SC - illusion food - cattails

[Christine A Seelye-King]

On Wed, 5 May 1999 09:46:27 -0400 "Alderton, Philippa"
<phlip at morganco.net> writes:
>Been very interested in the cattail discussion, although it was 
>obvious the UUY hasn't seen cattails much ;-) I think it's given me
>another addition to my favorite presentation, Duck in the Reeds......
>
>
>Phlip


Well, since we've been all around cattails (these are New World, right?),
I thought I would post a piece from a discusison from the Tavern Yard. 
Not food, but, interesting information.  
Christianna


 > I make a cattail candle that I use for a tiki torch. Leave the stem a
little long, and drive a pipe in the ground (paint the pipe and decorate
it the way you want).  Light the cattail, drop it in the pipe.  When it
burns down to the pipe, the fire goes out and the stem drops down the
pipe (easy clean up).  No messy oil to spill, just add another lighted
cat tail to the pipe, they will burn a long time according to how you
make them. Also, they can be a bug repellent depending on how you make
them.
First, you have to find some cattails.  You want to harvest them just
before they go to seed, if you cut them before then they are to dense to
absorb wax. (Make sure to cut the stem at least a foot long).
In a large pot, melt your paraffin (I like using a paraffin and bees
wax). Once the paraffin is melted you can add your citronella if you
want.  Put the cat tail in the pot of wax until you see it stop bubbling.
 Then remove it and put it on newspaper head down.  I like to press a
short wick on the head at this time to help in the lighting or they are a
little hard to light. At this time I will also roll them in sage, or a
pennyroyal mix, or a rosemary mix.  Any of these will make a bug
repellent but be careful with the pennyroyal.  Once they are cool, just
keep dipping till you get them as thick as you want them.  The thicker
the wax, the longer they will burn, (you will need to pull the wick up
and out of the wax- I use a long nail).  When you get them where you want
them, roll them in the sage or rosemary again.  Let cool and put them up
for the next event.  You can get a tube of brass or aluminum.  Cut the
end at a 45 degree angle.  This is the end you put in the ground.  The
flat end is where you slide the stem when you want to light one.  When
the cat tail burns down the stem will fall down the tube and go out, the
wax burns up along with the cattail.   
No muss no fuss.
BLOODSONG

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