Waxed cheese
Seeking information from you again since you are considered the “ONE.” We have waxed several blocks of cheese which we had cut into smaller blocks. Now I find that some of the edges have cracked open. Did I use too much wax or too little? Also, after sealing with wax does the cheese need to be kept in the refrigerator or is there any way to keep it in the pantry?
Claudine Norwood
Wagoner, Oklahoma
It sounds like you used plain old paraffin instead of cheese wax. Light coats of paraffin crack which is why you shouldn’t use it on cheeses. Cheese wax is much more pliable during long-term storage. Cheeses that are waxed probably should be kept in the refrigerator because few pantries have conditions that cheese likes for longer term storage. — Jackie
Canning bean soup
Thank you for your instructions for canning butter and cheese. Have put up 12 of each this week. Yea! Today I made a 15-bean soup, adding about 1½ cups cooked ham to it. It is very good, but lots of it. Am I able to can the remaining cooked soup? From archive info I think the beans need to be uncooked. If so, how long in pressure canner? Can freeze it, but would prefer to can it for emergency use.
Judith Almand
Brandon Florida
Sure you can can up your leftover soup. In fact, I’m doing bean soup with ham today! You can either can up uncooked or cooked beans, but either way, with the ham, you need to process your soup at 10 pounds pressure for 75 minutes for pints or 90 minutes for quarts. It’ll turn out great.
Congratulations on your canned butter and cheese. I just opened a half pint of butter that is 3 years old and it tastes as good as fresh! — Jackie
