In the kitchen, "rendering" can mean "clarifying" butter into ghee, suet into tallow and bacon fat into lard.

Rendering involves melting and extended simmering, followed by filtering and cooling. The entire process is then repeated in a clean vessel.

Unlike raw animal fats, rendered animal fats can be stored for extended periods without refrigeration, provided they are kept in airtight containers to prevent oxidation.

See also industrial rendering.