Showing posts with label Waxing cheese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Waxing cheese. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

How to Wax Cheese for Long Term Storage...

Being prepared for any type of SHTF isn't hard if we plan ahead. Imagine, the grid is down and you are making a recipe that calls for cheese...and you have a hankering for the real thing. Gooey, unadulterated, dripping cheese...then you remember you have precious bundles of stored waxed cheese.
Look at how good this looks...


Real cheese is one of those items I would rather have in any emergency situation. Who doesn't love cheese? Unless you are lactose intolerant. I have tried various cheese products for long term storage & haven't found one to compare to the taste of real cheese. Being the kind of gal I am, I knew I had to learn this vital skill of how to wax cheese for long term storage. 

 Equipment: You will need dedicated equipment for waxing, since you won't be able to get these items clean again. Get your equipment. You need a double boiler, parchment paper, a thermometer, boar bristle brush, cheese wax & muslin.  I wound up purchasing all the items I needed on Amazon.
Now you are almost ready to get started.



Next you need to purchase your cheeses. Use hard cheeses. Test it before buying by pressing your thumb into the cheese, it needs to not leave a thumb imprint to be dry enough. Also avoid cheap brands, I could almost guarantee they will give you problems in storage. I personally have had excellent results with various Gouda & cheddar cheeses.



Prep & dry the cheese. Since this was my first time, I worked with small batches of cheese. I cut them into meal sized portions. Wiped it down with vinegar & wrapped it loosely with a paper towel. Then let it it out on the counter to get to room temp. & to dry it out more. Pat it down to remove moisture. Because moisture will interfere with the adhering process.



Break up the wax (TIP: take the plastic wrapping off before you cut it) and melt in a double boiler until your temp. reaches 180 – 200 degrees. I will be getting a larger pan set for waxing.





 Wash your hands. Dip half of each block of cheese, slowly in & out of the wax.



 Hold it over the pot for a few seconds to allow the excess wax to drip off.



Gently set on parchment paper (it's smooth surface will help eliminate lumps & bumps in the wax). Set the side you just dipped facing upwards. Let it cool for at least 90 seconds.



 Then dip the opposite side of the cheese. Dip 3 times (3 layers).



 Then brush one more layer on. Look for spaces where it may have not been covered.



If you want to you can cut the labels out from the cheese wrappers ahead of time and then add the labels to the block of waxed cheese and wax a thin coat over the label. It will adhere the label and you can still read the label. 



After your cheese is waxed wrap up the brush and thermometer up in foil for the next time. Let the wax cool in the double boiler, then pack everything away in a special box with all your waxing equipment together.



For storage: After the wax is sufficiently dried, wrap the blocks in cheese cloth. Like a gift package. 

Store in a cool, dark place & fairly dry. It should last for years and years (8-10 years). Either store on a wire rack or hanging in pantyhose sure, I don't use those anymore LOL. But I will stress it depends on how well you follow the instructions and how well you store the cheese. Check it periodically for seepage, mold or cracks in the wax.

 TIP: Unless you live off grid, I actually currently store mine in the fridge since I have the space. But, I know if something should happen I will have a nice amount of cheese stored.

 If I don't respond to your question here sometimes the messages don't go to my e-mail. PLEASE feel free to ask on the Facebook page. 

What you see here, is what I actually do. If you liked this article, please feel free to join our community (Perky Prepping Gramma) on Facebook & keep up to date on things posted.  Thank you. ~Perky Prepping Gramma~

For more great information on prepping check out the following articles:
5 Fab Fav Prepping Kitchen Tools
How to Make Your Own Vinegar (it's easier than you think)
How to Dehydrate Milk for Long Term Storage
Hard Core Truth About Prepping

For your shopping cart: What I do here is simply share our actual preparedness journey. If you liked this post, we would love it if you joined our Perky Prepping Gramma community on Facebook, comment or share. Plus it would just make my day.
Your order is so very appreciated, because anything ordered through my Amazon Associate links helps me to be able to stay home and write for you. Know that I only post items that I use and recommend. I really appreciate your support. Below are items I used for waxing the cheese (11828).

       
       



Perky Prepping Gramma is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.





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 Waxing Cheese again...

September is National Preparedness Month and The Prepared Bloggers are at it again!

