Thanks Bill. I was wondering if I could just use a slow cooker without
water. 

I no longer have a slow cooker with a "low" setting, just temperature in
Fahrenheit. What temperature do you recommend?

Thanks! Elizabeth

-----Original Message-----

You should not have any cracklins after rendering your fat.  If you do, the
temperature was too high.
Wash the fat, Cut it up into chunks and put in a slow cooker on low.  Don't
add any water.  The goal is to render the fat and get all of the water out.
Let it slow cook overnight.  There will not be any cracklins.  The fat will
be really mushy,  I use a 'tater masher to mush it up real good and slow
cook it a couple more hours.  Strain out the mush.  Put it back into the
slow cooker and let it harden.  Turn the slow cooker back to low and let it
render one more time overnight.  You want to make sure all of the water is
out of it.  I have some left after about 4 months and it is still as fresh
as day 1.