Tallow Balm and Lotion Bars

I wrote last week about receiving some hamburger from Bennion Beef in exchange for a couple of food storage recipes featuring ground beef that owner Alan Mitchell could post on their blog.  And when he brought the beef to my table that day, I was thrilled to find so much more in that box.  Specifically the tallow.

I know that seems all wrong.  Premium ground beef and beef bacon should have been the stuff getting me excited.  I know Aaron was. 

But I’ve been having difficulty sourcing the tallow.  I mean, other than the commercial stuff going for $10 per pint jar in the baking aisle. 

So yes, I admit it, the tallow twitterpated me much more than the hamburger and bacon.  Call me crazy.

I think Alan had using the tallow in food preparation in mind, probably for sautéing, when he gave it to me.  But he didn’t explicitly express that request.  So I am taking liberties.  I have other oils that sauté quite well.  What I lack is tallow for making lotion.

Now, lotion is important for protecting the integrity of the skin.  Dry, chapped skin invites infection and irritation.  Our TEOTWAWKI dance cards are already nearly full without extending additional party invitations to skin irritations and infections due to dry, chapped skin. 

I’ve used commercial lotions in the past that didn’t last long in moisturizing my skin.  I’ve stored lotions that separated and couldn’t be mixed together again.  And that’s where using tallow comes in.  I’ve been making lotion bars for a few years now, and I love the way they feel and the way they last so long. 

And because I had already blogged about using tallow to make lotion bars, I went looking for any other recipes. 

I couldn’t find much.  The recipe I already use and posted here, as well as one more for making tallow balm.  Be it known that I also searched the NCBI database for any research or clinical trials on the use of tallow for skin issues.  A few scant references in the past couple of years suggest interest in the topic.  The best article on the topic focused on mutton tallow. 

Internet testimonials, however, proclaim it will cure almost everything that ails you, skin-wise at least.

Many women swear by tallow balm for diaper rash, eczema, sunburn, acne, and even as an anti-aging face cream.

Tallow Balm

1 cup tallow

¼ cup olive oil

48 drops essential oils, optional

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the tallow.  Stir in the olive oil and essential oils.  Pour into a glass jar and store in a cool, dark place.

I got to thinking that I might like adding calendula to the lotion bars, and so I used the calendula oil I infused last fall.

Here’s the recipe for the tallow lotion bars:

Tallow-Calendula Lotion Bars

1 cup tallow

1 cup calendula-infused coconut oil

1 cup beeswax pastilles

In a double boiler over medium heat, melt the tallow, calendula-infused coconut oil, and beeswax.  Pour into tins or dark glass jars.  Label and store in a cool, dark place.

 

I commented to Ellie, the daughter who married a cattle rancher, that this tallow was rather yellow, wondering if I had done something wrong.  And now that she’s got a bit of experience in the beef-raising world, she informed me that the tallow from grass-fed beef will be yellow due to the greater amount of carotenoids.  If you want white tallow, that comes from grain-finished beef.

In case you need a source for tallow, here’s the contact info for Bennion Beef:

Alan Mitchell

Bennionbeef@gmail.com

Bennionbeef.com

435 841 7070

Links to related posts:

How to Render Tallow  

Lotion Bars