rendered fat

[Brocktor]

i have searched all the forums but cannot find info on this

where do u get rendered fat? or how do u make rendered fat?

 

[scanker]

Isn't rendered fat what you get if you say take bacon rinds and fry them on their own in a frying pan? The fat that comes out you can pour off and leave to set. Lard is rendered fat AFAIK. Have you a reference?

 

[Brocktor]

no reference - i gues il try what u said. gona use it for candles or a fire torch

 

[outdoorgirl]

Rendered fat is just what scanker said, fat that has been slowly cooked off to remove any impurities. When we kept pigs we rendered down the offcut fatty tissues to get lard.

I'm not sure if you can use rendered fat for candles and such like - I thought only tallow could be used for that, but it would probably work, although you'd have to contain the candle in a tin, the fat will melt far too quickly otherwise.

Check out the living history websites for more info, althoughI'm sure Toddy and the others have loads more info on this too.

ODG

 

[scanker]

Have a look at this thread: http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=8360
or this one on tallow: http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=14354

 

[Toddy]

Outdoorgirl is right, rendered fat is too soft for candles, however.... if you strip most of the skin off thick rushes, leaving a complete strip along one side to act as a spine, it can be soaked in the warmed fat and it will soak it up and work as a wick These are surprisingly effective and were very commonly used amongst ordinary people. The big thick, scirpus lacustris, (I think it's scoenoplectus something-or-other now) is the preferred rush. I'm told that the same thing can be done using the unfluffed seedheads of the reedmace (also known as bullrush).

What else have folks tried as wicks?

Cheers,
Toddy