Waxing Cheese for Six Months of Storage

This is how Amish families put up cheese in summer and ate it through February, with no refrigeration.

What you need

• Cheese wax
• A double boiler

Method

1. Make sure the cheese has been salted and air-dried at least two days before waxing — trapped surface moisture can let mold grow from the inside.
2. Melt wax in a double boiler to 220 to 230°F (104 to 110°C).
3. Dip the bottom half for two to three seconds, let it set. Dip the top half, overlapping by half an inch.
4. Apply two to three coats total.
5. Store at 50 to 55°F, flipping once a week.

A properly waxed wheel develops remarkable complexity over three to six months — this is what got Amish families through midwinter when the garden was bare.