WHAT ARE BEESWAX WRAPS?

Essentially, Beeswax Wraps are fabric covered in a beeswax coating that can be reused numerous times. They’re a sustainable alternative to plastic cling wrap that have many uses. They are as varied as people depending on size, shape, fabric, ingredients, methodology used etc.

HOW DO YOU USE BEESWAX WRAPS?

Beeswax wraps can be moulded into many shapes and sealed via the warmth of your hands. 

WHAT CAN BEESWAX WRAPS BE USED FOR?

So.many.uses. They are great for: 

• Covering and sealing food (or liquid) in a bowl, plate, cup or tin.
• Covering cut fruit and veg, or wrapping whole fruit and veg, to keep it fresh.
• Wrapping cheese in the fridge (no more shriveled up cheese ends!).
• Creating a pouch that can be used to carry food (especially good for taking home leftover chippies when eating out IF there are leftovers – VERY rare for me!) or I make a pouch to give the dogs a drink of water when we’re out trekking.
• Rolling into a cone to make a funnel or carrying cut flowers. 
• Wrapping sandwiches, kebabs or baked goods. Particularly good for school lunches AND goods can be frozen in beeswax wraps ahead of time – just allow it to defrost a little before opening. 
• Wrapping a loaf of bread to keep on the counter.
• Using as a grip for opening stubborn jar tops.
• Putting on the bench to stabilise bowls whilst mixing things.
• Wrapping small gifts – an instant double gift!
• Covering toothbrush ends whilst travelling.
• Using as a makeshift plate at bakeries or other takeaway eateries. 
• Line fridge shelves or containers for easy cleaning. 
• Wrapping up dirty cutlery, plates or cups from your zero waste kit whilst out and about.

I think this list gives you the gist of what’s possible… honestly, there are many more uses… Let your imagination go wild! 

WHAT SHOULDN’T BEESWAX WRAPS BE USED FOR?

Beeswax has a melting point of approximately 62C, so you don’t want to subject them to any heat source greater than that = no hot water, dishwashers or microwaves. 

For this reason, you also don’t want to use them for meat (or anything juicy), which requires hot water for sanitation. You don’t want to use them for anything that could infuse into your wrap that could then become a breeding ground for contaminants – like meat juice. 

HOW DO YOU CLEAN BEESWAX WRAPS?

I clean mine similar to what I would a bench – I wipe them down with a cloth from my sink dishwashing water. On occasion, I have dunked them in the dishwashing water or rinsed them under running tap water, but it’s very rare I’d need to do that as they’re generally not dirty. 

HOW LONG DO BEESWAX WRAPS LAST?

Shelf life really depends on the ingredients used. Beeswax and resin don’t have a used by date, but oil does as it will eventually go rancid. Rancid oil smells a bit like crayons.

With use, wraps will eventually lose some of their coating and stick, they can also crack depending on the recipe/methodology used. 

Reinvigorating Wraps

If there’s still enough coating on the fabric you can pop your wrap into an oven at 100C on a baking sheet to remelt – they come out like new. But if there’s not enough coating you’ll need to add more. 

How to dispose of Wraps 

Finished wraps make fabulous firelighters, or they can be fed to your worm farm or compost.

HOW TO STORE BEESWAX WRAPS

Wraps can either be stored folded or rolled. I personally have my wraps rolled in a container on my benchtop. This allows me to instantly identify size and keeps them front of mind to use.