for a further two weeks.