Does Lard Go Bad?

Lard is nothing but pig fat with a high level of adipose tissue. We usually render it by the process of steaming or boiling.

It also involves separating the animal’s insoluble fat, which is what we use as clarified fat for cooking. And the end result is something that we use for baking and cooking purposes, right?

So does lard go bad if you store it for too long?

The thing about lard is that you need to store it in the refrigerator. Not many people know this, which is why they keep it next to the stove or inside the pantry. What this does is reduce the shelf life of lard.

So how long can you keep lard like that and what is the shelf life of lard in the fridge?

These are some common questions asked by people who love to use lard for preparing all kinds of dishes. Time to find out the answers!

Does Lard Go Bad?

For how long your lard is going to last depends upon exactly how you save it.

Usually, the best by date that includes the lard product packaging is a good idea estimate of for how long you need to keep your lard..

While lard lasts in between 6 months and even a year, it definitely can go bad. Like other fats, it turns rancid over time, as well as at some time, it’s unsatisfactory to make use of any longer.

If the pork lard product you’ve acquired has an ideal day, make use of that as your overview rather than ours below.

Homemade lard usually has a shorter shelf life due to the absence of regulated problems in the kitchen area.

How Long does Lard Keep at Room Temperature and in the Refrigerator?

When you store lard properly, it can last for as long as one whole year. The most suitable way to store lard at room temperature is by keeping it in a small or medium-sized jar.

But placing it in the refrigerator is even better.

To store lard in the fridge, you need to make use of a container. And if you want the lard to last for a longer time, then the freezer is where it should be.

Now comes the most important and frequently asked question about lard. How long can you keep lard in the freezer? The answer is three years!

So, does lard go bad if you keep it in the freezer for three years? NO, it doesn’t.

With this information, you should also know that freezing lard in the original packing leads to frost burns along with flavor and texture change.

And that is why it’s not only important but also necessary to remove the original packing of the lard. Placing it in a container increases the shelf life of lard in the fridge.

Since we’re talking about freezing lard, you should know how to do it right. Another efficient way of freezing lard is the cubing method.

For this, all you need to do is cube up the lard while it’s soft before placing these cubes on a baking sheet layered with waxed paper.

You can then freeze the cubes for at least two hours. Once they become solid, it’s time to place them in freezer storage bags.

These go into your freezer and keep the lard fresh for use for at least two years. Pretty impressive, isn’t it?

The reason why the cubing method is considered to be the best is that you don’t need to defrost the whole thing every time you want to use some lard.

All you have to do is take out the required number of cubes for your cooking or baking purposes.

Because once you defrost the whole batch, it tends to change in flavor and texture. This makes the lard rancid. So it’s best to freeze and unfreeze the thing only once.

Lard Smells Bad: How to Find out When Lard has gone Bad?

You can store lard for a minimum of one year in any place you like. More often than not, the shelf life of lard extends for more than a year.

If what you’ve stored shows no change in texture or color, then the lard is safe to consume.

Once you spot warning signs such as bad odor, unpleasant taste, and discoloration, it means goodbye lard. And it’s best to throw it all away.

There’s no need for you to worry about figuring out the expiration date because the signs are pretty obvious. Lard smells bad when it becomes rancid. So you’ll know as soon as you lay your eyes on it.

When it comes to food, you can always rely on smell. An unpleasant and sour smell means that the food is no longer edible, even if it was stored in the fridge or freezer.

And these signs are even more evident when you store lard at room temperature.

Rancid lard also has a foul and unpleasant taste. So if your nose doesn’t do its job well, the tongue will.

There’s one other thing that you should know before I conclude. You already know this, but I’m going to tell you anyway. If mice or any other pests have come in contact with the lard, it’s best to throw it away.

You can easily spot bite marks on lard to determine if someone else might have been there. But nevertheless, look for missing or eaten bits of lard just to be sure.

Read more: What Do Scallops Taste Like?

So, Does Lard Go Bad?

Lard is cooking fat that you can use to prepare biscuits, pie crusts, chicharrones, etc. Many people store lard for these purposes and more. So if you didn’t know the answer to does lard go bad, now you do.

Lard is not some magical potion. It is going to meet its inevitable end sooner or later. And do you know why?

Because it contains molecules of saturated fat. And most importantly, because it’s a type of food. All good things might not come to an end, but good food and bad food does.

And that’s about it lard lovers!

I hope the article helped in answering all your questions. If there’s anything that you think I’ve failed to discuss, and then please let me know.

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