MAKING SOAP

Soap making is fun, fairly easy, and can be turned into beautiful and creative works. All ingredients should be kept at room temperatures. Too warm and the soap will be too harsh for W/women to use, too cold, and the soap will be flaky and brittle. The finished product should be smooth and velvety, and will curl when cut with a sharp quiva. When finished, the soap should be placed to age in the supply wagon.

Here is a recipe for soap using bosk lard. It makes a nice smooth soap with a silky feeling lather, ideal for regular use. It also is easily dyed or scented. The bosk lard should be pure and clean to obtain soap with a clean, wholesome odor. Measure accurately.

64 stone bosk lard
28 stone oil
12 stone lye crystals
32 stone cold water

1. Dissolve lye in cold water. Stir until dissolved and let cool (your previously cold water will become very HOT in a matter of seconds after stirring in the lye). Melt lard to clear liquid and let cool gradually to 100 degrees or until the lard offers resistance to the spoon. Stir from time to time to prevent the crystals of lard from reforming.

2. Pour the lye solution into the lard in a thin, steady, stream with slow, even stirring. A honey-like texture is formed which in about 10 or 20 minutes becomes thick with all the lye incorporated into the lard. If you are adding scent or dye to your soap, this is the time to stir it in. When the soap is thick enough to "trace" or gently draw a line on the top of it with a spoon, it's time to stir in the scent or dye.

3. Pour this mixture into a wooden box that has been soaked in water and lined with a clean rep cloth dipped in water and wrung nearly dry. Place in a protecting pan. Cover with a board then with a rug or blanket to retain the heat while it is texturing out. Let it remain undisturbed for 24 hours - then cut and lift from mold.

4. To remove the soap from the mold, lift it by the ends of the overhanging rep cloth lining. Cut into bars by wrapping the soap once with a fine wire or string, crossing ends and pulling. Place soap so air can reach it, but avoid drafts and cold. Soap protected from drafts and cold lathers better. In 10-14 days it is ready for use. Do not let soap freeze during the first two weeks. The longer the soap is allowed to age, the less harsh it will be.