Beeswax wraps can go in the freezer, and they are an easy way to skip the cling film around cheese and a few slices of bread. Cold does not harm the beeswax. Heat is the thing wax cannot take, and there is none of that in the freezer.
Cold does the beeswax no harm
Beeswax softens as early as 35 to 40 °C and melts at around 62 to 65 °C. Heat is what takes the wax out of the fabric, which is why hot water and the dishwasher are the things to keep the sheet away from. The freezer is the other direction entirely, and there is nothing in there that harms the wax.
The sheet takes no damage from the freezer. It comes out as it went in, and you can carry on using it afterwards exactly as before. The one thing worth doing is giving the parcel a few minutes on the worktop before you open it, so the sheet is soft and easy to fold open.
How to freeze with beeswax wraps
- 1Cool the food completely first
Lukewarm food gives condensation inside the parcel, and damp is what the sheet likes least.
- 2Shape the sheet while it is at room temperature
Lay the food on the sheet, fold the edges in and press them together with your palms. The warmth of your hands is enough for the wax to grip.
- 3Label the parcel with the date
Do not write on the sheet itself. Slip a note in beside the parcel instead.
- 4Lay the parcel flat and free
Do not wedge it between heavy things. A parcel that keeps its shape is much easier to open again.
- 5Let the parcel stand out before you open it
10 to 20 minutes is usually enough. When the sheet feels soft, it folds open by itself.
The last step is the one that matters most: a few minutes of patience and the parcel opens without a fight.
What works, and what does not
| What you want to freeze | In the freezer in a beeswax wrap? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| A piece or an end of cheese | Yes | Wrap it tightly, and use it up within a couple of weeks |
| A few slices of bread | Yes | Fine for a portion you will take out soon |
| Butter | Yes | Firm and dry, the easiest job of all |
| A slice of cake or a bun | Yes | Lay the parcel free, so the slice keeps its shape |
| Whole loaves | Yes, in the bag | Use the bread bag, which goes in the freezer with the loaf |
| Soup, sauce and anything wet | No | A folded sheet is not a container, so it leaks |
| Raw meat and raw fish | No | Needs a hot wash afterwards |
| Anything that will sit for over a month | No | Long spells give the food white dry patches |
What not to freeze in a sheet
Time is the limit here. Food that is left in there too long picks up white dry patches, and they take both the taste and the texture with them. That is what a long stay in the freezer does to food, and it has nothing to do with the wax. If something has to sit for longer than a month, use a sealed box.
Liquid is the other limit. A sheet is folded shut, not sealed shut, so anything runny finds its way out. Soup, stew and marinated food belong in a jar or a box. Raw meat and raw fish have no place there either: afterwards the wrapping has to be washed hot, and hot water melts the wax out of the fabric. The rest of the washing routine is in the guide on caring for beeswax wraps.
And the bread bag handles the freezer
The beeswax bread bag gets the same answer. It is sewn in cotton and linen, coated with beeswax, and closes with a clip. We sell bread bags and we tell you plainly: the bag handles the freezer. Put the loaf in the bag, press the clip shut and put it straight in. Cold does not harm the beeswax, the bag takes no damage, and you can carry on using it afterwards exactly as before. The rest of the method is in the guide on how to freeze bread properly.
The split is simple. The bag takes the week on the worktop, where bread keeps 7 to 10 days and tastes best. If the loaf has to keep longer than that, it can lie in the freezer in the bag, and you thaw it in the same bag, so the moisture goes out through the fabric instead of settling on the crust. And if the bag has picked up a smell you cannot get rid of, it can sit dry in the freezer overnight.
After the freezer: dry, air and check the grip
When the sheet is soft again, there is often a little condensation on the outside. Wipe it off with a clean cloth, or rinse it in cold water with a little mild soap. Let the sheet air dry completely before you put it back in the drawer.
If the sheet grips less well than before, it is not ruined. Lay it between two sheets of baking paper and give it 80 to 90 °C for about 2 minutes in the oven. The wax melts back into place and the grip comes back. If the sheet needs fresh wax, scatter grated beeswax from a wax block over it first. It is set out step by step in the guide on re-waxing beeswax wraps in the oven.
The sheets do most of their work on the worktop and in the fridge. More uses are covered in the guide to using beeswax wraps, and cheese has a guide of its own on cheese without plastic.
Frequently asked questions
Can beeswax wraps be frozen?
How long can food sit in a beeswax wrap in the freezer?
Can I freeze a whole loaf in a beeswax wrap or a bread bag?
Is the sheet ruined if I forgot it in the freezer?
Want the full picture? Everything about beeswax wraps lives in the big guide.
Freeze without cling film
Vokshus beeswax wraps in cotton with beeswax and tree resin, a set of three sheets in the sizes S, M and L.
See the beeswax wrap set →- Reusable for 12+ months
- ·
- 365-day money-back guarantee
- ·
- Washes in cold water