On this West Virginia Morning, Memorial Day weekend brings the return of the Vandalia Gathering at the state capitol. Also, we listen to an excerpt from the latest Us & Them. In this episode, host Trey Kay explores childhood trauma.
Tallow is rendered animal fat and has been used primarily in traditional food preparation — as an ingredient and as a cooking oil. In addition, tallow can be used in making soap, candles, healing salves, skin moisturizers and perfumes, as well as lubricants for wood, leather and metal working.
Tallow is produced by a stovetop technique known as rendering, which is the melting and clarifying of hard fat from around the kidneys and loins of mostly cattle and sheep. But tallow can be rendered from the fats of other ruminants, including both domestic and wild species such as deer and goats.
Rendering purifies the fat and rids it of “cracklings,” the bits of protein that can spoil the tallow if left unrefrigerated.
Tallow, when rendered clean, can last up to a year at room temperature if stored in a dark place, and for many years when stored in the freezer.
The process begins by taking the hard fat and slowly cooking it in water until the fat chunks have turned cloudy and a yellow liquid, the tallow, rises to the top.
Next, it’s cooled in a refrigerator until a solid whitish substance forms at the top of the pot.
The solid is removed from the pot and any traces of protein bits still attached can be shaved off with a kitchen knife. Then, the entire process is repeated until the water is clear and the tallow is clean of any bits of protein.
The tallow is then strained into a jar and topped with a secure lid. When cooled, the tallow is ready for use.
There have always been several positive reasons to use tallow. Because of its high smoke point of 480 degrees, tallow was often used for deep frying, until the rise of vegetable oil.
While tallow contains saturated fat, it also contains monounsaturated fats, which are considered good for the heart. Beef tallow contains conjugated linoleic acid, which is a natural anti-inflammatory.
It’s also very good for the skin, either applied topically or consumed as an ingredient in any of a multitude of recipes. That’s because it’s high in omega 3’s and is packed with vitamins A, D, K, E and B12.
On this West Virginia Morning, Memorial Day weekend brings the return of the Vandalia Gathering at the state capitol. Also, we listen to an excerpt from the latest Us & Them. In this episode, host Trey Kay explores childhood trauma.
This week's broadcast of Mountain Stage was recorded on the campus of West Virginia University (WVU) at the Canady Creative Arts Center. Joining us on this episode is Ruthie Foster, Charlie Mars, The Wandering Hearts, Fellow Pynins, Rebecca Porter and guest host David Mayfield.
Early trauma affects our psychological and physical health and nearly half the children in the U.S. under 18 have experienced trauma. Research continues to help us learn more about the impact of childhood neglect and abuse. In fact, when a child experiences a traumatic event, the consequences can last a lifetime. Childhood trauma can create poor health outcomes later in life.
Tennessee photographer Stacy Kranitz is attracting attention for her visceral photos of life in Appalachia and the South. Sometimes her photos are hard to look at, but they’re always compelling. That’s the case with a project published earlier this year. ProPublica’s story, “The Year After a Denied Abortion,” follows a young family in Tennessee.