This section is from the "The American Housewife" book, by Experienced Lady. Also available from Amazon: The American Housewife.
By quick process, from Clean Grease.
Put one box of Saponifier into three gallons of water (knock off the end, and let the box boil until it empties itself, then take out the box), add four and a half pounds of soap fat, and let it boil 2 hours and 10 minutes. Then add a small half pint of salt, and let it continue boiling 35 minutes longer, when you add half a gallon of hot water, and let it come to a boil. Pour a small bler-full of cold water into a tub or box to found the sides, then empty the soap in; to all night, and cut it in bars in the morning,
It will be fit for use( out four weeks.
This furnishes a large amount of good soap.
From Clean Grease. Break up the contents of one box of the Saponifier into frag ments, by striking upon the sides of the box. Dissolve it then in 21/2 lbs. (i)ints) of hot watter in an iron pot. Melt in another pot or pan 5 lbs. of clean fat or grease. Take off of the Are, and into this stir slowly the dissolved Lye, and keep stirring until the whole becomes well mixed and like molasses. Now cover up and set it in a warm place over night. Next cut up into small pieces, add 6 pints of water, and melt with a gentle heat until the soap is all dissolved, then pour into a mould to cool. When cold cut into bars, which will he fit to use in about 10 days.
To one pound of the Concentrated Lye add three I gallons of soft water and 4 pounds of fat or tallow boil until the mass gets transparent and all the far} has disappeared. Sow add 12 gallons of soft water boil a few minutes; and the soap will be ready for use. As soon as cold it will be a perfect jelly. It still too thick, add more water; which can make the soap to any consistency desired. Twenty-five gallons of good soft soap can be made in this way out of one pound of the Con trated Lye.
This is the kind of soap which nine families out ten make with the Saponifier, and it gives every sat isfaction. Any child can make it. No trouble. It you will but try it once, you never will be without it again.
 
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