It's safe to say that our ultimate goal is to help you have an emergency kit, a family plan, and the knowledge to garden, preserve your harvest and use useful herbs every day – without spending a ton of money to do it. Luckily that’s obtainable for every family and a journey we would love to help you with. This year we have posts about food storage, 72-hour Kits & Bug Out Bags, and every aspect of preparedness, from water storage to cooking off grid. You’ll also find many ideas to help you be more self-reliant. Look for information on the big giveaway we've put together for later in the month. Be sure to visit our sites and learn as much as you can about being prepared. We'll be using the hashtag #30DaysOfPrep for these and many other ideas throughout the month of September, so join in the conversation and make 2015 the year you become prepared.

Food Storage

Self-Reliance

72-Hour Kits or Bug Out Bags

Preparedness

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Thursday, March 19, 2015

How To Wax Cheese (again)...

Who doesn't love cheese, well unless you are lactose intolerant. Cheese is one of those items I really wanted to learn about considering how much Mr. Perky and I consume. It is surprisingly easy to wax cheese for long term storage. It's just a matter of getting all the proper equipment.
First I wanted to share, this block was waxed 7 months ago and has been sitting in a cool, dark, dry place. Look how beautiful it looks.


How To Wax Cheese:
This delightful Gouda has a wonderful taste and I really can't believe it worked so well. 
Let's start with the fact that as you eat the blocks of cheese, you are able to wash & rinse the wax and add it to your next waxing batch. 
Research. First, I read multiply cheese waxing posts on Preparedness Pro's blog & I ordered her DVD “For the Love of Cheese” Resource Guide, with video and written instructions. It was extremely helpful & answers a lot of question. 




Now let's get to it. You will need to have dedicated equipment for waxing, since you won't be able to get these items completely clean again. Get your equipment. You need a double boiler, parchment paper, a thermometer, boar bristle brush, cheese wax & muslin.  
(Amazon Associate links)

 Seriously? This picture of the double boiler and wax won't post correctly, so please tilt your head to the left to see it properly. 

 Then comes the cheese. Use hard cheese. Test it (before buying by pressing your thumb into the cheese, it needs to not leave a thumb imprint to be dry enough) 
Prep & dry the cheese. I cut them into meal sized portions. Wiped it down with vinegar & wrapped it loosely with a paper towel. Then let it it out on the counter to get to room temp. & to dry it out more. Pat it down to remove moisture. Moisture will interfere with the wax adhering process.

Break up the wax (tip: take the plastic wrapping off before you cut it) and melt in a double boiler until your temp. reaches 180 – 212 degrees. 










Wash hands. Dip half of each block of cheese, slowly in & out of the wax. Hold it over the pot for a few seconds to allow the excess wax to drip off.

Gently set on parchment paper (a smooth surface will help eliminate lumps & bumps in the wax). Set the side you just dipped facing upwards. Let it cool for at least 90 seconds.


Then dip the opposite side of the cheese. Dip 3 times (3 layers).

Look how nice they look.



Then brush one more layer on. Look for spaces where it may have not been covered.


Add the labels (I cut them out ahead of time) to the block of waxed cheese and wax a thin coat over the label. It will adhere the label and you can still read the label.

I tried adding one of those canning jar labels to see how it would work. I labeled it first, then dipped it in the hot wax. It was a little gushy, but it worked.

Then, I wrapped up the brush and thermometer up in foil for the next time. I let the wax cool in the double boiler, then packed it all away.
After the wax has cooled sufficiently, then wrap each piece with a piece of cheese cloth, like a gift package. 


Store in a cool, dark place & fairly dry. It should last for years and years (she gives 8-10 years). But I will stress it depends on how well you follow the instructions and how well you store the cheese.
Again, I am going to suggest getting the DVD and written resource from Preparedness Pro's blog. There is entirely too much information to share here, and it is her copyrighted work.
There you have it. My second batch of waxed cheese. (358)
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Sunday, July 7, 2013

How XXX Wax Cheese...

Dear Prepper & Homesteader
Chances are you found this post through one of several "click-through sites" that has hijacked this post for their personal profit, without actually doing any work or original writing. 
If you are truly preparing for your family we would love to have you become part of our community, where we actually do the work. I have moved the original post here: How to Wax Cheese for Long Term Storage. Please enjoy.

We spend a lot of real time preparing for our family, taking pictures and writing all the details out for you to learn from. We appreciate your understanding & would LOVE to get to know you better.
What you see here on my blog and on facebook is original work (and all the pictures) that I actually do myself. I simply share my journey on preparing. If you liked this article, please feel free to like our community (Perky Prepping Gramma) on facebook & keep up to date on things posted. Thank you. ~Perky


                                                 

Also I participate in Amazon's associate program, where I receive a small percentage of recommended purchases. These are the items used in dehydrating milk. I only recommend things that I have personally used and like. There is no additional charge to you
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