At West Coast Culinary Symposium 2015 I knew I wanted to do a class, but the more I thought about it the more I was inspired by the Girl Scout camp setting and decided to just do an activity instead. Plus I wasn't sure I'd have time to dig up documentation between the making new clothes for my larger than it was in 2010 body and everything else I have to do so without documentation is it a class? Nah.
I thought "Why not make waxed linen lids? Practical for the cooks, but not directly food related. Perfect for me to teach"
And then I decided to look for any actually proof of these very handy waxed linen covers in the SCA timeframe. I could not find a single thing. Granted, I "researched" with Google, but in the two hours of googling I could only find waxed linen being referenced in altar cloths and body wrappings for the dead and some very cool reference to 15th century gaiters.
Knowing this, I proceeded anyway.
I cut out a bunch of linen circles in various sizes (5", 6.5", 8", and 10") using my plates and bowls as a template and my white linen scrap box of shame. I didn't iron them. I ordered 5lbs of beeswax in 1 pound blocks from some place I googled that seemed reputable. I bought a disposable aluminum roasting pan. And I winged it.
I preheated the oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit (the flash point of beeswax is 400 degrees fahrenheit and it discolors around 185 degrees but I didn't care too much about that tbh) and popped a 1 pound block in the disposable pan in the oven and sat down and watched a Gilmore Girls episode. When I came back the wax was fully melted. I dipped one unironed circle in the wax using the chopstick skills my husband taught me, and I realized that the wax doesn't really smooth it out enough. I pulled my test circle out using the chopsticks. It folded over onto itself as it was drying and I tried pulling it apart, which worked but sort of hurt my delicate fingertips but worked.
After a few more circles using the chopsticks, I decided to do the following:
I dipped the circles about 3/4 of the way in the hot wax, pulled it out, counted to 30 while letting it drip over the aluminum pan, grabbed the now cool but still somewhat soft waxed side, and dipped the unwaxed portion of the circle in. I counted to 30, let it drip and cool, and then laid it down on a paper towel. I got through about 3 sets of of the various sizes and only used half the wax in the pan. I was basing the amount of wax on various modern DIY guides to waxed cotton and linen covers that stated 1 cup of wax shavings per cover. Another forum I read said 1 cup of shaved wax is equal to 1 cup melted. I'm not sure if the linen just absorbs less or what. So 1 pound of wax should be more than enough for the average person. I foresee a million twelfth night gifts to hand out in my future.
TLDR Version
No documentation that I can find on these.
Cut your circles out in whatever size you'll need
Put 1 pound block of wax in a disposable roasting pan or a pan you don't love because it's your wax pan forever
Crank oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit and stick the roasting pan in
Wait until the wax is melted.
Dip 1/2 to 3/4 of the circle in the wax. Pull it out and let it drip and harden over the melted wax pan as you count to 30. When the waxed side is cool enough and hard enough for you to touch, grab that end and dip the unwaxed portion. Count to 30 and let it drip and harden over the pan of melted wax.
Lay on a paper towel to cool.
And voila!
You can rinse these in cool water when they're dirty and reuse them. They can't be placed over piping hot foods but work with warm foods. My guideline is if the food is hot enough to burn you if you stick your finger in, it's too hot for the waxed linen. The internet says beeswax has a melting point of 144-147 degrees fahrenheit.
Oh yeah, if you have cats good luck not finding little cat furs all over these things no matter how clean you think you got the linen beforehand.
Updated Feb 20, 2015
The waxed linen covers class was fun, and someone mentioned they had seen the lids used in the context of an apothecary. I searched high and low, and found this.
Thanks to whoever pointed me in the right direction!
I thought "Why not make waxed linen lids? Practical for the cooks, but not directly food related. Perfect for me to teach"
And then I decided to look for any actually proof of these very handy waxed linen covers in the SCA timeframe. I could not find a single thing. Granted, I "researched" with Google, but in the two hours of googling I could only find waxed linen being referenced in altar cloths and body wrappings for the dead and some very cool reference to 15th century gaiters.
Knowing this, I proceeded anyway.
I cut out a bunch of linen circles in various sizes (5", 6.5", 8", and 10") using my plates and bowls as a template and my white linen scrap box of shame. I didn't iron them. I ordered 5lbs of beeswax in 1 pound blocks from some place I googled that seemed reputable. I bought a disposable aluminum roasting pan. And I winged it.
I preheated the oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit (the flash point of beeswax is 400 degrees fahrenheit and it discolors around 185 degrees but I didn't care too much about that tbh) and popped a 1 pound block in the disposable pan in the oven and sat down and watched a Gilmore Girls episode. When I came back the wax was fully melted. I dipped one unironed circle in the wax using the chopstick skills my husband taught me, and I realized that the wax doesn't really smooth it out enough. I pulled my test circle out using the chopsticks. It folded over onto itself as it was drying and I tried pulling it apart, which worked but sort of hurt my delicate fingertips but worked.
After a few more circles using the chopsticks, I decided to do the following:
I dipped the circles about 3/4 of the way in the hot wax, pulled it out, counted to 30 while letting it drip over the aluminum pan, grabbed the now cool but still somewhat soft waxed side, and dipped the unwaxed portion of the circle in. I counted to 30, let it drip and cool, and then laid it down on a paper towel. I got through about 3 sets of of the various sizes and only used half the wax in the pan. I was basing the amount of wax on various modern DIY guides to waxed cotton and linen covers that stated 1 cup of wax shavings per cover. Another forum I read said 1 cup of shaved wax is equal to 1 cup melted. I'm not sure if the linen just absorbs less or what. So 1 pound of wax should be more than enough for the average person. I foresee a million twelfth night gifts to hand out in my future.
TLDR Version
No documentation that I can find on these.
Cut your circles out in whatever size you'll need
Put 1 pound block of wax in a disposable roasting pan or a pan you don't love because it's your wax pan forever
Crank oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit and stick the roasting pan in
Wait until the wax is melted.
Dip 1/2 to 3/4 of the circle in the wax. Pull it out and let it drip and harden over the melted wax pan as you count to 30. When the waxed side is cool enough and hard enough for you to touch, grab that end and dip the unwaxed portion. Count to 30 and let it drip and harden over the pan of melted wax.
Lay on a paper towel to cool.
And voila!
 |
| Pretty grippy, but not water tight. |
You can rinse these in cool water when they're dirty and reuse them. They can't be placed over piping hot foods but work with warm foods. My guideline is if the food is hot enough to burn you if you stick your finger in, it's too hot for the waxed linen. The internet says beeswax has a melting point of 144-147 degrees fahrenheit.
Oh yeah, if you have cats good luck not finding little cat furs all over these things no matter how clean you think you got the linen beforehand.
Updated Feb 20, 2015
The waxed linen covers class was fun, and someone mentioned they had seen the lids used in the context of an apothecary. I searched high and low, and found this.
| Tacuinum Sanitatis (BNF Latin 9333, fol. 51v), 15th century |
Thanks to whoever pointed me in the right direction!
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