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Tallow - historical

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Stephensonia

Young Ben Franklin is well educated for an 8 year old son of a chandler.

Community entry: Tallow & Chandlery

Definition: Chandler: 1. [n]  a maker (and seller) of candles and soap and oils and paints 2. [n]  a retail dealer in provisions and supplies (18th century and later)

Wikipedia: Tallow

Tallow is rendered beef or mutton fat (suet).

The tallow derived from beef is called stearin. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without refrigeration, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.

It is used in animal feed, to make soap, for cooking, as a bird food, and was once used for making candles. It can be used a raw material for the production of biodiesel and other oleochemicals.

Industrially, tallow is not strictly defined as beef or mutton fat. In this context, tallow is animal fat that conforms to certain technical criteria, inducing its melting point (also known as titre). It is not uncommon for commercial tallow to contain fat derived from other animals, such as swine.