Another thing we’re adding to our food storage is waxed cheese. I know the FDA says home waxed cheese is not a good idea, but I decided to do it anyway based on what I read here. And if it’s moldy when we open it up, we’ll just throw it away and be very sad.
So, in addition to canning chicken last week, I also waxed a 5 pound block of cheese. Waxing cheese is way easier than canning chicken for sure!
I got some cheese wax from a local health food store and melted it down in a double boiler. But first I cut my 5 pound block of cheese into 6 chunks, making sure that the edges were as smooth as possible (bumps, cracks, and rough edges create space for air and air is what will make the cheese mold, so this is important.)
After my wax was melted, I dipped each of my 6 cheese blocks in the wax, one side at a time, until each block had 3 coats of wax. The first layer is the most important as that is what seals the cheese inside and keeps the air out, so make sure there are no air bubbles. If you have bubbles just pop them and re-dip if necessary.
Keeping track of where you are is kind of tricky after the cheese is completely covered in wax, but figure out a system that works for you to make sure each block gets 3 coats of wax.
And here’s the finished product – pretty, huh? My second batch was much smoother and even more beautiful, but looks don’t really matter, right?
I will store my waxed cheese in a food grade bucket in my basement and we’ll test it out in a few months to see if it worked. My fingers are crossed!
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
OMG what a fabulous job! We have been talking about doing this exact same thing this week at our house. We are big cheese eaters so having cheese on hand will make a big difference. Thanks so much for the post!
Wow! That’s pretty incredible! I need to try that out! But, I’ll need a double boiler first…. You did a great job! I look forward to hearing how well it worked, in a couple months. If your cheese is mold-free, I’ll have to give it a go! Thanks for the inspiration!
serioulsly I facebooked this. I think it’s awesome. I didn’t know we could do that for foodstorage. thanks for sharing I would love to try it out sometime.
I had no idea you could do this! We love cheese and would love to have it in storage as well. What kind of cheese did you use? Does it matter the type? Does one type do better than others?
Thanks for the great idea!
have you ever been to one of her classes? They are fantastic! My husband and I loved it. If you haven’t checked out her blog, you need to.
I am anxious to see how well it worked. I’ll be sure to let you all know!
It really is so easy – I wish I hadn’t waited so long to actually do it!
I did medium cheddar cheese. I’ve heard you can do most types of hard cheese, but stay away from soft ones. The cheese will get sharper with time, so it’s recommended that you start with mild or medium. I might try mozzarella soon, we’ll see. Good luck!
Yes! I went to two last week, the wheat class and the lights out class. I don’t read her blog very often because it kind of freaks me out, but I search it all the time for specific topics. I’ve learned a lot of good stuff from her. Maybe I’ve seen you at a class?!?
Have you tested the cheese? How did it turn out? I’ve started to add waxed cheese and salami to my food stores.
Well, I think home waxed cheese is a whole different category, and my cheese has not withstood the test of time. It’s rancid. I need to update the post. Good luck with your stores!