Aluminum foil; where is preferred? Someone prefers to bake food in aluminum foil; someone uses paper or a sleeve to bake. However, not everyone knows the difference. We will find out what is better to choose for a particular dish—tips. Most of the time, few people think about which word to use aluminum foil, parchment, or sleeve. We usually take what is available. But it is not that simple. Because choosing the suitable material has a significant impact on the quality of the finished product. Let’s put everything in its place and share the problem of using aluminum foil, sleeves, and baking paper.
Butter paper
Parchment is used for baking all products at a temperature that does not exceed 200 ° C. They cover a baking sheet without greasing the oil; the food does not stick, and the form does not burn. Homemakers fell in love with parchment for the environmentally friendly dishes cooked in it. It is a great helper in the kitchen; the main thing is to choose it correctly.
- The paper should be silicon coated. Then it withstands the heat and does not leak the liquid.
- Produce brown and white parchment. Quality is the same.
- Paper is sold in rolls or separate sheets depending on the size and width of the baking sheet from the oven. The sheet is placed on a baking sheet, and the required length is cut from the roll.
- Making an envelope from parchment for baking fish or meat is convenient. To do this, it is convenient to fasten it with ordinary stationery.
Aluminum foil
Foil is made of thin active metal aluminum. It comes in different lengths, widths, and densities. The fragile film can tear when wrapped in it; very tight – it bends badly, so it is inconvenient to wrap meat or fish with it. It is better to choose a medium-density film.
The advantage of foil is that the aluminum plate can withstand temperatures up to 600 ° C so that you can bake delicious meat or potatoes. And not only in the oven but also on coals in an outdoor grill. During baking, the high temperature is maintained evenly in the aluminum foil, and the aluminum does not allow the juice to evaporate, which makes the products very juicy. It is often used to bake pieces of meat, poultry, and fish. As with parchment, the foil must also be used correctly when baking.
- Avoid acids and bases. For example, don’t sprinkle lemon juice, wine, or vinegar marinades on food wrapped in cling film. Also, do not cover dough that contains baking powder. Since aluminum, when combined with air, is covered with a protective oxide film that prevents it from oxidizing. And acid and alkali dissolve this film, releasing harmful aluminum salts.
- Lubricate meat or fish with sunflower oil before sending them in aluminum foil. Otherwise, they will stick.
- Wrap the food on the right side in foil. The sheet has a glossy and matte side. Shiny reflects the heat emitted by the oven when heated, and food does not stick to it. So spread the film with the flat side on the table and the shiny side on the food. Roll the food in an envelope or cover with another layer of foil with the shiny side facing.
- Should never use the foil for cooking food in a microwave oven. When aluminum comes into contact with the walls of the microwave oven, sparks will appear, causing the appliance to fail.
- Food in aluminum foil cooks faster than on an open baking sheet.
- A film can be used to store food in the refrigerator.
Sleeve for baking
The sleeve is ideal when you have to feed a large family daily. It is a pipe made of the heat-resistant film (thin food-grade material). Still, the material is polyethylene phthalate (PTEF). It is sold twisted in a roll, from where it is unwound and cut to the desired length. Food is placed in it and tied on both sides with elastic bands or clips. Polyethylene can withstand temperatures up to 220 ° C and does not emit harmful substances when heated.
Can bake dishes in the sleeve with marinades and sauces. Under the influence of steam, the products release their juices as they are cooked, making them juicy and soft. The advantage of the sleeve – the dishes will be ready faster than without it. A small chicken in the oven is baked for one hour and in a sleeve – 35-40 minutes, with a constant stream cycle. At the end of cooking, be careful not to burn yourself with the steam. And if you need a golden crust, 15 minutes before the end of cooking, the sleeve is cut. You can bake any food in the sleeve: meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, or all sorts.
- Buy sleeves and baking bags of high quality and certified, better than European ones. These labels say “environmentally friendly” or “after disposal, the material does not release harmful substances into the atmosphere.”
- Measure the length of the sleeve with a small allowance to tie on 2 sides. Although bags with one end closed have appeared on the market, only the second edge needs to be fixed.
- It is convenient to tie one end of the sleeve, fill it, and fasten the other end with a clothespin.
- The high heat swells the sleeve in the oven. If placed incorrectly, it will hit the wall and explode.
- Place the products in the sleeve on a baking sheet, not on the wire shelf.
- You cannot use the “grill” when baking in the sleeve.
- If the package changes color when heated, acquires an unpleasant pungent smell, breaks, and crumbles, it is dangerous to use.
- Check for doneness by piercing the meat with a toothpick through the sleeve. Turn off the oven if it goes over quickly and no red juices run out.
- Frying time depends on the size of the product. Roast pork weighing 2 kg for 1.5 hours, chicken – 1 hour, vegetables – 40 minutes, fish – 30 minutes.
So, choosing a sleeve, parchment paper, or film is up to the conference itself. In any case, all cooking assistants will facilitate cooking and help to prepare it tasty, fragrant, and juicy.