Olive Oil Lamps - Anyone ever use? Why?

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Has anyone ever used an olive oil lamp?

I see on the Lehman's web site that they supposedly burn brighter than other kinds of oil lamps and they're "practical."

I think olive oil is pretty expensive, so why would I want to burn it in a lamp?

I'm wondering if I'm missing something or is this just a "designer" idea??

THANKS for any input -

-- hmm (h.m.metheny@att.net), February 21, 2002

Answers

My mom has used a small one and it burns real clean and bright. I never noticed it smoking and there was no odor at all. If we have our olives pressed for ourselves this year then I'm going to try out a few of the lamps.

-- shari (smillers@snowcrest.net), February 22, 2002.

Press your own olives?? How do you grow your own? I thought that they only grew in Isreal....maybe that's what I get for thinking? LOL I honestly have never heard of someone pressing their own olives. Please tell us more. Thank you!

-- Marie in Central WA (Mamafila@aol.com), February 22, 2002.

I am so glad that some one asked and someone answered this question! I have a question..how are the olive oil lamps different than the others? I have a couple of lanterns that have never been used...can I burn olive oil in them?

I never have liked how the lamp oil smells and I do not like the smoke it gives off. Thanks...boy..I love this forum!

-- Sher (riverdobbers@webtv.net), February 22, 2002.


Here in Colorado the only kind of olive tree I've ever seen grow is the Russian olive. Not good for eating, but does anyone know if their olives could be pressed for oil?

-- Ruth (garnetlane@aol.com), February 22, 2002.

Olives can grow out west. My friend sent me a bunch he picked once in Arizona or NM or something.

At church, they burn cheap veggie oil instead of using lamp oil. I was trying to figure a way to convert a small lamp this way, and so I am going to try and making them with candle wicks soaking in the oil. I have tried it a bit and it does work. they often use for string cotton string at church. So, you could use like a cork with a bottle cap on top for your floater, with a hole drilled through, and off the top of the cap your candle wick would stick out that you could light, and put this in your jar. maybe experiment with some regular lamp wicks then in an oil lamp....

-- marcee (thathope@mwt.net), February 23, 2002.



Ruth, what a kick, we have Russian olive trees all around us. I didn't even know they really grew olives! You mean to tell me that those olives could be used for burning my lamp?? How's that for being self sufficient!! Beats buying oil at Walmart. LOL!! Now, does anyone know how to grow toilet paper???

-- Marie in Central WA (Mamafila@aol.com), February 23, 2002.

Marie: The olives that grow on Russian Olive trees are really small - that's why I was wondering if there is any oil between the skin and the pit. And, if memory serves, the trees come "male" and "female", and the "males" don't grow fruit ("yes, I know, that's a no-brainer) and are preferred in the city for curb plantings because they don't litter the ground and sidewalks. But in rural settings, where they are grown for wind-breaks and screening, that doesn't matter, and you may find more "females." But we're all going to have to wait for the summer to see if we can squeeze any oil out of them...unless someone already knows.

-- Ruth (garnetlane@aol.com), February 23, 2002.

You can buy inexpensive third and fourth pressings of olives. Don't buy the extra virgin (first pressing) as taste isn't a factor here. I have some floating wicks I bought at a Greek store in my emergency larder. You can fill a mason jar with water and oil. The oil will float. Then insert a wick in the floating piece and it burns cleanly a very long time. 50 wicks and a few floaters are under $2 or $3. Check it out at an ethnic grocery. You can buy cheap olive oil by the gallon at ethnic stores too, or from soap suppliers.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), February 24, 2002.

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