How We Render Our Tallow

At Hearth & Acres, we don't purchase pre-rendered tallow. We start with raw beef suet and carefully render it ourselves using a multi-step process that includes wet rendering, filtration, overnight purification, and a minimum of two dry renders. Every batch is prepared by hand on our Queensland acreage before becoming part of our skincare range.

Rendering tallow is a traditional process, but we take several extra steps to ensure our tallow is as clean and stable as possible before it becomes part of our products.

Starting With Suet

We use beef suet, the fat found around the kidneys and loins. Suet is prized for producing a firm, clean tallow and has been used for generations in both cooking and skincare.

We believe that starting with quality ingredients is important, which is why we carefully source our suet and oversee the rendering process ourselves.

Step 1: Wet Rendering

Our process begins with a traditional wet render using water and salt.

The suet is cut into smaller pieces before being added to the rendering pot. Salt is then added as part of the purification process.

During the wet render, we use an immersion blender to increase the surface area of the suet. This helps the fat render more efficiently and improves overall yield.

The mixture is heated slowly, allowing the fat to separate from connective tissue and other impurities without scorching.

As the tallow cools, many water-soluble impurities are drawn into the water layer rather than remaining in the fat. The salt helps these impurities separate from the tallow, and as the rendered fat solidifies, the impurities settle with the water beneath the tallow cake.

Importantly, the salt is used only as part of the purification process and is not intentionally retained in the finished tallow.

Step 2: Filtering and Recovering Every Last Drop

Once the fat has rendered, it is carefully strained through cloth to separate the liquid tallow from the remaining solids.

Rather than discarding the solids immediately, we carefully press and squeeze them to recover as much tallow as possible. This helps maximise yield and ensures we make the most of every batch of suet.

The remaining solids, often called cracklings, still contain small amounts of protein and connective tissue. Rather than sending them to waste, they are fed to our chickens.

We believe in using what we can and wasting as little as possible throughout the process.

Step 3: Overnight Separation

After filtering, the liquid tallow is refrigerated overnight.

As the tallow cools and solidifies, the fat naturally separates from the water and any remaining impurities. The impurities settle beneath the hardened tallow, making them easier to identify and remove.

The following day, we:

• Remove the tallow from its container
• Dry the outside thoroughly
• Scrape away any impurities from the bottom
• Inspect the inside carefully for any remaining imperfections

Only then does the tallow move on to the dry rendering stage.

Step 4: Dry Rendering

The cleaned tallow is then returned to gentle heat for dry rendering.

We perform a minimum of two dry renders, often more if needed. During each render, we bring the temperature to approximately 95°C to help remove any remaining moisture and produce a clean, stable tallow suitable for skincare.

After each render, the tallow is cooled and assessed. If there are any signs of remaining moisture, the process is repeated.

Rather than rushing the process, we continue with additional short dry renders until we are satisfied that the tallow is clean, stable, and free from residual moisture.

Why We Go To This Effort

Removing moisture is one of the most important steps in producing a stable tallow.

Water can affect both the consistency and longevity of the finished tallow. By wet rendering, refrigerating overnight, inspecting for impurities, and completing a minimum of two dry renders, we create a tallow that meets our standards before it becomes part of our skincare range.

This process takes considerably longer than a simple one-pass render, but we believe the extra time and attention are worthwhile.

A Slow, Traditional Process

Rendering tallow properly takes time, patience, and attention to detail.

It's not the quickest way to make skincare, but we believe knowing exactly how our tallow is prepared and taking responsibility for every step of the process, is worth the extra effort.

We also believe in making the most of what we have. The tallow is carefully recovered, the remaining cracklings are fed to our chickens, and every batch is prepared with the intention of minimising waste.

Every jar begins long before the pouring, whipping, and labelling. It starts here, with carefully rendered tallow, prepared by hand, using a traditional process and made with care on our Queensland acreage.