SUET 515 



SUET 



(Sevum) 



Source, &C. The official suet is mutton suet, obtained from the 

 abdomen of the sheep, Ovis aries, Linne (Phylum Chordata, Sub- 

 phylum Craniata, Class Mammalia, Order Ungulata). It is purified 

 by thoroughly crushing it so as to break the membranous vesicles 

 in which the fat is contained, melting, and straining. During the 

 cooling it should be stirred, so as to prevent the constituents of higher 

 melting-point separating in a more or less granular form. 



Description. Suet should be white, smooth, and uniform in 

 appearance, and possess a slight characteristic odour, but be free 

 from rancidity. It melts at about 45 to 49, and has a specific 

 gravity of 0-948 to 0-953 (at 15). 



Constituents. It consists principally of stearin and palmitin 

 (about 80 per cent.), associated with olein (about 20 per cent.). The 

 acid value should not exceed 2 ; saponification value 192 to 195 ; 

 iodine value 33 to 46; refractive index at 60 1-4490 to '1-4510; 

 melting : point 45 to 50. 



LARD 



(Adeps) 



Source, &C. Lard is the purified fat from the abdomen of the hog, 

 Sus scrofa, Linne (Phylum Chordata, Sub-phylum Craniata, Class 

 Mammalia, Order Ungulata). 



The abdominal fat of the hog is obtained in the form of flat, leafy 

 masses known as ' flare.' These should be first washed to ifree them 

 from any salt that may have been used to preserve them, then 

 stripped as far as possible of external membrane, and hung in a 

 current of air for a few hours to dry. They must then be crushed or 

 comminuted in any suitable manner, such as by beating in a stone 

 mortar or passing through a mincing machine, in order to break the 

 membranous vesicles and liberate the fat contained in them. If this 

 were not done, either the fat would be retained in the vesicles or 

 so high a temperature would have to be applied that it. would 

 acquire an unpleasant taste and odour. The crushed fat is exposed 

 to a temperature which should not exceed 57 (in order to avoid the 

 injurious effect of too great a heat), and when completely melted 

 strained through fine muslin and gently stirred till cool, avoiding 

 any form of beating which would introduce air into the melted fat 

 and favour the development of rancidity. If not stirred the lard 

 is liable to assume a granular condition, from the crystallisation of 

 the constituents of higher melting-point (stearin and palmitin). 



