Want to reduce plastic waste in your kitchen? Learn how to make homemade beeswax wraps to store food instead! They are reusable, non-toxic, biodegradable, and really easy to make.
After cleaning, you can use it time and time again, saving money for you and save energy for our planet.
Equipment:
- Fabric (100% cotton, linen or hemp – no synthetics)
- Scissors or pinking shears
- Beeswax gratings or shaved block beeswax
- Jojoba Oil
- Pine Resin
- Something to hang the wraps up to dry - such as a clothes hanger or twine and clothespins
- Parchment paper or tin foil
- Paint brush. To help spread the wax evenly across the fabric after it melts.
- Baking tray(s) and oven
Wax Preparation:
- Combine 125g beeswax, 40g pine resin, and 20g (20mL) organic jojoba oil in a water-bath double-boiler on the stovetop.
- Heat until melted and fully combined.
Wrap Preparation:
- Cut the fabric into desired shapes and sizes of your choice. (See common size suggestions in the notes below).
- Line baking tray(s) with baking paper or tin foil and lay fabric on top.
- Use a brush to apply an even coat of the melted mixture across the whole surface of the fabric.
- Place in oven until wax fully re-melts and soaks into fabric; approximately 5 minutes.
- Immediately hang to dry while still wet and pliable. If needed, place back in the oven to re-melt and then hang.
- Allow to fully dry, and then they are ready!
Suggested best sizes for beeswax wraps:
- Small 20 x 20cm: ideal for covering small items like the top of a mason jar, half an apple or avocado, or the cut end of a cucumber.
- Medium 25 x 25cm: cover an average bowl, block of cheese, half a sandwich, or other small to medium vegetables like a partial head of cabbage
- Large 35 x 35cm: cover a full sandwich, half a modest watermelon, small baking dish or average pie pan, or a medium mixing bowl - such as a bowl or basket of proofing sourdough!
- Extra-large 40 x 40cm or greater: create an extra-large homemade beeswax wrap to cover large bowls and baking dishes, whole or partial loaves of bread, and more.
Cleaning Homemade Beeswax Wraps + Ongoing Care:
- Wash your homemade beeswax wraps with cold to lukewarm water and mild soap.
- Avoid using hot water since it can melt the wax.
- You can also wipe them down with a damp cloth.
- Allow the wraps to air dry and then store them in a cool, dry place.
- When fully dry, simply fold them up and tuck them in a kitchen drawer.
Homemade beeswax wraps should withstand several years of use. Once they become old, thin, and/or less sticky, it is easy to refresh them! Simply tuck the old wraps back in the warm oven with a small sprinkle of beeswax to provide a fresh new coating and lease on life. If they’re really old and beat up, you could simply compost them. Since they are made from 100% natural materials, beeswax wraps are biodegradable.