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Title: Translucent Soaps
Categories: Soap *
Yield: 1 Batch
| 16 | oz | Coconut oil |
| 6 | oz | Tallow |
| 2 | 4 oz bottles of castor oil | |
| 4 | oz | Lye |
| 10 | oz | Water |
| 8 | oz | Granulated sugar |
| 10 | oz | 80 proof vodka or whiskey |
| Dye (optional) | ||
| Several drops of any fragrance |
1. Using the oils, fats, lye, and water, follow instructions for making basic soap.
2. Allow the soap to set up for a day or two, then remove it from the primary mold. Don't woarry if the soap is still soft; just pry it out of the mold.
3. Slice, mash or grate the soap into very small pieces.
4. Place the soap in the saucepan. Using an over-sized pan for this step will only tempt you to overstir the soap.
5. Place the saucepan over very low heat. Heat the soap until it softens or melts, but don't allow it to come to a boil. Aim for a gently simmer instead. The soap should bubble just a bit. The more vigorous the bubbling action, the poorer the results.
6. As the soap begins to melt, add the granulated sugar and the 80-proof whiskey or vodka. Mix these in as gently as possible. This soap contains so much coconut oil that overstirring it will produce a lot of suds, which will interfere with the clearing process.
7. Simmer the soap gently for about 10 minutes. You'll notice a scum forming on top. Push this aside. You should see clear soap in the bottom of the pan. If the soap is still cloudy, remove and discard this scum. It's entirely possible to remove the soap from the heat too soon, before the alcohol has had a chance to boil off.
8. To test the soap, ladle a bit of it (without any scum) into a shot glass. Place the glass in the freezer and allow it to cool completely (remove the remaining soap from the heat while you wait for your test soap to cool). If the cool test soap isn't translucent, return the pot of soap to the heat.
9. When you're sure that your soap has cleared, remove it from the heat. Using your stirring spoon, skim off the layer of scum, placing it in a bowl to harden. You can use it later for making Soap Balls.
10. If you'd like to add the dye and scent oil to your cleared soap, do so now, stirring them thoroughly but gently. Pour the saop into individual molds, keeping in mind that the deeper the molds are, the more cloudy the completed soaps will appear. Use thin molds or pour only a thin layer of soap into each one.
Source: "The Complete Soapmaker" by Norma Coney
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