Lard candles are a great option as they are inexpensive and burn cleanly. You can render a fair amount of lard from a single pig. Imagine how many candles you could make from one pig! It’s a super easy way to make sure that the pork fat is not discarded.
After you’ve made this delicious slow-cooker carnitas recipe, learn how to make lard candles with your leftover fat for a zero waste meal. Primitive candle making is an easy way to use up any excess lard.
After you’ve made this delicious slow-cooker carnitas recipe, learn how to make lard candles with your leftover fat for a zero waste meal. Primitive candle making is an easy way to use up any excess lard.
Like many homesteaders, I’m fascinated with the idea of a zero-waste economy. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation defines a circular economy in part as one where waste is written right out of the equation–no more landfills, no need for consumer outrage at big food chains’ use of plastic straws. Instead, every item would be designed with its full lifespan in mind–not just one initial use, but the art, building materials, or fertilizer the object would become when that was done. We’re a long way from that point now, but people like you and me can still step out of the cycle of waste in small ways that add up.
One way I experimented with minimizing my waste footprint recently was by using leftover pork drippings to make a candle. It always makes me sad to throw fat away. Although sometimes my family saves it for cooking fat or stirs it into a sauce, fat that has marinated with strong flavors can confuse the flavor of a future dish if you cook meat in it, and some dishes just don’t require a sauce. The recipe my family and I had just made, carnitas heavily flavored with onion and orange, struck out on both counts. So we got creative.
First, we strained the liquid fat that had dripped off the meat through a paper towel to remove fragments of burnt meat. We poured our newly purified liquid fat into the paper cup we were using as our candle holder. For a wick, we used a spare length of string, but string doesn’t stand up on its own, and no one had time to stand around holding it while the fat hardened. Our solution: an ingenious machine made of chopsticks. We crossed two chopsticks in an X over the cup and hung the string over one of them. Then we stuck the whole thing in the fridge.
By the next night at dinnertime, our candle was ready. The pork lard had hardened to an iridescent off-white. We sheared the top off the paper cup, as it was twice the height of the candle inside, and trimmed the wick. Then we lit the candle as we ate our carnitas for dinner.
Unlike beeswax candles, which are as good as silent, the new lard candle emitted the quiet sizzle of hot fat. This noise was a little distracting as we got used to it, but the candle added a cheerful glow to our dinner table.
As far as waste reduction went, the little lard candle probably didn’t reduce our footprint very much. Burning beeswax candles doesn’t require us to use paper cups or chopsticks, although both are compostable. Worse, when we left the candle out, it went rancid–a development that, in hindsight, we really should have seen coming. But, for the thrifty among us, reusing household items to make a candle can save money. It’s also a fun project for those of us who love arts and crafts.
If you’re interested, I’ve included recipes both for the candle and for the delicious meal from which it came.
Lard Based Candles?
FAQ
Can I make candles from pig fat?
Can animal fat be used as candle wax?
Is tallow better than lard for candles?
Can lard be used to make candles?
Years ago, when most people raised pigs, they’d rend the lard and use it as a type of oil to provide light for their lanterns at night or to make candles. Try out this old-time tradition by using lard to make candles. It is a great skill to develop and a wonderful way to make your home feel even more welcoming. 9. Homemade WD-40
Can you make lard candles from a pig?
Lard candles are a great option as they are inexpensive and burn cleanly. You can render a fair amount of lard from a single pig. Imagine how many candles you could make from one pig! It’s a super easy way to make sure that the pork fat is not discarded. Lard is solid, but soft, at room temperature.
Are lard candles safe?
The lard melts easily from the sides of the jar which means the candles doesn’t leave a whole bunch of was on the sides of the jar. Candles made with soy or paraffin wax will release chemicals like formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, toluene, benzene, and acetone. Beeswax and lard are much safer options. Do lard candles smell like pork? No!
Can you make lard candles with leftover fat?
Call 1-800-234-3368 After you’ve made this delicious slow-cooker carnitas recipe, learn how to make lard candles with your leftover fat for a zero waste meal. Primitive candle making is an easy way to use up any excess lard.