42 Mother earth News December 2016/January 2017If you’ve used white ashes from a high-
efficiency stove in Step 1, the lye may be
light yellow and will float an egg from
the get-go. Use this lye as is to make a
strong, sharp laundry soap. To make
neutral hand soap, slowly add water in
small amounts until the egg is suspended
in the solution.
3 Measure out (by liquid volume) 3
parts lye to 1 part oil. Fats that are solid
at room temperature, such as tallow and
lard, should be heated until they liquefy,
and then cooled. If you’re a soap-mak-
ing beginner, use olive oil because the
process will be easier. Add the lye to the
oil and mix very well — a stick blender
works great — and let sit overnight.
4 After 12 hours rest, the solution
will have separated. Mix it very well.
Heat the solution for an hour or two in
a slow cooker on the high setting with
the lid in place. Stir only occasionally, as
the soap should not be allowed to cool
down. When the soap starts to rise, you’ll
see foam forming under the lid. Remove
the lid, and stir the soap well to settle the
foam. Replace the lid, but prop a tooth-
pick under the lid to create a little gap for
hot air to escape.
5 As the soap cooks in the slow cook-
er (still on the high setting), you’ll see
bubbles form at the edge of the ceramic
insert. This is the soap “turning itself.” It
should only bubble at the edges — never
boil in the center. You’ll observe finished
soap starting to form on top. Stir occa-
sionally to ensure that no areas dry out
at the edges of the insert. Be sure to stir
gently, because the mixture can foam up
suddenly at this stage.6 The soap will get thicker and
thicker until it incorporates, or finishes.
Remove the slow cooker’s lid so excess
moisture can evaporate. The soap will
look like custard (soap-makers call this
“trace”), leave droplet marks (“trace
marks”) on the surface when scooped,
and drip off the spoon in globs. You’re
nearly finished!
7 Cook until it starts to have a glazed,
sleek look, like petroleum jelly, and
leaves little wavy points when stirred.
If you part the soap at the bottom of
the cooker, it should not come back to-
gether. Stop cooking at this point for a
thin, soft soap. Or, keep evaporating the
moisture until the soap is your desired
density — it will never get hard. I prefer
a whipped cream consistency.
8 Your finished product will vary by
color and consistency. I’ve made many
successful batches of soap using “old-
fashioned” techniques and each one
takes about six to seven hours. If you de-
cide to try this process over open heat, be
aware that a more erratic heat source will
make the soap behave erratically as well,
and your mixture may not come to trace.
Making soap from homemade drip
lye is a fun and rewarding project, and
one that doesn’t require specialized or
expensive equipment. I hope you’ll give
it a try!Susan Verberg is the founder of
Far Mountain Soap in Ithaca, New
York. Find her handmade soaps at
http://www.FarMountainFarm.Blogspot.com.3
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