Lard from 2009 - toss?

[jeromedawg]

Hey all,

Was digging through the fridge and found an old partially used block of Farmer John Lard from 2009 lol. I originally bought it to season the cast iron pans I had gotten back then. Should I get rid of it? Or should/can I use it to re-season the pans?

[Goldielocks]

If it smells ok when melted, I would have ZERO problem using it for seasoning pans. 

[jeromedawg]

If it smells ok when melted, I would have ZERO problem using it for seasoning pans.

What is it supposed to smell like? It's been a while haha

[Goldielocks]

It should smell like -- nothing... no strong odors.

[aspiringnomad]

I've got no idea, but I'd imagine it's gone bad by now.

As an aside, I love this post - seems like the type of post a reporter would pick up on to support a narrative about the community here: "Mustachians, as Pete calls his loyal band of followers, are incredibly active on the site's forum where they share their frugality wisdom on topics ranging from passive investing to whether 8 year old lard is still edible."

[jeromedawg]

It should smell like -- nothing... no strong odors.

Doesn't lard have a particular smell to it though? When I smell it, it smells like...lard? Hahahaha I don't know... I just remember when I was baking it while doing the initial seasoning it smelled interesting. When I smelled it out of the fridge it smelled similar to how I recall it smelling but it's been so long too. Maybe I should just toss it to be safe.

I've got no idea, but I'd imagine it's gone bad by now.

As an aside, I love this post - seems like the type of post a reporter would pick up on to support a narrative about the community here: "Mustachians, as Pete calls his loyal band of followers, are incredibly active on the site's forum where they share their frugality wisdom on topics ranging from passive investing to whether 8 year old lard is still edible."

Hey, I'm just trying to stretch my dollar (or cent) on this thing... "8 years and still running strong!" :D

[yachi]

You could drill 1.5" to 2" holes in a small log, fill with lard and seed mixture, and hang it out for the birds.

[former player]

Try melting a little of it, the taste and smell will reveal whether it is rancid or not.  If not rancid, safe to use.  (Probably if rancid, still safe to use but you wouldn't want to.  I've no idea whether heating it up to a sufficient temperature for a sufficient period would get rid of the rancid, but I suspect not.)

[MayDay]

If it's been refrigerated the whole time I bet it is fine.

[Dicey]

If it's been refrigerated the whole time I bet it is fine.

+1, as long as it doesn't smell rancid. How can you tell if it's rancid? If it is, you'll know instantly.

[SummerLovin]

I'm pretty confident that if it's been in the fridge it's still ok for seasoning pans.  I'd be hesitant to use it for cooking, but in the Mustachian spirit, here's a link for uses of rancid lard! Have to love preppers:)
http://www.survivopedia.com/the-many-uses-of-animal-fats/

[chemistk]

Lard, or really any fat that hasn't already been used yet (not butter - that's not pure fat!) is shelf-stable for years. Why? The moisture level will never be high enough to allow microbial growth. As far as quality/taste - that depends on how it was stored. As the fat is exposed to light or oxygen, the fatty acids begin to oxidize and produce chemical byproducts (not really harmful) that cause what most people to call rancidity. Ever open a container of really old peanut or other liquid oil and it has an odor that smells kind of like paint? Those are the byproducts of oxidation.

Lard and other solid fats have more saturated fatty acids, which (while not being as healthy) tend not to oxidize and form those byproducts.

I would heat a tablespoon of it in a pan until it melts and then take a sniff. If you can't really smell anything unpalatable I'd probably use it as if it were new.

[radram]

Lard, or really any fat that hasn't already been used yet (not butter - that's not pure fat!) is shelf-stable for years. Why? The moisture level will never be high enough to allow microbial growth. As far as quality/taste - that depends on how it was stored. As the fat is exposed to light or oxygen, the fatty acids begin to oxidize and produce chemical byproducts (not really harmful) that cause what most people to call rancidity. Ever open a container of really old peanut or other liquid oil and it has an odor that smells kind of like paint? Those are the byproducts of oxidation.

Lard and other solid fats have more saturated fatty acids, which (while not being as healthy) tend not to oxidize and form those byproducts.

I would heat a tablespoon of it in a pan until it melts and then take a sniff. If you can't really smell anything unpalatable I'd probably use it as if it were new.

+1 Just adding that if the smell is fine, you might just as well drop an egg in that solid/liquid goodness.

[Goldielocks]

It should smell like -- nothing... no strong odors.

Doesn't lard have a particular smell to it though? When I smell it, it smells like...lard? Hahahaha I don't know... I just remember when I was baking it while doing the initial seasoning it smelled interesting. When I smelled it out of the fridge it smelled similar to how I recall it smelling but it's been so long too. Maybe I should just toss it to be safe.

I've got no idea, but I'd imagine it's gone bad by now.

As an aside, I love this post - seems like the type of post a reporter would pick up on to support a narrative about the community here: "Mustachians, as Pete calls his loyal band of followers, are incredibly active on the site's forum where they share their frugality wisdom on topics ranging from passive investing to whether 8 year old lard is still edible."

Hey, I'm just trying to stretch my dollar (or cent) on this thing... "8 years and still running strong!" :D

Okay =, I just went to smell my fats... as I had no idea what it should smell like.

Lard, Butter, Crisco Shortening, Margarine, Canola Oil, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil.   

The lard had the least smell of all of these, (Although, not fair to canola oil, because I was probably just smelling onion hands residue on the outside of the bottle).   Butter and olive oil had the strongest smells, by far.

I keep lard at room temperature for over a year and it is always fine.   I would guess, if sealed in the fridge, it would last a very long time indeed.