Soap Making from the Colonies

By:

Emily D’Imperio

Mr. Cripps, Period 8

Soap Maker-A colonial woman who makes soap at home as a craft

-Only women made this craft

Picture found at

www.allposters.com/-sp/The-Soap-Maker-circa-1735

Making Soap

-get lye from ashes

-tallow from melted fat

-lye and tallow boiled outside in an iron pot

-stir constantly

-poured into pans then cut to bars

This picture was found at milksoaps.com/baycity.html

Lye

*Water drips through ashes

-boiled with tallow in a big pot

This picture was found at

www.suite101.com/lesson.cfm/17779/1062/4

Lye (steps in making)

~layers of straw and ashes in barrel

~barrel (slit) was put on a raised platform

~hot water was poured in and it dripped through ashes

~1 day later thick liquid acid dripped in pot

These pictures were found at www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/jamestown_settlement_light_indus.htm

Lye Dangers-If lye splashes it could scorch skin

-if you breath it in it will burn your throat

Picture found at www.hiddenliltreasures.com/tipsrecipes.htm

Tallow*Tallow comes from melted fat

-it is a process called rendering

-butcher gave leftover fat to make tallow

-collected in metal box or metal pot

-kept until soap making time

-boiled with lye in a big pot

These Pictures were found at

candleandsoap.about.com/od/soapmakingoils

/ss/rendertallow

Scents of Soap-ginger

-root

-lavender

-bayberry

-these were added to mixture to give it a lovely scent

This Picture was found at www.parsonagesoap.com/Fragrance%2520Oils.htm

Tools-barrel with slit at bottom

-bucket/pot

-platform

-wooden box/metal pot

-mixing utensil

-pans

Outdoor Job-done once or twice a year

-smelly and messy

-boiled outside

-lye is dangerous

-children needed to be a safe distance

Soap RecipeMaterials:

-1 cup of clean bacon grease

-5 teaspoons lye*

-1/2 cup soft water

Combine the lye and water.be careful not to breath fumes. Water will immediately reach 200°.Let it cool then set aside for a day or so.

*can be purchased in grocery stores

Using Lye and Water Solution-Heat clean fat/bacon grease to melt.cool to 100. Stir Occasionally

-Pour Lye slowly in a stream into grease(stir)

-stir until thick(about 10-20 min)Honey-like

-pour into mold lined with wax paper.Cover and keep at room temp. for 24 Hours.

-Age for two weeks before using

Education/Training-At their homes before they came to North America soap was provided in stores

-When they moved they started to make crafts at home

-learned from mother or taught themselves

-because of this women were called craftspeople or artisans

Texture-Hard (sometimes)

-soft and cakey(sometimes)

-nongreasy

-jellylike

Wash Frequency-Wash pile added up for about 2-3 months

-Most washed body less than clothes

-Washing was considered a hazard