Rebatching Revisited

Rebatching soap has been the bain of my existence since I've started making cold processed soap. There are several methods available including the stove top boil-in-the-bag (to which I've had disastrous results) and the oven method. I've been scouring soap blogs to find tutorials on rebatching, and I came across this one on Soapaholics Anonymous. It looked easy-breezy, so I decided to give it a try. I had some strawberry soap that I made months ago that just looked awful, but I didn't want to throw it out. I'm glad I saved it. Here's how it looked before I shredded it.

All of my kitchen utensils have now become my soapmaking supplies. I took my grater and proceeded to shred about 3 pounds worth of strawberry-scented soap. It took me about 2 hours and about 3 scrapes and cuts to finish it all. Here's how it looked once it was all shredded.

According to Soapaholic's tutorial, you add about 1/4 cup of liquid for every 2 pounds of soap. She used milk. I used a combo of milk and water, but I ended up using 3/4 cup of liquid and here's how it turned out after about an 1 1/2 hours in the oven at 250 degrees (I did stir the contents about every 20 minutes because it does start to pucker as it heats up.)

At this point, I added about 2 TBSP of Strawberry Shortcake FO and stirred well. The soap was still fragrant, but it was very strong, so I added a little more. Your soap won't be completely liquified, but a thick, mash potato-y consistency. At this point, I lined my mold and spread the mixture evenly.

I've covered it and will let it set for a bout 3 days to harden. For complete instructions, visit Soapaholics Anonymous. Wish me luck. I can't wait to see how it turns out!