Home Made Soap

This is the basic home made soap recipe.

I found the instructions for making soap in The Australian Earth Garden’s Self- Sufficiency Handbook on page 324 - very handy over the years.

Use plastic buckets and a wooden spoon and wear rubber gloves and have some vinegar or lemon juice handy in the event of splashes.

Ingredients

One kilo of soft lard at 26 - 29oC

Lye solution

Method

In a well ventilated place into a plastic bucket, pour seven cups of water and add 360 gram of caustic soda.

Gently stir and make sure you don’t breathe in the fumes.

Allow to cool down to 21- 24oC

Slowly in a thin stream, pour the lye solution into the fat and keep stirring until the mixture starts to thicken.

Pour the contents into a plastic or wooden tray mould and allow to cool.

That evening make score marks to marks the bars of soap.

The next morning retrace the score marks and lift and stack the bars of home made soap in an airy spot for at least four to six weeks before using.