In the lazy, hazy days of summer we are languishing in the past with a series of stand-out throw-back cool tools. Join us until Labour Day as we take a walk down cool tool memory lane.
Our next cool tool in review is edible paraffin wax. Our readers found this one fascinating and we do too!
It is the norm that supermarket rutabagas (many also refer to them as turnips) be peeled before cooking because of their wax-coated skin. First, as those who grow them know, those big turnips are really rutabagas, a cabbage/turnip cross. Second, waxing is a great way to seal, retain moisture and preserve (keep bacteria out) the rutabaga.
With a wax coating, they can be stored for weeks, like other root vegetables (like potatoes). As one of the highest moisture root crops, rutabagas are generally coated with a protective food-grade paraffin wax to prevent deterioration and keep them moist. After coating with wax, they are almost indestructible. In a root cellar or buried in sand, rutabagas can last a long time.
The process of waxing turnips originated at Guelph Agricultural College to maintain the freshness of the root vegetable. Most everyone would like a juicy turnip but don’t ever think about the shiny wax. Allen Gardens, a market garden in Sault Ste. Marie, ON were innovators when it came to turnips and their preservation. Mr. Allen had to experiment with getting things just right. One can imagine how labour intensive the waxing process was in 1962 and they eventually investigated automation. They heard about a man in Southern Ontario who had built a number of waxing plants.
At the height of the market business, 4,000 bushels (a bushel being 50 lbs.) of turnips a year were grown, processed and sold. After years of service, the turnip waxing plant was sold to the Holland Marsh to continue making waxing easier for other market farmers.
I’ve noticed a new trend to wax-less rutabagas in some stores and wondered why but surmise the expense or perhaps supply chain shortages. Whatever the cause without wax rutabagas have reduced shelf-life with higher risk of food waste.
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Source: SooToday.co