In the butchering process, a hog was killed and then scalded in a kettle of hot, but not boiling, water. Scalding loosened the hair, allowing its removal by scraping; if the water was too cool or too hot, the hair was not loosened, making scraping difficult, and the old-timer phrase "getting a good scald" referred to doing a job just right. This kettle was also used to render the hog's fat into land, which was then used for cooking and making lye soap.