Page 263 - The Lost Ways

This process was simple, and you can replicate it today very easily.

❖ Take a big container, for instance, a bucket, and puncture a couple of small holes
in the bottom.
❖ Put a thin layer of pebbles at the very bottom of the bucket before shoveling it full
of hardwood ash.
❖ Place it over another smaller bucket that should be underneath the holes in the
ash-containing bucket.
❖ Pour water into the ash a little bit at a time, and let it seep into the collecting
bucket through the tiny holes at the bottom. A quarter of the ash bucket’s volume
should let you collect some good concentrated lye.

Using hot water will increase the strength of the created lye.

They would then use a feather to test the strength of the lye. If the bird’s feather dissolved
in the lye, then it was strong enough to make soap. If it didn’t, the collected lye solution
had to be boiled to evaporate part of the water in it and make it more concentrated.

The oil, on the other hand, was made from animal fat. This could be lard or cow fat. It was
heated till it melted to form a clear oil before it was poured into bubbling hot ash solution
while still hot. After this, the process was more or less the same as what we do with
modern-day ingredients.

Why Modern Ingredients

Commercial lye and processed oil increase your accuracy. These give you pure soaps and
reduce your chances of making caustic soap. This makes the process more efficient and
simpler to implement. Knowing about the ash and lard approach will, however, keep you
moving in case you don’t have the commercial ingredients at your disposal.

Understanding the Process

Usually the process of making soap can be as complicated as you make it to be. I like to
look at it as a simple and exciting process, especially because of the fact that I get to
choose all the ingredients I want to include in my soap. This is, in fact, the ultimate beauty
of making your own soap. The ability to pick different fragrances and ingredients and
watch your soap develop into something from nothing is exciting and thrilling. Coming up
with the perfect soap requires you to master the art of adjustments because precision is
what makes the difference between a great soap and an epic failure.

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