Wife and I left Jr with Grandma for the first time last weekend and went on a bear hunt.

Ended up both killing a nice bear, her a 6'2" boar with no fat at all and me a 5'10" sow that was rolling in clear white fat. We brought the backstraps and hams home to eat like always and having heard about rendering bear fat into lard or oil I brought two big slabs of clean fat off my bear home.

I've searched a little on the web and get the general idea but thought maybe some of you might have some know how you wouldn't mind sharing. Dry method, wet method, not worth the time?

Only a note to say my dad used bear grease for many things, like chapping, sore joints, bruises, etc.

It was forty some years ago. We put six or seven fall bears into the freezer over a couple years. I killed a young sow of about three hundred pounds. About 100 lbs of that was lard.

As I recall, my Mom simply placed chunks of bear fat into a large stock pot and heated gently on an electric range at medium setting.

The oil rendered out as a clear liquid which turned solid at room temp, much like Crisco. After rendering, it stores quite well in the freezer. (freezing slows the chemical decomposition of the oils which causes them to taste rancid)

I do remember, we had the best breads and pies of our lives that year. Nothing is like bear grease for a flaky pie crust!

I've only killed two Black bears but have rendered the fat like Idaho Shooter described, except I used my large cast iron pot.

Low heat and watch it. The fat is great for baking, etc.

Some people use the bear fat on their boots but I don't. I am afraid my dog would eat my boots!

L.W.

Any friends with a lard press? That would increase yield.

Nobody I know with a lard press. I'll chop the chunks up and just melt them down in a big pot I guess. I'll let you know how it shakes out.

My grandma (Dad's mom) always said bear grease made the best lard for baking, and for conditioning leather, as well as a home remedy for any number of aches and pains. They used to use it for all the tack and harnesses on their big Belgiums.

Can't speak to bear grease but when rendering hog lard, put a little water in the pot when starting. Keeps the fat from being scorched at first, and will steam out while the rendering is taking place. Just a little. miles

Never rendered it for human consumption or use, but I've used a lot of it for trapping bait.

A friend got into the habit of just putting it into buckets and sealing them up until use. I think it's a waste and ineffective.

Letting it become rancid in a open container then mixing in sodium benzoate or other preservative to halt the rotting is a much better process and makes for more effective bait.

I've rendered bear lard off 3 of the last 4 we have killed. I use the following:

Propane stove.
Stainless 3 or 4 gallon pot
Cheesecloth
large funnel
quart canning jars, lids and rims
ladle and a wooden spoon
Beer

Put about a quart of water in bottom of the pot. Dice up the bear fat in about 1" cubes and fill pot up about halfway or a little less. Put stove on low heat and let it simmer. Stir it often while it starts to melt.

You'll get a feel for it, but once you get quite a bit of melted lard in the pot, start ladling it out. Put the funnel in the quart jar, double stack cheesecloth in the funnel and ladle it into the funnel. You should get a clear amber fluid in the jar. In a small pot have the lids simmering. Immediately put a lid on the quart jar and screw the rim on.

The next day it should set up and look snow white. The biggest issue I have had is getting the temp too high and scorching the lard. That makes it unuseable for cooking.

Done right, these jars last for years and provide great ingredients for baking as well as leather treatment. Hoping to render more this September. Good luck.

We rendered a couple of gallons off the last ones we killed in ID. We did it more as a lark, but it turned out really well. Our guide said his mother put a little vanilla in hers and that's what she used for baking. My dad plans on using it for black powder patch lube since no one else in OK will have any. Conversation starter I guess....

As long as you keep the temp LOW it shouldn't be any different than rendering beef, hog, sheep, deer or nearly any other animal fat. Keep an eye on it and stir often.

Your dad just thinks he'll be the only one. I'll be there by muzzle loader season and might just bring my bear grease with me;)

Renedered some years ago.

Go slow, OUTSIDE!!!
Best leather treatment known to man.

Haha, I guess I should say the only one he knows of. I've been looking for some empty Chapstick tubes to pour some up in for "gifts".

I did the same way only I added beeswax to some and used it on my leather for about a year.

The straight stuff makes for excellent pastry

I remember someone (I think probably Mr. Darling) telling Sheriff Andy Taylor that he sure could render.

And to terrorist muzzies, a bear greased bullet would be just as terrifying as bacon grease.

One is just as unclean as the other.

Well I'm done rendering down my lard. The house smells like Granny's house did on bean day when she was frying taters in a dollop of lard and I have a couple jars of the most beautiful wonderful smelling lard I've ever seen. I dipped a finger in it when I was putting it in the jars and it is almost completely tasteless as far as I can tell, sure smells good though. Haven't worked up the courage to eat any of the cracklins yet but they look awfully good, maybe I'll dust them with cajun seasoning and try them out.

On the beeswax mix, I think in ended up 4 parts lard to 1 part beeswax before I got it a point that you could actually spread it. The beeswax really hardened up the mix in ratios lower than that.

Congrats on a successful rendering. It will keep a very long time.