Can you make candles with pork lard?
William Jenkins
Updated on February 21, 2026
For a fat candle you want fat or oil, pork fat, beef fat, lamb, or any lard will do, fish oil, fowl fat, and vegetable oil will fuel a fat candle, so for this fat candle I am using bacon fat.
Can you use animal fat for candles?
You can make candles out of many different materials, but I especially like using tallow since it allows me to put ALL of our home-raised beef to good use and it's super-frugal. People have been burning candles made from animal fat for thousands of years, and it's fun to follow in their footsteps.Do lard candles smell?
Lard Candle FAQ:Depending on the quality of lard used, when burning these candles you may notice a slight bacon or porky smell.
How do you make animal fat into candle wax?
Rendering the Fat
- Put deer fat in big pot and place on stove. Turn heat to medium.
- Let the fat melt down. Stir and skim off any large pieces of cooked meat or rind. ...
- Line deep pan with butcher paper.
- Pour hot tallow through strainer and into the deep pan. Let cool.
- Cut apart when solidified and cool.
What fat is used for soap and candles?
Synonyms, crossword answers and other related words for FATTY SUBSTANCE USED IN CANDLES AND SOAP [tallow]How To - Lard Candles
Is lard and tallow the same?
The basic difference is what animal these fats come from. Lard is Pork Fat. Tallow is Beef Fat. (Tallow may also include lamb or other ruminant fat, and even if that's true, the following would still be generally true.)How do you make edible fat candles?
- In a 2-qt saucepan over medium heat, melt the tallow. ...
- Dip pieces of twine into liquid tallow to coat and set aside to create wicks.
- Pour 1oz portions of tallow into candle molds (note 2). ...
- When fully solid, remove candles from mold. ...
- Refrigerate candles until fully solid.
How do you make a bacon fat candle?
Steps
- Make a wick. ...
- Cook bacon on the stove or the oven. ...
- Remove (and eat) the bacon and pour the grease into a smaller pan. ...
- Filter the grease. ...
- Add beeswax. ...
- Add the wax to the grease if you have not already done so. ...
- Pour the mixture in the jar. ...
- Allow your mixture to cool slowly.
How do you harden lard candles?
It's best to allow molded tallow candles to cool overnight to give the internal tallow time to set up. Unmold the candles, trim the wicks to about 1 inch, and enjoy. For dipped tapers, dip each pair of wicks just once into the pot of melted tallow and hang them from a rack until fully hardened.What is tallow candle?
Tallow candles were a cheaper alternative to expensive beeswax candles. While tallow candles could already be bought at shops in the Middle Ages, tallow candles were often made at home: Because tallow and other animal fats were readily available in households. As wick they either used cotton string or dried rushes.How do you render pig lard?
Instructions
- Start out with cold fat. ...
- Cut off the big chunks of meat or kidney remaining in the fat, then chop into small pieces, or run it through your food processor or meat grinder. ...
- Place 1/4 cup water and the ground fat in a slow cooker and set on low. ...
- Allow the fat to render for several hours, stirring frequently.