Sudsy

You asked for more about the homemade peppermint soap I wrote about it in this post, and I am here to serve!  ;-)

My first ever attempt at soapmaking was, in my opinion, a smashing success.  (Such a good way to begin!)

Isn't it perdy?
 
 
I used one of the many wonderful recipes on this (amazing!)  soapmaking site.  This one using Beef Tallow, under recipes with Animal Fats, to be exact; mainly because I didn't have any of the fancy palm oils and such required by other recipes.  I didn't even  have beef tallow- I had a quart jar of sheep tallow given to me by some friends, who had rendered their own from their own sheep.  (Lovely people, they.)

I halved the recipe (because I only had a quart of tallow!) which made 12 bar sized loaves of soap and since I don't have any soap molds at this point, I used bread loaf and gift loaf pans from my kitchen and mini bread loaf pans from my childrens' PLAY kitchen- all lined with plastic wrap. You know you are in too deep when you raid your childrens' play kitchen for supplies.

 



I added peppermint oil to my soap until it smelled good (probably should have measured it in retrospect...she DID have a scent guide, after all.) and then I experimented with coloring.  Since I didn't have any fancy soap colorants, I just used red food coloring.  (I figured if I botched it, I just wouldn't give any away.)

 

I poured some pure white soap into the molds, to be sure we got a few "unmaimed" bars and then experimented with the coloring.  I added it to the bowl and stirred it and (duh!) it made it pink- not swirly.  So I poured it all into molds and to one of them, I added four food coloring drops onto the surface of the "loaf" and then swirled it with a chopstick until the coloring seemed to have reached everywhere.  (Very scientific, I know.)

The result, three different variations on a theme!  Swirly, Pinky, and Pure.

 

The next day, I fully admit to going over and sniffing the bars at random intervals throughout the day. 

I also fully admit to taking my soap with me on visits to show friends.  Lame, but true.

And now, to show you how SERIOUS I am about soapmaking....take a gander over at my "Putting By" list on my sidebar.  Scroll down until you see "OTHER" and what do you see?

I rendered lard.  4 gallons worth.  (I KNOW!)

I totally did.  I put armfuls of pork fat into big pots, melted them and strained them.  Let me tell you, I never thought I would be the kind of girl to render lard.  But, when the butcher shop is giving it away for free and soap-making requires LOTS, what is a girl to do?

And, in case you aren't fully shocked by now-brace yourselves.......ready?
 I fully intend to render Tallow from the beef fat given to me by the selfsame butcher shop. 

Yup,  that's me...the fat renderer.  

And PROUD of it.

And now~ a question for you soap-makers out there, if you please.

Is it normal to see a small film on the top of the soap or is that a sign that something is amiss?  If the latter, what can I do to avoid it in the future?