How to make tallow balm

What is tallow?

Tallow is rendered suet (aka leaf) fat of ruminant animals like sheep and cows. Suet is the nutrient dense fat that surrounds the animals organs, typically harvested from the kidneys and loins. Tallow has a multitude of benefits, and many people like to use it as a balm or moisturizer. It’s really easy to make tallow, it just takes time! Here’s how we make our Tallow Balm.

How to Render Tallow

I usually start with 2.5-3.5 lbs of cold beef suet. You can get beef suet from a butcher or locker, or even from a local beef farmer.

1. Cut your cold beef suet into small pieces (you can run it through the food processor if you want, but I usually just use a large, sharp kitchen knife).

2. Place your tallow in a crockpot and add about 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt. (It doesn’t have to be completely exact, but I usually use 2 cups of water for every 2.5 lbs of suet).

3. Simmer on low for around 6-8 hours or until most of the tallow has liquified. Don’t be alarmed, on your first render the suet may not completely liquify; in fact mine never has. It will typically look like this the photo to the right, with clumps.

4. Let cool for several minutes before straining it through a cheesecloth into a large mixing bowl. Remember, on your first render you will have quite a few beef bits to strain out! I even like to put a colander in my bowl, and then place the cheese cloth on top so the cheese cloth is held open while I pour the tallow in. Then, only on the first render, I squeeze the cheesecloth to get out all the tallow I possibly can from the bigger clumps. It’s super important that you let the tallow cool first so you don’t burn yourself (like I have!). I have also found using a large spoon to press the clumps down has also sped this process up. This is the most taxing part of the tallow making process!

5. Place the liquified tallow in the refrigerator and allow it to solidify completely and separate from the water. I have found it’s best to leave it in your refrigerator overnight, for a full separation.

6. Once solid, remove the solid tallow cake from the waste water. Then scrape the bottom of the tallow to further remove impurities. You will see there are some waste bits at the bottom that you’ll want to scrape or cut off.

7. You will want to repeat these steps two more times. You will notice that upon each render it will take less and less time to liquify. It will be tempting to stop after your second render, but three renders really allows for a uniform and unscented tallow! After three renders your tallow is ready to be made into soap or whipped tallow balm.

Turning rendered tallow into whipped tallow balm

Depending on how much beef suet you use will determine your yield of rendered tallow. Use the following ratios for making whipped tallow balm, but know you can also adjust it as you see fit.

Ratios:

• 4 cups of rendered tallow

• 1 cup of oil (You can use jojoba, Aragon or olive oil – we use coconut oil)

• optional: 2 tsp of desired essential oils (if you are trying to make a scented balm. We don’t add any essential oils because they can sometimes cause breakouts or reactions.)

Instructions:

1. Remove your cooled tallow cake from the mixing bowl, scrape off impurities on the bottom, if any, and then cut into smaller sections to accommodate the pan/dutch/crockpot you will be using to reheat it.

2. Heat tallow on low until liquified. This should only take 20-40 minutes.

3. Remove it from heat and add 1 cup of oil and approx. 2 tsp of desired essential oils for every 4 cups of melted tallow. Stir well and until it is mixed fully. Since we use coconut oil, it can take some stirring to allow the coconut oil to dissolve completely.

4. Let tallow re-solidify. Once solid, use a mixer and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy (approx. 1 to 2 minutes). Once whipped to desired texture, use a small spatula or piping bag to transfer into jars.

5. Enjoy your no waste homemade whipped tallow balm!

Render #1: Cut Up Beef Suet

Render #1: View After Cooking For 8 Hours

Render #2: Cut Up Tallow

Whipped Tallow

Tips from a Fellow Tallow Balm Maker:

Here are a few tips and tricks that I have found helpful while making tallow balm:

• Each render will take less and less time. It seems like the first render takes 8-9 hours, the second only takes 4-6 hours, and the third is typically only 2-3 hours. But what takes the longest amount of time is allowing that tallow to solidify completely before your next render. Because of this, I have found making tallow over 3 days is best. Here is my typical tallow rendering schedule:

  • Day 1: Render 1, chill tallow in fridge overnight

  • Day 2: Render 2, chill tallow in fridge overnight

  • Day 3: Redner 3 early in the day, chill tallow in fridge for 4-5 hours, and complete whipped tallow balm section in the evening

• Making tallow can quickly become a messy affair. I always make sure that I have plenty of clean towels all over the kitchen when making tallow balm, because it can get messy quickly.

• Piping tools help. When I pipe the tallow into jars, I have found it’s easy to put my piping bag in a large, tall glass while I scoop it into the piping bag to hold the bag upright. Maybe you are more coordinated than me, but I am unable to scoop the light + fluffy tallow balm into the piping bag with just one hand! [show photo]

• There are other ways to cook suet. If you are able and want to, you can make tallow on the stove in a large stock pot on low heat instead of a crockpot. I have always used a crock pot because it allows me to start it and not worry about leaving it unattended.

If you are looking for a more natural skincare routine, then it might be time to give tallow a try!

And if you’re not interested in making your own but you still want to try tallow balm, you can get Touchberry Farm + Garden’s Tallow Balm at Dan and Debbie’s Creamery, or you can even add it to your home delivery order, or ship it! 

Disclaimer

Even products that contain all natural ingredients, can cause skin reactions in susceptible individuals. If you have sensitive skin, please do a patch test before use. If use causes an adverse skin reaction, then discontinue use immediately.

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