Lard Bucket

Creator:

Cudahy Packing Company

Creation Date:

ca. 1930-1940

Accession Number:

Demonstration Collection

Before vegetable oil came into style in the 1950s, Americans relied on lard. It was the classic cooking fat, used for frying, baking and preserving food; outside of the kitchen, it was an ingredient in soap-making and could even be used for machine lubricant. Sharecroppers and other rural Americans most often rendered their own lard: one of the many tasks on hog-killing day.