Bear fat recipe

[Chocktaw Brave]

I think it might be the fact that I added water to the crockpot when I was cooking it. Maybe it mixed in with it, and now what I’m getting is the separation.

Spring bear season is coming up, I’ve got a friend of mine who is going to save me some bare fat. Even though the spring bears don’t have that much fat on them, he is able to get a bunch of it.
I’m going to try it next time without any water at all.

The batch I just did as my first one and I had no idea what I was doing.

[David G]

One of the keys to rendering bear fat, especially if you don't do it in water, is LOW heat, the lowest possible.  Once rendered and stored in jars or containers, liquid oil will separate from the white grease. The lower the heat used in melting the fat, the more liquid oil produced.  It is this oil that makes such an excellent patch lube that stays soft even in cold temps.  I wouldn't mix with beeswax for use in blackpowder muzzleloaders, use it straight.  ...Where I DO mix it with beeswax is for use as a leather treatment and waterproofing.  It is a very useful substance!

I've found the 'warm' setting on a crock pot to be perfect for extracting all the oil you can from the fat. I tried the low setting and it was too much heat. Slow and easy was the order of the day to get the most oil.

[mountainman]

Beeswax is susceptible heat and will make a crusty spot in the breech of your gun. I have used a small amount of beeswax mixed in with bear grease, but you have to be careful. I now mix it with venison, or mutton, tallow.

Hungry Horse

If I may ask what is the ratio for venison tallow and bear grease? I have a small amount of tallow that I rendered twice from the last deer I got with my flintlock.