Wax for cheese is an important component during the preparation of a dairy product. To preserve cheese during ripening and storage, special wax also helps. In this article, we will discuss why you need a coating for your favorite product, as well as how to make wax for cheese at home.
What is specialized packaging for?
- Firstly, cheese is a fatty dairy product, therefore, during storage without packaging, fats can come to the surface.
- Secondly, natural cheese must be ripened before it reaches your table. Each species has its own maturity, but during this period it can easily be attacked by pathogenic microflora. Specialized packaging prevents harmful microorganisms from penetrating the product and destroying it.
- Thirdly, cheese in wax cannot be moldy. This is because oxygen in an excessive amount does not penetrate the packaging to the cheese. At the same time, the whole pathogenic gas medium produced by cheese goes out without obstacles.
What does cheese wax consist of?
Cheese production technology does not prohibit the use of wax, latex or other polymeric compounds for coating. Now anyone can use ready-made mixtures, which only need to be applied to the head of cheese and wait for full maturation.
As a rule, Russian factories use a mixture of wax and polymers, which not only has a bactericidal property on the dairy product, but also increases the shelf life. If you cook cheese at home, it is recommended to use beeswax. Yes, in comparison with the finished mixture, such a wax for cheese will cost you three times more expensive, however, you can be sure that your product will undergo full ripening, will not lose moisture, but will not deteriorate from exposure to pathogenic microorganisms. In addition, beeswax is actively used in food, but not in all countries.
For example, scientists in the USA have proved that this bee product contains a large amount of vitamin A, which has a beneficial effect on the development of skin cells and the body as a whole. However, such a wax is almost not digested by the stomach, therefore it is used for medical purposes as a drug for external use.
A little bit about beeswax
Beeswax is a complex chemical product that is produced by small workers of nature. Bees need to eat not only pollen, but also pollen, honey to create wax. In nature, they use this amazing product to build honeycombs, so they make every effort to create such a complex connection.
Beeswax is used in cosmetology, medicine and in cheese manufacturing technology. The reason is simple: it is an excellent bactericidal, anti-inflammatory agent. Indeed, such a wax can be called if not a brilliant natural invention, then definitely a miracle.
Where to find?
Beeswax for cheese is sold both on the Internet and in any beekeeping store. On average, the price per 100 grams of product does not exceed 200 rubles, but this will be enough to carefully process a large cheese head. Professionals recommend not using pure beeswax to coat a dairy product, but combine it with a specialized cheese wax. This is because the natural product, when melted, has a loose structure, which is why over time the wax will begin to crack on the surface of the cheese. To avoid this, you can use an excellent ratio of special wax (30%) and beeswax (70%). Then the coating will be plastic and evenly cover the cheese, like a film.
Tip: in no case should you use paraffin, which is sold in the form of household candles, to cover the cheese. It is recommended to purchase ready-made mixtures for a dairy product, and then at home you can prepare wax for cheese according to a special recipe .
How to make perfect coverage?
To learn how to coat cheese with wax, you must follow the recommendations and tips below. First of all, pay attention that your cheese must be pressed and ready for ripening.
Application steps:
- Prepare the stewpan and bowl for the water bath. Try to use dishes in which it will be possible to store and heat the remains of wax. Lay parchment or baking paper.
- Cut the wax into thin plates, prepare a spatula for stirring.
- When the wax is melted, you can apply it on a dairy product. If your homemade cheese is small, you can simply dip it gently into the coated bowl, and if the product is large, use a hard bristle brush.
- Apply a layer of wax on all sides so that no bald spots remain. Carefully place the head on the parchment and wait for the coating to dry.
- Repeat the procedure 2-3 more times, so that the coating is dense and envelops the entire head of cheese.
- If you make several types of cheese, you can use a marker to indicate the date and name of the dairy product.
Tip: you can reuse melted wax. To do this, it is also necessary to melt it in a water bath and, if necessary, pass through cheesecloth.
Why can not I use regular paraffin?
That waxed coating that we observe on a dairy product in supermarkets consists of a complex chemical compound. To create a durable film that will extend the life of the cheese head, technologists use saturated hydrocarbons, polymers, oils, stabilizers, and antiseptics. At home, it is almost impossible to prepare such a coating.
You can also find waxed coatings that contain butyl rubber, sorbic acid and monoglyceride. Home-made paraffin sold in the form of simple candles is not processed and is not suitable for food. Firstly, because it contains harmful chemical elements, because paraffin is a product of oil refining. Secondly, homemade paraffin does not contain a special antiseptic that would protect your cheese from mold and fungi.
Edible wax for cheese can only be found at private manufacturers who make homemade dairy products. As a rule, they use a coating of beeswax and special wax.