Turn Meat Scraps Into Christmas Candles

Image Gallery Candles create the perfect ambiance for the holiday season. This year, make your own holiday candles out of meat scraps. PHOTO: MOTHER EARTH NEWS EDITORS

It just wouldn't seem like Christmas without candles. And with good reason: Candles have long symbolized the anticipation of the holidays and the keeping of the faith. Candles also remind us that this is a time to remember the past, and what better way than to forgo electricity in favor of the beauty of a homemade candle. And, perhaps best of all, candles make a quick, thoughtful gift (it only takes a second to wrap up a few!).

In addition to being fun, candles are very easy to make at home. You don't need an expensive kit, fancy molds or even special wicks. You can still make them the way your great-grandmother did — with what you have on hand. Though almost any kind of tallow may be used for candles, beef tallow is the hardest and slowest burning, with an attractive, creamy white color and a clean odor. It's also the cheapest and easiest to obtain — often available free at your local butcher or rendering plant. Just ask if you can have the beef scraps and be willing to pick them up at their convenience.

For supplies, you'll need:

A container for melting scraps into tallow. You'll need one large enough to hold a batch and heavy enough to keep it from burning. A kettle with a pouring spout is handy, and a double-boiler arrangement for the pots is essential for safety. A large, restaurant-size tin can bent on one side to form a spout and placed in a large, deep pan with an inch or two of water is one good, cheap solution.

Cheesecloth for straining.
A long-handled spoon, long enough to reach the bottom of the container. Metal ones are best.
Molds are available in your kitchen or at the town dump.
Wicks can be made of cotton string, cord or whatever you have on hand.

1. The first step is to make the wick. Twist or braid together any kind of cotton, string or cord to make a wick thick enough for the candle. Then soak in one of the following:
   •2 ounces borax, 1 ounce chloride of lime, 1 ounce chloride of ammonia and 1 ounce saltpeter, dissolved in 3 quarts of water.
   •1/2 pound lime and 2 ounces saltpeter dissolved in 1 gallon of water.
   •Turpentine Soak wicks 15 to 20 minutes; then dry in the sunshine before using.
2. Render the scraps into tallow by cutting them into small pieces and melting them in a large, heavy pan on the kitchen stove or outdoors over an open fire. Keep the heat low and be patient. If you have a large panful, it may take several hours. Stir once in a while. When the bits of fried fat float to the top of the melted tallow, strain them through a piece of cheesecloth. Now you're ready to mold or dip your candles.
3. You have two choices with tallow candles: dipping or molding.