August 14, 2024, 10:56 am | Read time: 3 minutes
To keep food fresh longer, you can wrap it in aluminum or plastic wrap. However, this is not particularly sustainable. That’s why myHOMEBOOK editor Katharina Regenthal shows in this “Easy Home” episode how to easily make a beeswax wrap yourself.
If you’d prefer to avoid using aluminum or plastic wrap in your daily life, you can also opt for beeswax wraps. These are now available in supermarkets or drugstores–but you can also easily make them yourself. We show you the best way to do this in the video above.
What You Need for a DIY Beeswax Wrap
To make a beeswax wrap yourself, you don’t need many materials. Only the waiting time for the wax to dry takes a bit of time. You will need the following materials:
- Cotton fabric
- Beeswax
- Parchment paper
- Iron
If you want to cut the cotton cloth, for example into a circle, you’ll also need scissors. However, you can leave the fabric as it is.
Tip: Beeswax wraps are not only a sustainable alternative, but they also look much nicer than regular wraps. Cotton fabric comes in many colors and patterns.
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Make a Beeswax Wrap in a Few Steps
Making a beeswax wrap yourself is not particularly difficult. It’s important to work on a heat-resistant surface. Here’s how it works:
In the first step, place the cotton cloth on a piece of parchment paper and then distribute a little beeswax on the fabric.
Next, place another layer of parchment paper on top and iron until the beeswax has melted. You can easily see this through the slightly transparent parchment paper. Excess wax can then be simply removed by hand.
Once everything is melted, you can peel off the top layer of parchment paper directly. Then wait until everything has cooled and dried.
Finally, simply peel the beeswax wrap off the bottom parchment paper and crumple it once–and then it’s ready to use.
1. Choose a Shape
Consider what shape you want your beeswax wrap to be and place a template on the cotton cloth, such as a plate or an old cookie tin.
Important: The template should be slightly larger than the item you want to cover with your beeswax wrap.
Are Beeswax Wraps Heat Resistant?
The melting point of beeswax is between 62 and 65 degrees Celsius. This means beeswax wraps are not suitable for protecting food from charring in the oven at high temperatures. Hot foods should be allowed to cool before being wrapped in the wax wrap. Also, avoid storing raw meat in the beeswax wrap, as cleaning with cold or lukewarm water is not sufficient to kill germs.