|
Long ago, soap making was not considered an artform, but a necessity.
Our ancestors usually made soap in the fall after the fall butchering,
when they had plenty of fat from their hogs. They cooked the fat down
to make lard. To the lard, they added lye which was made from wood ash.
Our ancestors then cooked and cooked this concoction outside in a large
kettle over a fire until it began to harden. The whole process took a
very long time, but was necessary for the cleanliness of the family
until the next soapmaking day, which was usually a whole year away.
This soap wasn't just used to keep hands clean...it was used for
everything. Housewives used the lye soap to wash their dishes, clothes,
floors, windows, and even their babies. The soap surprisingly was not
as harsh as some people of today believe.
Getting Started
There are several things you need to know before you begin your soapmaking experience.
* Lye which you can either make yourself from woodash, or purchase
at a grocery store,is very irritating to the skin and can do severe
damage to eyes and throats. Use extreme caution when using lye, aways
keeping it away from children. You should use rubber gloves and saftey
glasses when using lye. Follow the directions on the back of the lye
box on how to handle lye. Red Devil is a popular brand of lye.
You can also make your own lye by pouring water over wood ashes
and saving the biproduct--lye water. The lye water is then added to fat
to make soap.
* Although lard is the main ingredient in soap, one can
successfully substitute other oils to use in its place. Possible
substitutions for lard can be sunflower, canola, or just vegetable
oil.(I have found that soap made from oil is greasier than that made of
lard.) Lard can be purchased at a grocery store or a butcher shop.
* The utensils you use in soapmaking should be saved for soapmaking
use only and should not be use thereafter for food purposes. This goes
for the kettle you cook the soap in too, although I have used my
enamelware canning kettle to can in after using it for soapmaking...I
gave it a good scrubbing, of course.
You must not use metal pans and utensils,like
aluminum,iron,tin,or teflon for soap making. You can use cast iron (as
in a kettle, if you are making it outside over a fire)or
enamelware,stoneware,wood, glass or plastic.
* Always add lye to cold water. Not vise-versa.Remember to stir
slowly to avoid splashes. The water will start heating up once the lye
is added, due to a chemical reaction.Afterwards, pour the lye solution
into the fat, once again stirring slowly.
* Chunks in your bar soap is caused by the separation of the lye
and the lard. The chunks are the fat. If this happens, melt the mixture
and add a cup of water at a time, until the mixture is thick and syrupy
again.
* You can make your own soap molds out of a rag-lined box or glass
cake pans or casseroles. Simply slice the bars with a knife after the
soap has cured for a week.
Soap Recipes
Boiled Soap No.1 For cooking outdoors in a kettle.
32 pounds lard
16 quarts soft water
8 cans lye
Boil 2 hours and then add 1 more gallon of water.Stir and remove fire from kettle and pour into molds.
Boiled Soap No.2
2 gallons of soft water
1 can lye
5 pounds lard
Heat the fat. In a separate container, add lye to water. Add the lye water to the fat and cook for 2 hours.
Cold Soap No. 1
6 lbs melted fat
1 can lye
2 1/2 pints water
Add lye to water and dissolve. When container which holds the lye water
is warm, add the fat and stir until cool. Pour into a cloth lined box,
or a box that has been dipped in cold water, and cover. Cut soap into
squares when set.
Cold Soap No.2
1 cup fat
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 T. lye
1 T. powdered borax (optional)
1 T. ammonia (optional)
Melt fat. In a separate container,add borax and ammonia to lye. Add
lye( with the borax and ammonia in it) to water. Then, add the lye
solution to the fat. Beat with an egg beater for 20 minutes.
Cold Soap No.3
1 can lye
2 1/2 pints of cold water
5 1/2 pounds lard
Dissolve lye in water and set aside until temperature is less than 80
degrees. Melt the fat and set aside until temperature is 115 degrees.
Very slowly pour dissolved lye into fat. Stir until it thickens, and
pour into mold.
Safety concerns about soapmaking (from a reenactment location soap maker):
* Lye is extremely caustic!
* Safety equipment- The maker should be wearing safety glasses, gloves and long sleeves.
* Young children and pets have no place around the lye process!
When the time for adding water and lye, it is VITAL that cold water is
used and that the lye is added to the water, not the other way around!
* One should never mix anything in (like borax) directly into the
lye water! It should be added after the lye is mixed into the fat
(again not the other way around!) There is a delicate chemical reaction
that takes place between the lye and the fats. Both the fat and the lye
should be 100 degrees (+/- 5 ) before mixing them together. When cold
water is added to lye, it heats up instantly (another chemical
reaction) to around 225+ degrees! A cold water bath can help in the
cooling process.
* Never walk around with lye! Inside ventilation is sufficient
(open a nearby window) and I myself never use a glass container to mix
lye! The instant heat caused by the reaction could crack the jar
leaving the holder with caustic lye all over! I use a sturdy pitcher
with a lid labeled lye(like Tupperware).
* Adding other materials- If you add any EO's(essential oils),
perfume (careful, flammable!) or coloring,it is best not to add them at
this stage! The lye and high heat at this point would evaporate most of
the smell or colorant.The place for this is after it has cured(dried)
for approximately 2 weeks
* Milling the soap- (Again be cautious of touching the soap too
soon, the lye is still present until fully dry!). The process is called
Milling and the maker would grate the soap with a cheese grater, then
remelt it over low/medium heat with enough water to maker it liquefy
and then add the EO's and coloring. Then let dry for another two weeks
or until completely dry.
Please consider these safety measures, especially if you're doing this project with your children!
|
We're excited to be able to partner