The Forgotten Ways: Candle & Soap Making

The Forgotten Ways: Candle & Soap Making

In colonial times, candle making was an essential annual chore in all households. Taper candles were the only source of light for people's homes, and there were no commercial candles available as there are today. Each household made its own candles, usually once a year. The average household needed around 400 candles a year, so this was a huge job. Early American families made their own soap from lye and animal fats. They obtained their lye from wood ash, which contains the mineral potash, also known as lye. In early days, folks would put wood ashes in barrels, hollowed out logs or V-shaped troughs lined with hay. Rainwater collected in the containers and leached the potash from the ashes. A hole in the bottom drained the lye solution, filtered through the hay. The lye solution was then reduced as near as possible to the right concentration by boiling or repeatedly pouring the solution over ashes. Animal fat was melted and added to the lye. The mixture was stirred continually until the chemical reaction took place that saponified fat into soap. These are the forgotten skills used by our ancestors. Join me in learning these skills and gaining the ability to carry on the traditions with The Forgotten Ways.