Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Our life is frittered away by detail… Simplify, simplify, simplify! … Simplicity of life and elevation of purpose.
Henry David Thoreau

Back when Small Man was a Very Small Man, he and I made beeswax candles  for his preschool teachers.  They were almost no effort at all, but they were the product of precious little hands, and therefore dearly cherished by the recipients.

Beeswax is such a lovely material to work with – the sheets are easy to use, the wax moisturizers your hands as you roll, and the finished candle burns very cleanly.  Wrapped in cellophane and tied with a tartan ribbon, it’s the perfect gift for someone special.

It’s been years since we last made candles, and I haven’t given them much thought over that time.  Then I met beekeeper Richard at Flemington Markets, who sold me these gorgeous golden sheets of beeswax.  Today, with the house quiet and the wind chimes tinkling in the background, I spent a peaceful, contemplative half hour rolling candles.  It was very therapeutic!

Tip: roll tightly and freeze the finished candle before lighting –  doing both will extend the burning time of the wax.

If you can’t get to the markets, beeswax sheets are widely available via mail order.  They’re very reasonably priced – my sheets were just $1.10 each.  The sheets are placed in hives for the bees to lay their honey on, so if you can’t get them from a candlemaking supplier, try your local beekeepers.

Edit: If you’re planning to pick these up from Richard at Flemington Markets, do make sure you email him first at  admin@thebeewhisperer.tv and ask him to bring sheets and wick for you – he doesn’t usually have the stock on hand. You might also want to double-check what days he’s at the markets before you go!