# tallow candles?



## Trisha in WA

Someone mentioned making dipped tallow candles. The tallow I have isn't hard at room temp. Do you mix your tallow with regular candle wax? How do you get it solid at room temp?
Thanks.
Trisha


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## Wisconsin Ann

Tallow should be firm (maybe not wax hard) at room temps. Tallow was used throughout the centuries for candles. Wax was too expensive for common man. 

but yes, I do mix beeswax with tallow when I dip. Tallow itself is smelly and the beeswax gives it a nicer glow, higher melt point, and better scent.

If your tallow is rendered from pork, then it will be more er, soupy. not as firm, as that of beef or sheep fat. It's quite useful for making container candles tho. Particularly for a simple container or bowl with a rush stuck in it...Ancient Egyptians apparently did this, as did many other cultures around the world. It's the next step up from the oil lamp. doesn't spill when it tips over, and it's portable.


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## Trisha in WA

The lard I have is soft too. The tallow isn't quite as soft, but it doesn't seem as hard as I would need for a candle. I could definitely see mixing it with beeswax! That would make a nice candle! I will have to see how that might work...or maybe use some scrap wax along with some tallow and see how that turns out so as to not waste the beeswax.
I use lard and beeswax in my soap making, but have only used the tallow in one or 2 recipes.


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## Simpler Times

I've wondered about how hard tallow would become as well. This doesn't really answer the question but it is a cool picture>

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...low+candles&start=36&gbv=2&ndsp=18&hl=en&sa=N


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## Trisha in WA

That is a cool picture! Thanks for sharing it.


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## MullersLaneFarm

unless you are using containers, combine tallow with beeswax for candles.

Lard was traditionally used for candles - just soap


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## Wisconsin Ann

MullersLaneFarm said:


> unless you are using containers, combine tallow with beeswax for candles.
> 
> Lard was traditionally used for candles - just soap


well, ....tallow is easily dipped into candles. Yes, it's better to add wax for flame control and hardness of candles. But beef and sheep tallow is easily made into dipped or molded candles. You don't need to heat it as high as wax, so some folks like that. 

There are references in Roman culture to melting tallow to form candles (bronze molds for these have been found and dated to approx 200BCE). A simple braided wick made of rushes was laid in the center.

The candles do smoke, it's part of the whole "lower melting point" thing. The melted temp of the dipping tallow needs to be really near to it's hardening temp so you don't accidentally melt the candle you're dipping. 

They feel greasy usually, and don't hold shape if they're in a hot room (like the kitchen during summer, or in a sun ray)

butter has been used to make candles, whale fat, lots of other "fats"...if they will hold their shape, they've been used.

History of the Tallow Chandlers guild can be found at their website. They were formed in around 1300a.d., finally receiving their coat of arms 1456. 

If you're interested in history and recreating what has been done in past centuries, I urge you to do so. You'll learn a whole new respect for our ancestors...and a whole new appreciation for what science has given us 

Many natural waxes have been used throughout the centuries. Beeswax is the most plentiful of the natural waxes, but generally was reserved for church candles during the dark ages and medieval times. (or the wealthy, of course). A few plants secrete a waxy substance..either on leaves or berries. Beeswax candles were known to the ancient Egyptians, and at least as far back at 4th century BCE in China. Just...wax was expensive. Tallow wasn't. A candle is portable, a pot filled with oil isn't. Oil/rush lamps smoke. Candles don't smoke as much.


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## Trisha in WA

Thank you! Wonderful information. I look forward to experimenting now!


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## Seagrape

Really great information. I'm a soapmaker but have never done candles. Maybe I'll try some tallow/beeswax candles now.


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## Lynn Bodoni

Smelt are (or were) also known as candle fish. They could be dried, and then lit, and they would burn like a candle because they're so oily. They were sometimes rendered and candles made from the oil, which was solid at room temperature.


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## Wisconsin Ann

Lynn Bodoni said:


> Smelt are (or were) also known as candle fish. They could be dried, and then lit, and they would burn like a candle because they're so oily. They were sometimes rendered and candles made from the oil, which was solid at room temperature.


oh god....you've reminded me of an experiment we did once. Actually got some "candlefish", stuck them on pikes and lit them.

holy moly. the STENCH! but they did light up. good lord those things are oily.


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## Cyngbaeld

I have a chinese tallow tree in the yard and thought I'd try rendering the wax from it's berries this coming season. Wonder how much I'll get?


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## Wisconsin Ann

Cyngbaeld said:


> I have a chinese tallow tree in the yard and thought I'd try rendering the wax from it's berries this coming season. Wonder how much I'll get?


oh goodness.....I"ve never done a chinese tallow, but did try waxberry once. thought I'd go crazy by the end....

All the information you're ever likely to want on the Chinese tallow tree is here, including yields 

lessee here....400 trees per hectare will yield 2.8metric tons of tallow (plus literally TONS of other good stuff) so...1 tree would be .007MT. convert that into pounds and you get 15.4323 lb

That's quite a bit


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## Cyngbaeld

Thanks!

Odd that nobody has made much, if any, effort to utilize these trees.


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## Wisconsin Ann

Cyngbaeld said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Odd that nobody has made much, if any, effort to utilize these trees.


I suspect they're just looked at as invasive (lots of pages about that) and they maybe haven't been used the way they should be. Might also just be too expensive to work. 

They do look like they give you a LOT of different items, tho.  Good luck in trying it out!


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## Cyngbaeld

I'll have to wait a while, no berries right now. Tons of china berries down by the creek, all over the ground, but not the same thing. I'm going to cut some china berry branches for roosts. Helps keep mites off the birds.


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## Wisconsin Ann

Really? Are they really dense wood? or is there an oil in the wood? I don't think we can grow china berry up here...but I sure could be convinced to try.


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## Cyngbaeld

Have you heard of Neem Tree Oil? Chinaberry is one of the same group. The wood is prized because of insect resistance. I don't think it will grow that far north. I can send you some seeds if you like and if I can remember what I'm doing long enough. LOL


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## Wisconsin Ann

Oooooo....Neem tree oil. 

well. Now that I've successfully hijaacked a craft thread into poultry...and now into gardening  I vote we turn it into Barter board!!

 You're right tho. It won't grow this far north. Invasive in the south...dies off in the North. Ah well. thanks for the offer of seeds tho


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## Wisconsin Ann

ya know...I think the MIL could grow Neem Tree for me, tho. We run down to her place in New Mexico every year in the van and usually pull the trailer. I'll have to look into the trees and see if anyone down there has them...or if we can find Chinaberry trees. Thanks for the tip!


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## Cyngbaeld

Well, if you get over in this direction, stop in and you can cut all you want.


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