What to do with Excess Animal Fat

Wether you cook at home, or are interesting in making homemade candles, this DIY is for you!

If you happen to have a big barbecue or a taco night with neighbours or friends, you might find yourself with a lot of leftover grease (animal fat). You can transform that grease into a homemade candle, that can be used for outdoor dinners, to repel mosquitos or to create a nice atmosphere out in the backyard.

Once you have cooked your meat, strain it and make sure that the grease itself and the stock has separated. Let it sit in the cold or in the fridge (if you leave it outside be mindful of animals that might want to dip their paws in your bowl).

In your jar place the wick which will burn through your candles. You can buy a wick at art stores or get a cotton rope as an alternative.

Once the animal fat has cooled and separated, heat it back up in the microwave and pour it into your candle base. During that step, strain the liquid once again to avoid any pieces of meat from falling into the candle container. We decided to add turmeric for the aroma, but several other spices and herbs can be added based on your own personal preference.

If you wanted to scare away mosquitoes lavender is perfect (see study done on mice, 2002), the oil it produces has repellent properties and also smells great!

Now that the solution is ready you can make your candles! Below are our candles, it is important to only use them outside as the fumes can contribute significantly to indoor air pollution.

Have a sunny day!

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