More Soap Talk

Yesterday Emery got off work early to take me to Homestead Heritage Craft Fair and once again it was a delight. This was our 14th year attending the fair.
I watched the soap making demonstration so I could get a couple pictures to add to my soap making photos.
This morning I decided to add a couple more soap recipes for you to try.
Lye is getting almost impossible to find in the stores these days. I hear it is used in illegal drug making so that is why stores do not want to carry it.
Ask at your hardware store to see if they can get it for you. Its used to clean out drains so they often have it.
Soap making is so satisfying. I have been making it for 15 years and sold it for many of those years.
Give it a try !


One of my favorite soaps is Goat Milk Soap, its the first soap I ever made and has never let me down.

Here is that recipe

Goat Milk Oatmeal Soap

6 cups fresh, cold goats milk
12 oz can of lye = 1 1/4 cup lye
11 cups rendered beef tallow, room temperature which makes it white and somewhat solid. Cut into 2 inch squares
1 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups finely ground oatmeal. (I put my oatmeal in the blender and blend until fine)
4-6 tablespoons essential oil. I like to use Rose for this soap or peppermint.


In a large stainless steel bowl pour in the goats milk and slowly add the lye, USE LYE SAFETY ! Rubber gloves and goggles are recommended.
The milk will turn brown and heat up to about 140 degrees, do not touch the sides of the bowl !
Stir gently and avoid the fumes. Working in a well ventilated area.
Carefully add the chunks of tallow and stir until they are melted. Its hot so be careful !
After the tallow melts, which takes about 5 minutes, add the olive oil and the coconut oil. Stir well.

Stir in the two cups of ground oatmeal. Stir continuously as this can clump up.

Let the soap sit for 15 minutes. It should be thick like pudding at this time. It should "trace" at this time.

Add your essential oil and stir another 3-5 minutes.

Pour into your mold, spread into the corners. After about 15 minutes, trowel it nice and smooth. You can use a cement trowel or a cake decorating tool that is used to smooth frosting.

Cover soap with a piece of cardboard and then put a big towel over that to keep the heat in.

Leave undisturbed for 24 hours or until set enough to remove from the mold and cut into desired size.

Photos:
These are two of my personal favorite books for soap making along with a batch of my oatmeal goat milk soap before it is trimmed and shaved into uniform bars.

The two books here were purchased at Homestead Heritage and have recipes I use often in them

My soap being stirred the other day. The one picture I took !

Soapmaking at Homestead Heritage, she is making the goat milk soap recipe given above

Adding the oatmeal to the soap

Soap packaged pretty and for sale at Homestead Heritage, they sell so many wonderful kinds. Its a soap lovers heaven