I recently produced a ‘how to’ video on waxing your cheese.
Cheese wax is a special formulation and is not the same as paraffin or candle wax. That type of wax is too brittle to be used to coat cheese, as the cheese needs a solid yet flexible covering to keep the air and bacteria out of it and to keep the remaining moisture locked in to help with the maturation process.
I received a kilogram of red cheese wax with my kit and it is about $15 per kilo. It should last quite a while, because you can reuse the wax again after you have eaten your cheese. I have even used wax that Ben collected off of his babybel cheeses!
I find this process relaxing and rewarding knowing that when the cheese matures, it will be mould free and moist as expected.
How is that for reuse?
Will a recipe specify if the cheese needs to be waxed, or is it just personal preference? I am new and trying to learn all I can before totally botching recipes.
This waxed cheese looks beautiful and should be on a display shelf! Thanks for your lessons!
I just finished making my own cheese press today (I have a hard time buying something when I know I could have the joy of making it!) and I am so excited to try it out!
Kenzie
Thank you for this its very timely I am just about to wax my first cheese, its a Farmhouse Cheddar as well.
What do you do to save/reuse your wax? I'd like to do it, but from what I've read you have to reheat it and strain it and I'm not really sure how to do that or if it would even work… Any tips?
I too use a slow cooker for my wax makes it so much easier.
I use an old slow cooker to store and melt my cheese wax. I don't have hot wax on the stove,and when I'm done waxing, I just unplug it, put the cover on and store it in my pantry until next time.