How to preserve cheese for 25 years
Here is how to preserve cheese for 25 years! Are you looking for a way to save money and be more self sufficient? Try buying cheese in bulk and using this method to preserve your cheese for long term storage for up to 25 years!
Long Term Cheese Storage
Cheese is a staple in our home. We love cheese for charcuterie and a glass of wine. I have frozen cheese for a long time. I started freezing cheese about 25 years ago.
I started with buying large bags of shredded cheese and breaking them down into 2 cup measurements and freezing them in freezer ziplock bags. This was great for us because I did not waste the money by buying individual 2 cups packages at the store.
I find that with most cheese freezing really works. I have frozen goat cheese and cream cheese which both freeze good too.
I started recently purchasing raw cheese and freezing, and the texture just was not the same. That is when I started to research other ways for preservation.
Benefits of waxing cheese
It allows for hard cheese to continue to naturally age. This will give you a bolder more developed cheese.
You can preserve the moisture inside your cheese once it is waxed. Waxing keeps the moisture constant inside your cheese block.
Waxing prevents mold growth and encourages a longer shelf life.
It is an awesome gift for someone when waxed correctly!
Cheese Waxing Video
I have included here our recent Youtube video showing the process! Please share this video to help our channel grow!
How long will waxed cheese last?
Cheese coated with cheese wax will store for up to 25 years in the refrigerator or in a cold room. Now I don’t plan on keeping mine that long. This is an amazing way to save money and prevent waist.
What do I need to wax my cheese?
-Cheese of any type will work. You can use soft cheese or hard cheese.
-I have attached an affiliate link here to the cheese wax I purchased off of Amazon (I do make a small commission if you use my affiliate link).
-Simply place your cheese wax in a pot, I would use a pot that can be preserved for waxing only. I would only suggest this because the wax is a little difficult to get completely out of your pot.
-Heat your wax in the pot. I did keep my temp at about medium to low heat so my wax will not burn or scorch in the pot. The melting temp for my wax is 70 degrees.
-Simply dip your cheese in the wax and let it harden. I dipped half of my cheese block first then dipped the other side to complete. I also did 3-4 coats on each block of cheese.
Wax Color
Typically Red wax is used for hard cheese and Yellow wax is used for soft cheeses. I did not invest in 2 types of wax to start but will do this in the future. I used Red wax for both my soft and hard cheeses for this project.
Labeling Your Cheese
I chose to use a label maker to label my cheese. I labeled on one end over the wax and then dipped that end into the wax 2-3 more times to cover the label. You can still see the label through the cheese. You can also try a sharpie and then wax over the sharpie as well.
Can you eat waxed cheese?
The wax isn’t meant to be eaten. It’s 100% food safe but has no nutritional value and is not tasty AT ALL!
Tips for dipping your cheese
I sliced up my bulk cheese into 1 lb pieces. I then let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours. This helps to dry the outside of the cheese. You do not want any moisture on the outside of cheese prior to waxing to prevent mold growth.
I also noted when I was dipping my cheese, some of the wax not clinging to the mozzarella. The cheese sitting on the counter waiting for dipping started to warm a little too much. I would keep your soft cheeses cold until just prior to dipping.
Thank you so much for stopping by! We hope you find this blog educational. Please comment if you have attempted this and how it went!
