Oops, did I make lard?

I was partially cooking down 10 lbs of fatty pork for a sausage recipe and it said to pour off the fat.  I poured it into mason jars and it hardened into a pure white material.  Did I just render lard by accident?

There's some tan liquid underneath the white stuff in the jars.  For now the two jars are in the fridge but I'm guessing that won't work for long.  What should I do to make it keep for a few months?  Or is it good in the refrigerator for that long?

If I need to put it in the freezer, I'm guessing I'd need to warm them back up to liquefy the lard and then separate it from the pig juice underneath?

Sounds like lard😀👍

I don't see any reason you would need to remelt. The cold disc of fat usually pops right off. Scrape any debris off the fat puck if needed.  I usually save some in fridge where it lasts for months (most times ends up used pretty quickly) and freeze some for longer storage.

I love sausage grease for breakfast potatoes and for sautéing the veg for Cajun rice.  Great bonus for you!

Woo Hoo!  Ok, so even with the stuff underneath it in the jars, I can leave it in the fridge for a couple months?  That sounds like a winner to me!  Especially since they're mason jars and the puck won't come out easily...

It won't last as long if you leave the ook at the bottom.  If it's a smaller size jar, I'd probably leave it in fridge and let my nose be my guide because I'm lazy.  For longer storing, I'm sorry to say that I would have to take a knife and break chunks out and get rid of the goo.  Which any pets would love you for if you add to their food.  Even my chickens like the goo!

After my first accidental rendering, I now let fat solidify in a shallower container. I break the big fat disc into quarters and they store in the freezer in stray spaces.

My experience is that the lard is not susceptible to microbial degradation and can be stored at room temperature. The water/gelatin underneath the lard is susceptible to microbes and will go rotten soon, even in the refrigerator.

The lard will do fine in a sealed jar sitting on your counter, but that goo will go off within a couple of weeks even in the fridge.

Most great discoveries seem to be made by accident. You appear to have invented lard.  In your next experiment consider filtering it. ....maybe cheese cloth.  

No need to store it, put it in a pot and start frying chicken and potatoes!  Buttermilk Biscuits are another favorite of ours.  We decided we liked them best with half butter and half lard.

To be "Lard" you need to remove any water at the bottom.
You also need to strain any solids while the fat is melted and hot.

That said, yes you stumbled on lard.