One of the greatest ways to make good use of used cooking oil is to turn them into candles. They can burn for a very long time and making them only involves a couple of steps. You can give yourself a perpetual source of light simply by using this method over and over again. This works with corn, canola or vegetable oil because of their ability to solidify once cooled.
Preparing the Candles
All you need for this simple trick is an aluminum can or glass jar, some oil, pieces of string and a paper clip or copper wire. The first thing you want to do is to create a support for the wick. You can do this by unbending part of the paper clip so that you have a wire sticking at a 90 degree angle from the base. Spread out the base part of the clip to act as a base at the bottom to hold up the wick. It is important that the paper clip is long enough to support the wick from the bottom to the top of the oil once it solidifies.
You can also use some copper or hangar wire to accomplish the same task, especially if you are planning on making a larger candle. Wrap one end of the string around the bottom of the metal and repeat at the top. Make sure that you leave enough room so the wick will extend above the solidified oil once the process is complete. Next, heat the used oil until it liquefies, but do not bring it to a boil. Stir over low heat to speed up the process and ensure the oil is being melted consistently throughout.
Pour the used oil through a strainer and then through a cheesecloth or piece of thin fabric to remove any remaining particles. However, make sure that you let the oil cool a bit before squeezing it through the cloth in order to avoid burning yourself. You can pour the oil directly into the empty container, or you can reheat and repeat the process again to ensure that you have removed as much food and odor-causing particles from the oil first.
As you pour the liquid oil into the container, make sure that you also douse the end of the wick that is sticking above the top. This will help to slow the burning process once you light the flame for the first time. Allow the oil to solidify and then you can use the candle at your discretion. You can also add different ingredients to enhance the smell of the candle as well. A little bit of lemon or orange juice, some vanilla, maybe eucalyptus or even some coconut oil will transform that old cooking oil into a fragrant and pleasant smelling candle.
This is a fast, safe and easy way to give yourself a batch of candles and make good use of cooking waste at the same time. You can use this technique for large or small candles, and you can even use an ice tray as a mold to mass-produce a batch of small ones. If you do use this method, then you don’t need to provide support for the wick. Simply place the wick along the inside of the mold, and bend the exposed end over the outside wall. You can stick up the wick once the oil solidifies.