How to Craft Tallow Candles Made in the 1800s

Candles made from purified tallow burn more cleanly than from unpure tallow.

During the 1800s, candles primarily were made of tallow, a product derived from beef or mutton suet, a type of fat. Tallow-made candles were more affordable for the average family than paraffin or beeswax candles, which also were available at the time. Tallow candles have since become obscure, following the decline in prices of other types of wax candles and the lessened need for candles used for lighting since the 19th century. Today, you can make tallow candles from scratch to experience a taste of life during the 1800s.

Things You'll Need

• Cotton string
• Washer
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons boric acid
• 1 tablespoon salt
• Beef or mutton suet
• Slow cooker
• Cheesecloth
• Large pot
• 5 quarts water
• 2 1/2 pounds alum
• Strainer
• Knife
• Double boiler
• Pencil
• Ice cubes
• Scissors

Instructions

How to Make Old-Fashioned Cotton Wicks

1. Cut three lengths of cotton string 6 inches longer than the length desired for your finished candle.

2. Tie the ends of the strings together through a washer to weight one end of the wick.

3. Braid the cotton strings together and tie them off on the top to keep the wick together.

4. Mix together 1 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of boric acid and 1 tablespoon of salt until dissolved.

5. Soak the wick in the solution for 12 hours. Air dry. Leave the washer on the wick for candle dipping.

How to Make Tallow for Candle-Making

1. Cut beef or mutton suet into small pieces with a knife.

2. Cook the suet pieces in a slow-cooker for several hours until you see pieces of meat rise to the top and the fat turns to liquid. Stir the mixture every 30 minutes.

3. Strain the fat through a piece of cheesecloth into a bowl to remove any of the pieces of meat. This process creates tallow.

4. Simmer 5 quarts of water in a large pot. Stir in 2 1/2 pounds of alum until dissolved.

5. Pour the liquid tallow into the pot of water and let it simmer for one hour to purify it.

6. Remove the pot from the heat, allowing it to cool enough to handle.

7. Strain the mixture into a large pot or bowl. Allow the mixture to cool until hard, usually overnight.

8. Scrape the gooey layer and other impurities from the hard, white tallow, with a knife, and store it in your refrigerator.

How to Make Tallow Candles From the 1800s

1. Heat the chunks of tallow in a double boiler until liquefied.

2. Tie the top of the wick around a pencil to protect your fingers. Dip the cotton braided wick, weighted on the bottom with a washer, into the hot tallow to prime it with a thin coating of the tallow.

3. Straighten the wick and allow it to dry for 30 seconds until it hardens.

4. Fill a container as tall as your candle with water and a few ice cubes.

5. Dip the wick in the wax, leaving it in the wax for two to three seconds. Let the candle air dry for a few seconds, then dip it into the container of ice water for a second. Allow the wick to dry for a few seconds.

6. Continue to dip your wick into the hot tallow, followed by the ice water until you reach the desired thickness for your tallow candle. Hang the candle to dry for a few hours.

7. Cut the washer off of the bottom of the candle.

8. Clip the wick on the top of the candle 1/4 inch from the top of the candle.

Tips & Warnings

• Add a few drops of essential oil to your melted tallow during the candle-making process to scent your candles.

• After burning your candle, use a candle snuffer to extinguish it and trim away the top of the wick to reduce smoking and odor when burning your candle again.

• For harder candles, mix in beeswax to the tallow before dipping.

• Use caution when handling hot tallow or fat.

References

• Old & Interesting: Tallow Candles and Snuffers
• Chest of Books: To Make Home-made Tallow Candles
• Mission Tour: Mission Industry -- Candle Making
• The Candlewic Company: The History of Candle Making
• The Free Library: Make Genuine Old-Fashioned Tallow Candles
• WSAC Soaps & Candles: Candle Making: How to Make a Candle Wick