After moving to a new town and eager to learn the area, I was perusing Facebook and found a nice little antique store. Off the beaten track, I pulled into a dirt driveway that led to an old red barn. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, but I knew immediately I was gonna find something great. And boy, did I! Back in the corner, on the top shelf, were different amounts and quantities of beeswax. Some in neat measured and weighted rounds, others in big chunks. Knowing that beeswax never goes bad, spoils, become rancid, or otherwise expires, I felt like this was the jackpot in the barn. In fact, old beeswax has been recovered from ancient shipwrecks, pharaohs, tombs, sunken Viking ships, and Roman ruins. I was intrigued!
I looked around at the many treasures stacked in the barn but returned for the beeswax. After doing some math and comparing prices online, the big chunks of beeswax were a good deal. It had a little bloom, which is expected with old beeswax, but that is no big deal. The bigger problem was the sheer size of the chunks.
How to manage big chunks of beeswax
After doing some research online with a multitude of suggestions and techniques, I climbed out of the rabbit hole and called a commercial beekeeper I know. He helped me with the process below, and it was e.a.s.y.
- Line a crockpot with cheesecloth and place the beeswax inside. The cheesecloth will collect any solids or impurities.
- Melt the beeswax on low until the wax is melted.
- Remove the cheesecloth and throw it away.
- Use a measuring cup to pour the beeswax from the crockpot into the molds and sit aside to cool.
**tip: Complete this project with your project materials, not your food crockpot; wax is nearly impossible to clean up.
That’s it! Now I have clean, tidy 6oz blocks of beeswax to use in slaves or soap.
Have you ever processed old beeswax? It’s easy, right?
~ Lola
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