Historic Tools of North Castle

Lard Squeezers (2)

These items at Smith’s Tavern are wooden lard or Cracklin squeezers.

The purpose of these tools was to press drops of lard from pork scraps as it came out of the boiling kettles during meat preparations after butchering and curing of the hog.  The fat was bagged in burlap sacks, pressed, and saved for cooking and lamp burning.  What was left in the bag is what is known as cracklins when baked or as used back then in cornbread.

Reference:  https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-lard-press-fat-crackling-1807528584

Catalog Items:

Item T113

Location:Open Shelves - Top
Length: 139 cm
Width: 10 cm
Height: 3 cm
Weight: 1101 g

Constructed of two wooden planks with tapered handles one on top of the other and connected by leather straps (T113 by two strips).  On the inside of the planks are eight wooden dowels (four on each plank). 

Item T114

Location:Open Shelves - Top
Length: 133 cm
Width: 8 cm
Height: 3 cm
Weight: 828 g

Constructed of two wooden planks with tapered handles one on top of the other and connected by leather straps (T114 by a wide strip).