FOOD NEWS
17 Parchment Paper Hacks You'll Wish You Knew Sooner
BY ELETTRA PAULETTO
Crumple It
If you find parchment paper truly unruly to work with or have a hard time getting to stay where you need it, try crumpling it before you flatten it.
Since it’s stored on a spool, parchment paper tends to roll up when laid flat. By crumpling it before you lay it out flat, it will be much easier to bend and put into place.
Don’t Use It For Broiling
Broilers are the hottest functions most ovens can provide, reaching temperatures up to 550 degrees F, so it’s best to avoid using parchment paper.
While parchment paper's heat-resistant properties are well up for the task of a cake being baked at 350 degrees F, broiling is better left to sturdier liners like foil.
Cartouches
A cartouche is a round cutout of parchment paper that is placed at the bottom of a cake tin instead of butter or flour, to make sure the batter doesn’t stick.
You can also use it as a cover for pots since it supposedly leads to a more even cooking process compared to metal lids, which can cause heat and steam to gather unevenly.
Avoid It For Roasted Veg
Parchment paper can make cleanup that much easier, but you shouldn’t use it for everything, particularly when roasting vegetables.
This is less for safety concerns and more for quality since the heat-resistant properties of the parchment paper can minimize the caramelization and browning of the veggies.
Spray The Bottom
Parchment paper is useful for its non-stick properties, but this can be frustrating when getting the paper to stay in place. That’s when cooking oil comes in handy.
Simply apply a neutral oil, butter, or cooking spray to the bottom of the parchment paper, and it will keep the paper from curling up around the edges and shifting.