About Colonial Candle Making
Long before the advent of using candles to set a mood or impart a pleasant scent to a room, they were the sole source of light, aside from a fire in the hearth, once the sun went down. Candles were purely functional then, and any work that needed to be done at night had to be done by the weak light they supplied. Candle making was not an art but a necessity during colonial times when flipping a switch was not yet an option.
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Raw Materials
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During the colonial time period, only the rich could afford candles made of wax. The colonists used tallow (animal fat) to make their candles, and actually were engaging in an early form of recycling. Every bit of animal fat was collected during the year. The fat was stored in a barrel where it would eventually turn rancid. In the fall, the fat would be added to large kettles of boiling water where it was skimmed over and over again for days at a time until a clear tallow was produced.
Dipped Candles
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The tallow was then reheated in large kettles until it was the right temperature to coat long wicks that were dipped into it. The wicks were suspended from candle rods in groups of six to eight and dipped repeatedly in the hot tallow. Each dipping added more tallow to the candles, which were then hung across long poles to harden. The process was repeated starting with the candles that had been dipped first until they were of an acceptable size.
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Damage Control
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The colonial housewife had to be sure the tallow in the kettle was just the right temperature. Too cool, and it would form lumps along the sides of the candles. Too hot, and it would melt the tallow already on the wicks. And no matter how hard she tried to skim all the impurities out of the tallow during the boiling, the candles still smoked and gave off a greasy smell.
Scented Candles
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On the East Coast, bayberry bushes grew in abundance, producing vast numbers of small waxy green berries that the colonists eventually discovered could be boiled down just like tallow. Picked by children, this gift from nature made delightful candles that withstood hot temperatures, burned steadily and gave off a sweet scent. The colonists soon became major exporters of the new bayberry candles.
Molded Candles
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Early candle molds were made of pewter, sheet iron or tin. Long tubes containing wicks were connected into a single unit and were filled with melted tallow that was allowed to harden. The molds were dipped into hot water to release the candles that were then polished with cloth. In spite of still having to melt tallow, colonial housewives considered this much easier than having to spend days dipping candles.
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References
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- Photo Credit Candle image by Jennifer Altman from Fotolia.com
