preserving with cork & wax

[old fashioned]

I'm curious if it's possible to can or preserve stuff using corks and sealing with wax. Around here the cost of lids for canning have increased alot and I was brainstorming for other possible ideas as I'm all about saving $.

1. Has anyone done this?
2. If so, what did you preserve/can with this method?
3. Or does anyone have other ideas?

Thanks in advance for replies.

 

[freemotion]

 

[TanksHill]

My mom used to seal with wax. But I know nothing about it. I bought most of my seals at the end of canning season. At least Wall Mart thought it was the end of the season. Everything was 1/4 the original cost.

gina

 

[big brown horse]

from www.howtodothings.com hope this helps, it is a start

How To Seal Bottles with Wax
By Ginny Morris




Do you make your own wine, beer or mead? Did you know that you can seal your bottles with wax, as in the medieval days? It's very easy, and makes your bottles look exquisitely elegant.

Bottle sealing wax is the same kind of wax used for sealing letters -- although some prefer to use a wax that's a bit heavier -- and comes in a wide variety of colors. You can get it at any wine- or beer-making supply store. It comes in sticks (larger than the letter-sealing variety), and also comes in one-pound sacks of crumbled bits or beads. Both work exactly the same way, but the beads melt a little faster.

You can also get metal seal stamps exactly like the ones for letters; find one with your initial, or a symbol that pleases you. If your microbrewery really takes off, invest in a seal with your company's logo or personal design on it.

When you cork your bottles, leave about half an inch sticking up -- don't push them down flush with the top of the bottle. It looks fancier and more like the olden times.

Get the kind of wax and seal you want, plus a double boiler or a regular large cook pot with a small, clean tin coffee can. You will also need an apron, of course, and a pair of insulated work gloves (or maybe a set of wooden claw grabbers, especially if you're using the coffee can method). Safety goggles are also a good idea. Have a heat proof cutting board or work board next to the stove.

Fill the large pot with water and put it on the stove, bringing it to a medium boil. If you're using a double boiler, your wax goes into the small pot; if not, put it in the coffee can. Make it about two or three inches' worth, either way. Carefully place it in the center of the boiling water and wait for it to melt, stirring occasionally. It should take about fifteen minutes, perhaps a bit longer if you are using stick wax.


Remove the small pot or coffee can from the water and place it on the board. Turning your corked bottle upside down, dip it slowly and gently into the wax, keeping it as vertical as possible. Hold it there for a few seconds, then slowly pull it straight up and out. As you turn it back right side up, gently turn it so that the wax coating will be more even.

If you are using a seal stamp, wait for one or two seconds before applying it to the wax on top of the cork. Hold it there about five seconds and lift it gently off. This makes an elegant bottle seal.

Unused wax can be cooled and stored to be used later, as can any dribs and drabs you might leave lying around in the process.

 

[old fashioned]

Thanks BBH, good info. Though I'm looking more for food preservation (other than jams) cause our drinkin days are long past .

Besides, "fancier" and "exquisitely elegant" and I in the same room is just plain wrong!

Tanks-I've been looking at our local Walmart for lids, but I can't find any kind of canning equipment there. Maybe next time I'll ask just to be sure.

 

[FarmerDenise]

BBH , thanks for posting that, I was wondering if there was a better way to seal my bottles of homemade wine. This might also work for bottled juices. I don't worry about the seal on my vinegar, since it would hopefully just keep getting stronger. I don't remove the mother in my vinegar until I am ready to use that particular bottle or give it away as a gift.

 

[patandchickens]

Paraffin wax can be used to seal jellies/jams/preserves/marmalades, that sort of sweet thick stuff. It is, IMHO, a giant pain in the neck (melting paraffin is not without its dangers, both in terms of burns from spills and the fact that its melting point and flash point are not too far apart; plus it is kind of annoying to work with; plus which it not-infrequently fails, at least for me and my mother before me) and it does not give a tremendously reliable seal. If you don't mind foolin' around, and if you are ok with lost seals on some of your jars (they will mold; there is not a *large* chance that the mold will harm you, but it's a personal choice what to do with moldy preserves), then it might be worth trying. The paraffin can to some reasonable extent be reused from one year to the next if you melt, filter and purify it.

AFAIK melted paraffin won't work on anything non-solid, like pickles, and for obvious reasons it is of no help for pressure canning.

Of course if you have something that is super acidic and not too darn likely to grow anything ANYhow, like extremely acidic pickles, you can try just putting it boiling-hot into sterilized containers that you lid (with sterilized lids) right away, and that may be enough. I have done that with some cornichon-type pickles that I did this summer, and although I have not tasted them yet (I should!) there is no visible sign of spoilage. The pH is *really* low in there, though

If you want to save money at the cost of some lost seals, you'd be better off reusing old clean canning lids (once at least)... you WILL lose some seals, and had better know how to recognize it and have a plan for dealing with 'em, and I'd be extra careful in handling those jars, but reused lids often do ok, at least once (never tried reusing them more than once). You can do this for any canning method including pressure canning.

Honestly though lids are not *that* expensive, bought in large numbers on sale, I'm not sure how much reuse is worth it, given that you WILL lose some product/labor.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat