Waxed cloths for food storage

I just recently discovered waxed cloth for food storage. I like it! Well, not for everything, but for a lot of things, especially my homemade cheese. They have worked well on bread and bowls of stuff as well.


I read several blogs and product info articles and decided to make my own. I melted equal parts coconut oil and beeswax and 1/2 part pine pitch. Once the pitch was mostly gone I strained the mixture and then kept it warm and dipped my cloths into the mixture (I used scraps of cotton material that I had around and cut them with pinking shears). I wore rubber dish gloves but it was still hot. After dipping the cloth, I sort of stripped it through my hands and then waved it lightly til it was cool enough to drape over the sink. It didn't take long. Naturally, I didn't get pictures of that part of the process.

Some blogs I read said to grate the ingredients evenly over the cloth and then rub it in but I didn't like that way as well. A couple of my cloths got too much oil on them when I let the mixture get too cool. Those ones I put on some foil in a low oven til it melted off and then they were good.

The cloths smell of pitch for a few days, but it does go away and it didn't flavor my food. I found that letting them sit a few days anyway before using made for a better experience. I don't know why, but it just seemed to be better to let them 'age' a few days.

I found that one kept bread very well and seems to do good over bowls and such. I do like to use two of them on my cheeses.

I made several sizes. I like the 8"x8" for cereal size bowls, the 14"x14" for bread and dinner plates and I have some in between for larger bowl or whatever comes up.

For cleaning, I just spot clean with a little dish soap and cold water. When they get where they aren't very sticky, I'll just rewax them. So far, so good!

Here's one covering a cheese.

Another cheese opened up.

 And a messy bread wrap.