When it comes to storing tallows, there seems to be a fair bit of confusion as to whether or not it needs to be refrigerated. Some people say that it absolutely must be kept cold, while others maintain that it can be stored at room temperature. So, what’s the truth? Does tallow need to be refrigerated?
No, tallow does not need to be refrigerated. It can be stored in a cool, dry place. This means that it can be stored in a pantry or cupboard. But you must read this complete information to get more idea about storing tallow.
Table of Contents
What Does Tallow Contain?
Most people have an impression that fat of any kind is bad for their health. But that is partially true. Because there are two types of fat-saturated and unsaturated. The saturated one is a kind that our body requires to stay fit and healthy and also to boost our immunity. As the tallow contains a good amount of saturated fat, then your body also requires that. Besides, you may find in tallow the cancer-fighting CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), heart-healthy omega-3’s, Vitamin A, Vitamin B12, Vitamin K2, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Selenium, etc. All these work in different ways to keep your health and mind fit.
What Are the Benefits of Tallow?
1. The beef tallow is enriched with so many nutrients that there would be no end to its benefits. Such as, fighting against cancer, preventing weight gain, protecting heart ailments, and also supplying anti-oxidants.
2. Apart from health care there are some other benefits that certainly will grow your interest. It contains stearic acid that helps to repair damaged skin. Besides, it can be used as a perfect skin moisturizer. Moreover, it protects your skin from eczema, sunburn, windburn, acne, etc.
3. This is not the end, you can use tallow for a deep conditioning treatment for your hair. In recent days, the tallow shampoo bar is popularly used by many persons who are already aware of its benefits.
Realizing the benefits, I know if any of you who don’t have much previous idea about tallow certainly will go for owning it. But as it is not a thing for one-time use, then obviously you’ll be looking to store it for a longer time. As for storing the first thing that certainly will come to your mind is refrigeration. Let’s see-
Does Tallow Need To Be Refrigerated?
Although most of the organic compounds are tend to get bad after some time, tallow has a different story. You can let it in a container for months. Keeping it in a refrigerator is entirely your personal choice. This idea can be followed by those who want to maintain its quality for months. Even if you’re considering storing it for years then keeping it in a freezer would be a better idea. But if you have to use it quite frequently, then you should leave the tallow in a covered container on the kitchen counter at a normal temperature just keeping away from direct sunlight.
But before you go to think seriously about storing tallows, you have to learn about the preparation of beef tallow. Usually preparing tallows requires any beef tissue that has fat. Especially, fats around the kidney are the better ones for this purpose.
Also read: Does Snack Pack Pudding Need to Be Refrigerated?
How To Make Beef Tallow?
Although tallows can be produced from mutton or lamb pieces, most people like to have beef tallow and for that reason, it is considered the most preferred and used tallow so far. Now let’s see the process-
- Preheat the oven to 248 degrees farenhite.
- Take the stake of fat and cut them into small pieces so that it will properly melt.
- Now put all the pieces into a large pan and sprinkle some salt over them.
- Cover the lid of the pan and place it in the oven for 2-3 hours. In this way, the water from the fat evaporates and the fats can break down easily.
- By this time the fat will meltdown.
- Strain out the fat jelly bits using a strainer.
- Finally, take a cheesecloth to strain the fat again.
In this way, the beef tallow has been made. You can enjoy it any day, anytime with any of your meals. Even if you don’t have an oven, still you’ll manage to prepare tallow using your stove. Here, you have to keep the fats at a low temperature and you have to stir the fats about every ½ an hour so that you can get the desired result.
Taste, Smell, & Color
Suppose you’re yet to start using tallows while preparing dishes all by yourself. Then you should have a clear conception of what tallow adds to your dish. As the beef tallow has its own wonderful and savory flavor, it is excellent an ingredient for frying and sautéing dishes.
There are two ways of preparing tallows- the dry method and the wet method. If you adopt the first one then the fat releases a meaty smell as it starts burning a little after getting hotter. This is quite OK for cooking. But if it is the wet method the moderate heat leaves the tallow odorless which is better for skincare and soap making.
The color of the tallow depends upon the type of animal from which the fats have been extracted. If it is beef tallow, then the tallow will be white in color. That’s why, if you don’t want to add some extra color to your dishes, then you have to select the beef tallow for sure.
Also read: Does Soylent Need to Be Refrigerated?
The Matters of Concern
So far we have discussed all the good sides of using tallow. But some bad things may be troubled you while using it. For instance, if any of your cosmetics are made of cow tallow and if the cow was suffering from ‘mad cow disease’ then the cosmetic should be avoided. But it is not possible to know about the raw material. In that case, you should go with the reputed brand as they always maintain the quality of their product for your satisfaction. Furthermore, the local brand or homemade tallow cosmetics have too much impurity such as cowhide may damage your skin. So you have to be careful about the product for sure.
It is commonly believed that taking saturated fat is not good for your health. But this is the wrong perception about it. Therefore, as tallow contains saturated fat, it can be added to your dishes.
FAQ
1. Can tallow be stored at room temperature?
It is possible to store tallow at room temperature, but it is important to keep it covered and away from direct sunlight to keep the fat safe from rancid smells and flavorings.
2. Is tallow good for your face?
There is no definitive answer to this question as people’s skin types and reactions vary. Some people report that using tallow on their faces has improved the texture and helped keep their skin hydrated.
However, there are also those who say that it can be too harsh for their sensitive skin. So, before trying out tallow in this particular way, you should consult a professional to see if it would be beneficial for your individual case.
Final Words
Finally, I’ve come to an end of this discussion, if you’re a health-conscious certainly prefer to take nutritious and healthy foods then tallow is good for you. You can use it as one of the ingredients to prepare different delicious dishes without making any harm to your health. So, it’s time to say Good-Bye. Stay well and keep fit.