Take six pounds of clean grease, six pounds of sal soda, three pounds
of stone lime ; slake the lime and put it into four gallons of soft water✪ Hard Soap ;
add the sal soda and when dissolved let it settle. Pour off the water
into an iron kettle and add the grease melted, and boil. If the soap
does not come after boiling a few minutes, add more soft water till it is
of the consistency of honey. Wet a tub and pour the hot soap into it.
When cold cut it into pieces and lay it away to dry. Always make soap
in an iron kettle.
Or : Put into a tub without paint, three pounds of unslacked lime and
seven pounds of washing soda; pour on these four gallons of boiling
rain water ; stir well and let stand over night ; in the morning dip off
the water as closely as possible, without taking up the sediment ; put
it in a brass kettle and add seven pounds of clean rendered grease ; let
this boil until thick, so that it will not drop from a stick, but string off
in fine threads ; now add, if you wish, one ounce of oil of cinnamon or
sassafras, or any desirable oil for perfume ; turn it out into deep earthen
dishes, wet with cold water to prevent sticking ; next morning turn out
of dish and let stand four weeks to dry ; lay it on several thicknesses
of newspapers or cloth in a dry place and turn occasionally; then cut it
into desired pieces. Upon the remains in the tub pour a pailful of
water ; stir up well and let settle again ; when clear, dip off closely as
before and put in bottles or jugs for washing fluid.
SUN, OR COLD SOAP.
This is made by adding one pound of cleansed grease to each gal-
lon of lye — the lye strong enough to bear up an egg. Set the vessel in
RENOVATING SOAP, 243
the sun and stir thoroughly each day until it is good soap. This gives
it a golden color and produces an excellent soap for washing. It may
be used in washing laces and fine muslins with perfect safety.
To Cleanse Grease. — Place all grease of whatever kind, soup-bone s;
ham-rinds, or any refuse fat in a kettle, with weak lye enough to boil it
until all the particles of fat are extracted ; let it cool, then skim off the
grease, which is now ready to make the sun soap. No grease should
be put away for soap until tried thoroughly.
SOFT, OR BOILED SOAP.
Place the grease in a kettle, filling it only half full; if there is too
much fat it can be skiinmed off after the soap is cold for another kettle
of soap. This is the only test when enough fat is used, as the lye will
consume all that is needed and no more. The kettle should be out of
doors ; build a fire under one side of it, as soap should boil from the
side, and not the middle, or it is likely to boil over. Add lye until the
kettle is full enough, but not too full to boil well. Let it heat very hot,
so as to fry, and stir to prevent burning ; do this before the lye is put
in ; then put in a gallon at a time✪ Soft, or Boiled Soap, and watch closely, or it will boil
over.
Page 215 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Take six pounds of clean grease, six pounds of sal soda, three pounds of stone lime ; slake the lime and put it into four gallons of soft water ; add the sal soda and when dissolved let it settle. Pour off the water into an iron kettle and add the grease melted, and boil. If the soap does not come after boiling a few minutes, add more soft water till it is of the consistency of honey. Wet a tub and pour the hot soap into it. When cold cut it into pieces and lay it away to dry. Always make soap in an iron kettle.
Or : Put into a tub without paint, three pounds of unslacked lime and seven pounds of washing soda; pour on these four gallons of boiling rain water ; stir well and let stand over night ; in the morning dip off the water as closely as possible, without taking up the sediment ; put it in a brass kettle and add seven pounds of clean rendered grease ; let this boil until thick, so that it will not drop from a stick, but string off in fine threads ; now add, if you wish, one ounce of oil of cinnamon or sassafras, or any desirable oil for perfume ; turn it out into deep earthen dishes, wet with cold water to prevent sticking ; next morning turn out of dish and let stand four weeks to dry ; lay it on several thicknesses of newspapers or cloth in a dry place and turn occasionally; then cut it into desired pieces. Upon the remains in the tub pour a pailful of water ; stir up well and let settle again ; when clear, dip off closely as before and put in bottles or jugs for washing fluid.
SUN, OR COLD SOAP.
This is made by adding one pound of cleansed grease to each gallon of lye — the lye strong enough to bear up an egg. Set the vessel in
RENOVATING SOAP, 243
the sun and stir thoroughly each day until it is good soap. This gives it a golden color and produces an excellent soap for washing. It may be used in washing laces and fine muslins with perfect safety.
To Cleanse Grease. — Place all grease of whatever kind, soup-bones; ham-rinds, or any refuse fat in a kettle, with weak lye enough to boil it until all the particles of fat are extracted ; let it cool, then skim off the grease, which is now ready to make the sun soap. No grease should be put away for soap until tried thoroughly.
SOFT, OR BOILED SOAP.
Place the grease in a kettle, filling it only half full; if there is too much fat it can be skiinmed off after the soap is cold for another kettle of soap. This is the only test when enough fat is used, as the lye will consume all that is needed and no more. The kettle should be out of doors ; build a fire under one side of it, as soap should boil from the side, and not the middle, or it is likely to boil over. Add lye until the kettle is full enough, but not too full to boil well. Let it heat very hot, so as to fry, and stir to prevent burning ; do this before the lye is put in ; then put in a gallon at a time, and watch closely, or it will boil over.
Records on this page
Hard SoapSoft, or Boiled Soap