Power outages are never any fun, but they’re even worse if you get hit with one when you don’t have any candles around. Using an orange, grapefruit, or lemon, and any type of oil, you can hollow out the fruit and use the middle stem as a wick. After hollowing it out, all you need to do is fill the skin with vegetable or olive oil and you’re all set. It’s a handy trick that certainly beats out using your cell phone for light in a pinch.
Step 1: Materials & Tools
1) Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon
2) Knife
3) Any type of oil, Vegetable, Olive, Canola, etc.
Step 2: Remove the Middle
Remove/eat the middle portion of the orange being careful to leave the middle stem like portion intact. I found removal easiest by using a sharp knife and digging out the middle starting with the edge closest to the outside of the orange.
Step 3: Fill & Light
Fill the cavity with any type of oil such as Vegetable or olive oil to just below the center stem like wick. Light the center stem like wick. This orange candle burned for most of the day.
Step 4: Top
The other half can also be used as a cover by similarly hollowing the center and cutting a circle in the top. Thinning the white skin under the thicker orange portion will give the candle a softer orange glow.
