Or hang a half apple wrapped in honeydew in the fridge. No drying out or anything. Put it on a morel jug, no flies can get at it. In all the sorry course the world is taking with its endless plastic pollution, global warming and depleting supplies of clean water, it might feel good to try to be a little better yourself. Not that it will save the planet, but a step towards a plastic-free home would help. After all, honeydew is a perfect substitute for food film. Some call it wax cloth. But to me, the word reminds me of blinds, which are so artificial and have a neoclassical flavour. The values of beeswax are quite different. It’s natural, fragrant and personal. It’s also easy to make. You take a scrap of cotton fabric. It can even be an old kitchen towel that you’ve given a good scrubbing. You can draw your own pattern on the white fabric – a cat, a cucumber, a tomato – whatever comes to mind. You can also write messages – “love goes through the tummy”, “eat with appetite, dear”, “pancakes are the best!” – whatever your heart desires. Then drizzle with beeswax and bake for a while. The waxing is a bit of a practice though, if you get too much of it, the fabric tends to be hard and break later. The result is a packing material that can be used over and over again. In the meantime, just rinse the running cool water underneath and on to the next round. The pleasant smell lasts for a long time, but at the same time doesn’t stick to the food. Beeswax gives the fabric water resistance, but at the same time it is breathable. And the uses are endless – fruit, vegetables, fresh bread – in short, all the stuff you’ve been wrapping in plastic or hiding in a plastic bag. Take it to the market or the supermarket. Do you have any idea how many plastic bags are used in, say, the Nõmme market in Tallinn. I asked the market traders the other day. One of them estimated that on a good day 400 small plastic bags go. Another one said that he orders 2600 plastic boxes and 1000 plastic bags per month!!!! Actually, that’s pretty scary. It does make me feel good that these nice market girls can make minus one on my account. I always carry my own designed honeydew! You can learn how to make beeswax in our beeswax design workshop.
You can find both beeswax crafting and mending kits in our online shop.
