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Farm Kitchen:  Waxing jam jars  |
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nanr42
True Blue Farmgirl
160 Posts
Nan
WALDPORT
Oregon
USA
160 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 15 2012 : 10:28:47 AM
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I make jam, and sometimes jelly. My mother taught me to wax the tops of the jars to keep them, instead of canning the jars. I like this because it means it isn't cooked twice, and is faster. But the problem is that the wax we've always used is paraffin which I recently figured out is a petroleum product. So I'm looking for the ways in the olden days that people used to seal their jams. Like, say in the 19th century, or earlier.
I"ve read that using cheese wax, that wax you find around some cheeses, like Edom (or is it Edam?). That red wax, tho it can be not colored. I can't find out what cheese wax is made of. In the pre-petroleum days, it must have been made of something else. Anybody have any idea?
Thanks.
Nan from the stormy Oregon coast |
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pinokeeo
True Blue Farmgirl
559 Posts
Phyllis
Oregon
USA
559 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2012 : 11:11:06 AM
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I don't have an answer for you, but I'd be interested to know as well. I wonder if you could use dental wax.
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I cannot master those things that I have not tried.
check out my artfire: http://www.artfire.com/users/PiNOKEEOs |
Edited by - pinokeeo on Mar 15 2012 11:11:40 AM |
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nanr42
True Blue Farmgirl
160 Posts
Nan
WALDPORT
Oregon
USA
160 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2012 : 11:20:10 AM
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| I just learned a little more. One cheese making supply company uses microcrystaline wax, which is a more refined paraffin, and has properties the cheesemakers like for various reasons. Still on my search and will let you know. Maybe the Dutch didn't start waxing cheese until the 20th century. I was thinking of Gouda. |
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pinokeeo
True Blue Farmgirl
559 Posts
Phyllis
Oregon
USA
559 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2012 : 12:21:42 PM
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I found this on the web in a couple of places. There was actually one of the sites that talked about using cheesewax for jam.
"While the cheese wax actually melts at lower temperatures than paraffin, it can ultimately (and safely) reach a higher temperature than paraffin. You want this in order to prevent any bacteria from growing on the outside. So be sure your wax is hot enough. Germs are killed at 180 degrees, so heat up your wax to 200 degrees so that when the temperature is dropped when you put it on the cheese, you still are applying wax that is 180 degrees or more. (Don’t heat the wax hotter than 210 degrees F.
Cheese wax is also more pliable than paraffin. Whatever position you put your cheese in when you store it, gravity will come into play and readjust it a bit. Thus you want a wax that will move with it. Paraffin wax will not do that. Cheese wax also dries faster than paraffin, making your task less time consuming and giving less opportunity for moisture to develop during the waxing process.
... always use the red or the black wax since it will allow less light into the cheese."
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I cannot master those things that I have not tried.
check out my artfire: http://www.artfire.com/users/PiNOKEEOs |
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nanr42
True Blue Farmgirl
160 Posts
Nan
WALDPORT
Oregon
USA
160 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2012 : 1:38:14 PM
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| Thanks Phyllis. Where are you in Oregon? I live in Waldport. |
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pinokeeo
True Blue Farmgirl
559 Posts
Phyllis
Oregon
USA
559 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2012 : 2:05:28 PM
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I'm just east of Salem in Yamhill County. I've been to Waldport once for the chainsaw carving contest.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I cannot master those things that I have not tried.
check out my artfire: http://www.artfire.com/users/PiNOKEEOs |
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Farm Kitchen: Waxing jam jars |
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Waxing jam jars
