Comments on: Waxing Cheese – Preserving Cheese In Wax

By: Ann Nash1

Ann Nash1 — Sun, 03 Apr 2016 19:52:05 +0000

Has anyone used the plastic coating to age cheese instead of waxing, vacuum sealing or bandages and does it work?

By: Sharon

Sharon — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 02:14:08 +0000

In reply to Curd-Nerd. Thank you for the suggestion. I've been using a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer since. So I'll have to give the strainer a try. Thanks again!

By: Curd-Nerd

Curd-Nerd — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 01:58:41 +0000

In reply to Sharon. I use a very fine mesh, metal strainer, and keep it just for use for cheese wax. I wash it off with a boiling jug of water into the compost heap (not down the drain!).

By: Sharon

Sharon — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 04:31:34 +0000

Hi. Last year I was making cheese and my wax “burped,” and splattered all over creating quite the mess. I got it cleaned up and the wax I was able to save I put into a pan. I want to clear it by straining it, but I really don’t want to go pouring hot wax through a cheese cloth and lose an expensive item, not to mention transferring hot wax from one pan to another. Am I missing something? When you say to strain it through cheese cloth, is there a safe method of doing so? Someone suggested using a strainer and then dipping the strainer in hot water afterward to remove the wax. To be honest, that’s never worked for me. Any suggestions? Thanks.

By: Curd-Nerd

Curd-Nerd — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 03:09:31 +0000

In reply to Gemma. You don't want to wax your cheese until you have cleaned those patches of mold right off, or removed them. Once they are under your wax they can happily grow and spread and completely ruin your cheese.

By: Gemma

Gemma — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 22:25:03 +0000

Hello, looking for some advice please… I’m in the process of making my first chedder. I am going to wax it when dry. There were some patches of mould on it which I wiped off with brine. There are still a few small ‘dots’ on the chedder that aren’t coming off. Is it ok to wax with those bits still on? Or should they be cut out? Thanks in advance!

By: Curd-Nerd

Curd-Nerd — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:28:17 +0000

In reply to nicolle.

Hi Nicolle

You can go either way with this, and there are pros and cons to both approaches. With cutting up your wedges first, you can then air dry all surfaces and reduce the possibility of molds growing on any un-dried surfaces after waxing. The flip side is that by cutting your cheese into wedges first, you increased the rind surface and create less area for the cheese ‘paste’. You will also need to take into account the reduced mass for aging as smaller cheeses can dry out more quickly with less than desired results. With air drying first, then cutting into wedges, you will usually get a better aged cheese, and less rind, but if the cheese is still quite ‘wet’ when waxing, you can risk molds under the wax.

For me, it is about a balancing act. I air dry my cheeses whole first, then wedge them, then air dry them for another day or so before waxing. I then make sure my wax is hot enough to kill anything on the surface of the cheese and wax my wedges.

Sometimes figuring out how either scenario works best is to give it a go and actually experience the results for yourself. Then you can decide on your plan going forward.

Good luck!

By: nicolle

nicolle — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 17:36:13 +0000

So I just un pressed my first cheddar I want to wedge it before I wax it. Should I cut it now and air dry it in wedges then dip it in the wax? Or can I cut it at time of waxing?

By: curdnerd

curdnerd — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 01:47:54 +0000

In reply to Sue.

For me, the answer to this depends on the size of the cheese.

If your round is large enough, definitely cut it into sections first and air dry all sides before waxing.

If the round is smaller, I would suggest leaving it in one piece as air drying all sides of the cut pieces will result in more rind, and less paste.

But to answer your question generally, yes, all sides of the cheese should be air dried before waxing.

By: Sue

Sue — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 19:30:14 +0000

Hi. What I am wondering about is, if you should dry the cheese before waxing, if you cut it before waxing, then that part will not be dry. …so should you cut it into the sections you want and then dry them or is it not a good idea to cut it and then dry it as the inside is rougher and harder to dry, maybe easier to mold, etc..?? Thanks. 🙂