In September, I wrote a reminder to order your meat for slaughter. We had just ordered our pig when I posted, and it arrived earlier this week.
We moved everything out of the main freezer and filled the other two plus the fridge freezer to the brim thinking that the pig would be massive and take up all sorts of room.
As you can see, it did not.
She forgot to bring the fat so hubby has to work out a way to get it so he can render it to lard… because we still don’t have pounds of lard left from the LAST pig.
My brother took some bacon and my mom wants some stuff. The cost was $2.50# for those wondering. Even though the place is certified organic we choose the natural instead. The organic pricing is a tad too rich for my blood.
For those that are local, we order from Beam Farms. She told us her store was just approved to open, so if you live out by Albion you may want to check it out.
Once I pick up my Zaycone Chicken Breasts I will only need a deal on beef to get us through until next summer. YAY!
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
What is the process for rendering the fat to lard? Is it complicated? We are having a friend raise up a pig for us.
I put the pork fat in water and simmer (NOT BOIL) it until the fat melts.
Then skim the fat-but there has GOT to be a better way.
I hope Mr Ann gives us a hint. (He’s got some really nifty tricks up his sleeve)
It is my goal to get an extra freezer in the next few months so we can order a pig! We have talked about it for awhile now but your post has inspired me to get moving! I like the baskets in your freezer too!
That reminds me, I gotta order some chickens… Enjoy that hog!
Im curious… did you write down how much of each cut you got for your hog? What its weight was before slaughter & what it was afterward? I’d love to know the particulars.
I did not. I did not even unload it – and we already gave a bunch to my brother and mother, so there is not doing it this time. Next year.
Ann
I still wonder if, after factoring the cost of electricity increases for freezer use, stocking a freezer full of anything is worthwhile. I bought a small but newer freezer this summer and since plugging it in my electric bills average about $15-$20 more every month. If I’m spending $180-$240 more a year just to keep my $.88/lb chicken and $1.49/lb beef frozen, doesn’t that mean that my “deal” on these meats just went out the window and I’m actually paying the equivalent of $5/lb for the chicken and about 4-5 times more everything else I have stashed in there? And that doesn’t even factor in the cost of the actual freezer.
I’m thinking about getting rid of my freezer once what’s currently in there is gone. I’m not convinced that keeping a separate and costly appliance running 24/7 is saving me any $$. Anyway, just some thoughts.
Terri we have four freezers – normally three are running at any given time. We will probably take the products out of the basement freezer now and cram them into this chest freezer for better efficiency. Our other two freezers are completely full.
While four is overkill IMO, I’m not sure I could be without at least one extra freezer anymore – you truly do get used to (and therefore utilize), the extra freezer space. You could certainly give it a go and if it doesn’t work out, nothing stops you from buying that second freezer if you decide that is right for you and your family.
Ann
Appreciate the feedback, Ann. I’m sure that for families, a freezer is a convenient essential. I tried it but for just one person, it’s turning out to be not practical. But it was a worthwhile experiment…now I know.
Terri, Are you keeping your freezer completely full? If you have lots of unused space, you are increasing the cost of having that freezer.
Try placing milk jugs (or soda bottles) mostly filled with water to fill up the empty spaces. That’ll keep your freezer motor from running so much.
For me, having a freezer isnt just about keeping inexpensively bought meats cheaply.. Its having the convenience of having many frozen foods at my fingertips, including perishables, home-grown organic veggies, & all sorts of other things that wont fit into a conventional frig/freezer combo.
Same for us Kim – it is wonderful to be able to take advantage of a deal, but it is even better to have the stock on hand and not have to run out when I need something for a recipe.
Ann
Ann,
Just curious. Was the $ 2.50 a lb. for the whole pig before it was butchered? If so, do you have any idea how much it cost per lb. of usable pork? Thanks in advance.
Hanging weight, Precious. I neglected to chart and weigh what came in (hubby and my brother did the unloading), so I have no idea of the actual cost. Like anytime when you buy a whole (or half) animal, some items are more expensive this way, and some are cheaper. Last year we had two crown roasts so that was a tremendous savings (we did not do that this year), and the hams are also a huge savings (all natural remember). We did get to chose a lot of what we wanted like sausage, ground pork, roasts, etc. It is quite a customized process.
Ann
Thanks so much for the info.
Now I’ve dealt with saving bacon grease for various usages. Upfront, never save the grease of pork sausage or pig cooked from a raw state. After saving warm bacon grease and cooling, only use the white part and trash the gelatin, which should be on the bottom. First usage is making a roux for that biscuit and gravy. For a true cream soup, I still prefer a roux made from clarified butter/oleo blend and flour. Next if you want to impress your Holiday guests with a nice piece of beef, especially prime rib, serve Yorkshire Pudding. Use a good quality muffin tin with an oversize sheet pan underneath, pour melted bacon grease to fill each slot about 1/4 inch and place tin/pan in a very hot oven until the grease begin to smoke. Carefully remove from the oven, fill with the Yorkshire Pudding mixture, turn down the oven and cook until the pastry expand. Finally, bacon grease works great and cheaper then veggie oil when a flat grill needs to be clean, which is usually done with a grill brick.
So if you ask, can you take home the hog’s blood. Turn it into blood pudding or some type of sausage.
Ann, I love your site and check it every day for deals!! I don’t usually comment but wondered about the blue dividers you have in your freezer. I have two chest freezers and have a very difficult time keeping things straight. Can you share what they are and where they came from? At present I have found using canvas bags helps keep like things together and I can lift each one out to get at what is underneath. Thanks
Mary
Mary they came with the freezer. I did a quick google search for “freezer chest dividers” and they are available after market. You may want to measure your freezer and then do a search for the dividers.
Ann