Lard Bucket

Animal fat has been used in cooking for centuries, yet it was pig fat that dominated among the Southern Mountaineers.  Every fall a pig was killed and the pieces cut up and cured in the smokehouse.  The left over fat and skin residue was melted down over an open fire.  The melted fat was strained through layers of cloth to catch rich pieces of pork called cracklins, which were added to corn bread.  The melted fat was then allowed to harden and become lard.  Store bought lard became available around the turn of the century and came in metal buckets.  Ever resourceful cooks and farmers would recycle these pails by using them as lunch boxes and storage containers.