Beef Tallow Candles: Easy DIY Recipe for Natural Lighting
Keep beef tallow candles in your collection — they’ve been around since the days of your forefathers and are a sustainable, eco-friendly natural alternative to commercial lighting options.
For centuries, people have used beef tallow and other tallow and planttallow-based waxes to make long-lasting, functional, and affordable candles.
In this guide, you will learn the benefits of beef tallow candles, how to make your own, and tips for getting them just right.
So, let’s dive into this super simple but hugely rewarding DIY project.
What Are Beef Tallow Candles?
Fat from cattle, chiefly prized for its versatility and practicality, is rendered beef tallow.
Before paraffin wax became available, it was a standard ingredient in the making of candles.
Tallow is a natural, petroleum-free, biodegradable tallow, unlike paraffin, which is petroleum-based.
Beef tallow is a clean-burning, steady wax that has become a favorite for those interested in living more naturally, hence the inclusion of beef tallow candles as an option.
With their rustic charm and sustainability, they have risen back up to the forefront thanks to homesteaders and eco-conscious people.
Benefits of Using Beef Tallow Candles
Sustainability
Candles made of beef tallow repurpose leftover animal fat, prevent waste, and make for a very sustainable candle (1).
It uses tallow, which is a good thing; it’s a part of this circular economy whereby you’re not wasting anything.
Cost-Effectiveness
Making candles with beef tallow at home is very cheap.
Using tallow from your own kitchen or buying it from your local butcher can save you some money.
When you compare tallow candles to store-bought candles, you save a fraction of the cost of production.
Natural and Non-Toxic
Commercial candles are often made with synthetic fragrances and chemicals, which may vaporize the minute they are lit (2).
Perhaps you have noticed they are free of these additives, making the indoor air clean, and use nothing but beef tallow candles.
And with artificial scents they’re a safer option — especially for families and those who can’t tolerate artificial scents.
Long-Lasting Burn
They are known to burn slowly and steadily (3).
However, with the same care, they will outlast many commercial candles, making them practical and economical.
How to Make Beef Tallow Candles: Step-by-Step Recipe
It’s easier than you think to create your own beef tallow candles.
Here are some simple steps to making natural candles for your home or as gifts.
Ingredients You’ll Need
-
1 pound of pre-render beef tallow (or made yourself).
-
Cotton or hemp candle wicks.
-
Glass jars or metal tins.
-
Optional for fragrance, essential oils
Equipment
-
Chopstick, a bowl, and saucepan.
-
Thermometer (optional).
-
Wooden skewer or chopstick.
Instructions
Double boil over med.Heats until beef tallow is melted.
Now, while the tallow melts, place the wicks into the candle containers and let them secure in the middle.
The wick can be held in place by a drop of melted tallow.
But wait until the tallow has all melted, then let it cool slightly before you add the essential oils.
A subtle aroma is obtained for each pound of tallow, with 10–20 drops of your chosen essential oil being used for every pound.
Melt the tallow and carefully pour it into prepared containers, leaving the wick upright.
If needed, hold the wick in place with a skewer or chopstick.
However, leave them to cool and solidify for at least 24 hours.
Trim the wick to about half an inch when it’s solid, then use your candle.
Perfect Beef Tallow Candle Tips
The best results will be achieved with high-quality tallow.
Tallow purification of other fats yields a cleaner burn, and the risk of having an unpleasant odor is eliminated.
Mixing essential oils well will spread out the scent evenly.
If you pour the tallow and find the wick leaning, give it a little jiggle before it hardens.
Once finished, store your candles in a cool, dry place to stretch it’s shelf life and quality.
Have fun playing with different container shapes and sizes for a personalized taste.
Do Beef Tallow Candles Smell?
There is no doubt that scent is one of the most common questions people ask about beef tallow candles.
Natural Scent of Tallow
Properly rendered beef tallow has no overpowering smell, and like any good fat, it smells innocuous and mildly neutral.
Typical strong odor occurs from impurities in the tallow that can be removed during rendering (4).
Adding Essential Oils
Why not add in a few essential oils (convenient in the first-class bulb replacement) if you’re a scented candle kind of person?
Popular scents for adding aroma to tallow candles are lavender, citrus, and vanilla.
Just add the oils once the tallow has melted, but before you pour, let their fragrance infuse the wax.
Storing and using beef tallow candles.
Keeping your tallow candles stored properly is essential for making them burn as long as they can.
Store in a cool, dry place out of light or heat.
Tallow candles are multi-purpose.
Bringing warmth to any room, emergency lighting, or even thoughtful handmade gifts.
They are also another unique feature, as they are edible (5).
Although it still isn’t recommended that you eat them regularly, it is a sign of their non-toxic, all-natural composition.
Final Thoughts
Instead of store-bought candles, beef tallow candles are practical, sustainable, and cheap.
Making your own can satisfy your desire to create something useful and natural while reducing waste.
Tallow candles are a great project if you’re looking to spruce up your homestead or if you’re just looking to add something new to your DIY project stable.
Today, try this easy recipe and see the beauty and practicality of tallow beef candles.
Our beef tallow is a high quality and sustainably sourced beef tallow with which you can start your candle-making journey today.
🌿💡 The Natural All-Rounder 🌿💡 Cook, moisturize, and thrive with versatile beef tallow. Order yours today!
FAQs
Can beef tallow be used to make candles?
Beef tallow burns clean, is eco-friendly, and lasts forever as a natural light.
Do tallow candles smell bad?
Tallow properly rendered has no scent. You can add essential oils to give it a good one.
Do tallow candles go rancid?
Tallow candles can be stored in a cool, dry place for years and won’t go rancid if stored under ideal conditions.
What does beef tallow smell of?
Beef tallow purified has a neutral scent. Strengthening odor can be due to impurities in the tallow.
Are beef tallow candles even edible?
Yes, they are edible because they are made from tallow, but they are not intended to eat them.
Related Studies
1. Title: The Eco-Conscious Side of Tallow Candles
This study explores how tallow candles utilize animal fat that would otherwise be discarded, promoting waste reduction and sustainability.
Link: https://highlandcandlecompany.com/the-eco-conscious-side-of-tallow-candles/
2. Title: The Unknown Risks of Scented Candles! What Science Has to Say
This research highlights that commercial candles often release harmful chemicals, particularly those made from paraffin wax, which can pose health risks when burned.
Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10783381/
3. Title: Tallow Wax Six Hour Burn
This study details an experiment showing that tallow candles burn for approximately four to five hours, demonstrating their slow and steady burn characteristics.
Link: https://danielsenning.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/tallow-wax-six-hour-burn/
4. Title: How to Make Tallow Candles
The article discusses the rendering process of tallow, noting that typical odors during this process originate from impurities that can be eliminated.
Link: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2014/01/tallow-emergency-candles.html
5. Title: The World of Tallow Candles: History, Culture, and Sustainability
This study mentions the unique aspect of tallow candles being edible due to their composition from rendered animal fat.
Link: https://highlandcandlecompany.com/the-world-of-tallow-candles-history-culture-and-sustainability/
