Merry Christmas.....and a batch of Cracklins :)

I'm definitely going to have a white Christmas this year. :)  Not sure of the exact measurements but it looks like around 10 to 12 inches of snow hit the ground a couple of days ago.  It's pretty and fluffy.....haven't had the chance to get out and enjoy it but maybe I'll do that Christmas Day.

Been under the weather with a flu bug this last week but before that hit I was able to get some pork put up, lard rendered and cracklins made.

Had a nice bone in back loin section from one of the hampshire pigs in the freezer. Cut it down, trimmed the fat, cubed some meat for the canner (made freezer space for my giant chickens and venison).

separated the tenderloin out...

separated the meat from the bones...

cut a few chops and cubed the rest for canning...

added garlic, onion and beef bouillon to each jar....

Wiped the jar rims with white vinegar to remove any pork or fat residue...

Into the pressure canner....
Times and pressures are different for each area, check your canner instructions for your area..

The canned pork will keep for several years on the shelf. 

Back to the fat... I had a combination of two bags of fat which were in the freezer.
I cubed the fat for even rendering....

Added 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the huge pot.  My stove burner is pretty hot on the low setting, so I inverted a cast iron skillet over the burner, then placed my lard pot on top to disperse the heat evenly. ( didn't think to take a pic)

Then let the fat cook over low, stirring often...

When the cracklins rise to the top and stop bubbling or foaming, they are ready to remove..

Strain the hot lard through cheesecloth, save the cracklins for later.  Pour the hot lard into clean jars.

Wipe the jar rims well, top with a clean lid...

Invert the jars for 5 minutes to seal the lids.

Sprinkle the cracklins with a little bit of salt and dive in. :)

When the lard cools, I store it in my cellar. Canned this way, it will keep at least 5 years but I use it up faster than that. 

A friend mentioned the other day that he was going to buy himself a Christmas gift.  I thought that sounded like a good idea and tried to think of something I could buy for myself.
After several days of "thinkin'" , I couldn't come up with one thing that I really needed or wanted.
I feel blessed with what I have.
For me, Christmas isn't about Hallmark cards or the latest gadgets.
I think I'll spend Christmas Day outside, enjoying the fresh air. Maybe I'll make a snow angel or two. Hmmmm... snow ice cream sounds like the perfect ending to what ever Christmas dinner I come up with.  :)


Hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas!!  Give your loved ones hugs and kisses while you have them cornered! :)