How Do You Make Grandmas Lye Soap?
In the old days, soap was the ultimate recycled product. Grandma extracted lye from wood ashes, mixed it with animal fat, and created a product that she used for cleaning pots, washing laundry and giving baths. You can recreate Grandma’s classic soap recipe with the help of a few modern ingredients. Measure 5 cups cold water into a large plastic pitcher. Wearing gloves and safety glasses carefully pour 12 oz. lye into water and stir until fully dissolved. Mixture will get hot. Allow to cool to about 75 degrees. Heat 5 pounds 10 oz. of lard in a large stainless steel pot over low heat until lard is completely melted. Allow the melted lard to cool gradually, stirring occasionally, until it is approximately 80 to 85 degrees. Very slowly, pour the lye solution into the melted lard while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the soap starts to thicken to the consistency of cooked pudding. This may take about 20 to 30 minutes. Pour soap into a large plastic-lined rectangular pan. Cove
