Freezing Hashbrowns

I like to use frozen hash browns, so when I do all my potatoes I freeze hash brown as well. They are pretty easy to do.

 

Sorry I don't have pictures for all of this. First I boil my potato's with the skins on till they are semi soft/hard immediately put into a pan of cold water let cool. Peel when cooled ( you don't want them to soft or they turn to mush when grating). If they are large like mine were you can cut in half long ways if you are using in a food processer. If grating by hand you don't need to cut in half.

 

 

I like to use the food processor to grate mine. They don't turn out as pretty as if you did them by hand , but seems I am always in a hurry to get them done so I use the food processer. 
 

 

 

 After grated spread a layer on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. I put several layers on a cookie sheet just put two sheets of wax paper in between each layer ( this makes it easier to get off.)put in the freezer for at least 24 hours.












Take out and put in freezer bags then use as you would store bought. 



Making Tallow Candles

I tried making these some time back and wasn't real happy with them, so I tried again, only this time I added a little bees wax and braided the wicks. I am very happy with them now.

First I rendered the tallow and strained it.

 

I put it through a colander to get the larger pieces out

 

 

them pour it through a knee high to strain out the smaller stuff.

 

 

 

After I strained it I added 2 oz of beeswax to every 2 cups of tallow (when we clean up our beeswax we pour it into ice cube trays and the cubes are approximately 2 oz each) I also added some cinnamon essential oils to help with the smell.  

 

I have tried to make my own candle wick but haven't had any luck yet so I am using store bought wick right now till I can work on making my own wicks. I use a small washer to put in the bottom of the jar.  Then tie three strands of wick on it, then braid them together.

 

 

 

I pushed a pencil  in the middle of the braid to hold the wick at the correct height

 

Then pour the hot tallow and wax into the jars be sure to keep the wick straight and in the center.

 

 

 

Let cool until set up. You can put them in the fridge to speed this up. After they are set up cut the wick about a 1/4 of an inch from the candle. Then they are ready to use.

I have three candles here in the one on the far right I just used a single wick as you can see it didn't burn very well.
The one in the center I added some steric acid I wanted to see if it would make it harder and burn longer. It burned the same as the candle with just the wax and tallow. 

These are after nine hours of burning they weren't quite half way burned down.

 

I will be making a lot more of these.

 

 

Have you tried making tallow or lard candles? If so how did they turn out?