This one has been around for quite some time, but some of you, like me, may not have heard about it.  Again it is an emergency thing.

So, you find yourself without lights.  You can not locate any flashlights or candles, or you have exhausted the batteries or used up the candles and still the power is out.

Maybe you find yourself on a camping trip and the battery dies in your trailer.  Whatever the scene you do have a can of Crisco shortening, a string and some matches.  Thank God you have those things.

Tie a big knot in the end of the string.  Use a long stick and push the string down through the center of the can of Crisco (or other solid type cooking oil in a METAL can).  Push Crisco up against the string to keep it standing up.  Now light the string.

The string will burn down until it hits the Crisco and then the oil will begin to melt and soak into the string.  The hole you made with the stick will eventually fill with melted oil and the string will burn like that of a candle, mostly burning the oil and slowly burning the string.  This type of emergency candle is said to burn over 40 hours continuously.

Now, if you need a source of heat to cook with.  You can push several strings down into the Crisco and light them all.  Suspend your pan over the top of the fire and cook whatever you need to cook.

Unlike a wax candle the fire from the burning string will not emit black soot, but burns cleaner.  It is said that there is no odor from this burning machine at all and my sources say it is safe to use indoors.  I’m sure one would have to worry about using up all the oxygen in a small space using it, so be careful with that.

So, if you find your can of Crisco has gone rancid DON’T THROW IT AWAY, make a candle out of it and mark it accordingly for the emergency you hope never causes you to have to use it!

Bears Butt

Nov. 4, 2012

See you up to the Un-Turkey Shoot that starts today at 10 a.m. sharp!