10 Reasons to Use Parchment Paper

Uses for parchment paper in the kitchen - TheMessyBaker.com

10 Reasons to Use Parchment Paper

Uses for parchment paper in the kitchen - TheMessyBaker.com

Growing up, I always thought of parchment paper as something people wrote letters on. It involved a fountain pen and a blotter. It was all very romantic but had nothing to do with chocolate chip cookies and poached salmon.

Times changed. Parchment crept into professional kitchens and elbowed its way into gourmet magazines. Confused, I asked my mother about it. She dismissed culinary parchment as an unnessessary money grab. Aluminum foil, waxed paper and plastic wrap were inexpensive and easy to get. Why on earth would she need parchment? Having survived the Great Depression, my mother is extremely pragmatic. She calls BS on products that dazzle fanciful people like me. She is seldom wrong. But when it comes to parchment, I think she’s living in the Dark Ages. Sorry, Mom. I hate to say it, but you’re wrong.

Coated with a thin film of silicone, culinary parchment is a non-stick, oven-safe, moisture-resistant culinary workhorse. It’s replaced my waxed paper completely. Even my eager plastic wrap is feeling neglected. And the aluminum foil? It can’t wait for the hot weather. Nowadays it’s called upon only for the grill.

I’ve been using PaperChef for a couple of years now. They recently sent me some samples to try out. I obliged. While it’s not  for letter-writing, parchment is indispensable in my kitchen. It’s right up there with my microplane and beloved French rolling pin. Here are 10 reasons I believe parchment products deserves a spot in your cramped pantry.

  1. It’s user-friendly: Ignore the watermark. It’s branding, not an indication of which side to use. Unlike aluminum foil, either side is the right side. As far as handling goes, if you can tear off a sheet of aluminum foil or waxed paper, you can deal with parchment. PaperChef makes pre-cut sheets. If these appeal, be sure to check your pan size first. The sheets don’t fit my pans, but are still very handy for counter work.
  2. It’s compostable: Our municipality earmarks waxed paper for landfill. Parchment paper, however, can be disposed of with the compostables. I feel no guilt tossing used parchment into the green bin. Plastic wrap on the other hand? I apologize to future generations.
  3. It’s reusable: As long as the item you’re cooking isn’t too wet, you can get a second or even third use out of a sheet of parchment. Think kale chips, cookies and granola. Fish? Not so much.
  4. It works in heat: Because parchment can take indirect heat up to 425°F,  you can bake cakes or roast meat and vegetables without fear. But it is paper, so keep it away from the broiler or stovetop elements.
  5. It works in cold: Moisture-resistant parchment withstands temperature fluctuations better than waxed paper. Use it to roll chilled items like icebox cookies or herb butter. Place a piece of parchment between hamburger patties, waffles, or squares before they go into the freezer. The food will divide easily and the parchment divider won’t tear.
  6. It saves clean-up time:  While parchment doesn’t actually wash the dishes, it might save you the effort. No more chiselling cookies off baking sheets or leaving portions of cake in the bottom of the pan. And lasagna? Say good-bye to overnight soaks. Just line and lift. It also reduces prep mess. You won’t need cooking sprays and will never have to grease and flour straight-edged cake tins again. Convoluted bundt pans are another story.
  7. It prevents spills: Parchment won’t defy gravity, but it can help you lift items from the pan more easily. Let the parchment overhang the edges to form a makeshift handle. Then simply lift the baked goods out. Bonus: When baking granola, fold the parchment lining into a funnel for easy pouring.
  8. It saves your pans: Think of parchment as a protective layer. Since I’ve started using parchment my pans have stopped aging dramatically. Maybe PaperChef should branch into skin care.
  9. You can write on it: Grab a Sharpie. The ink won’t soak through or smudge once dried. Label what you’ve wrapped. Trace your pan to cut a perfectly shaped lining. Or draw rounds for uniform meringues. (Just flip the parchment over before you pipe. You can see the outline but the food won’t touch the ink.) Wrap a sandwich and write a love note to embarrass your kids — or delight your husband. No fountain pen or blotter needed.
  10. It takes many shapes: PaperChef sells parchment rolls, muffin cups, pre-cut sheets, and en papillote bags. If you have limited pantry space, keep a roll on hand. You can bend parchment to your will — or at least fold it into useful shapes. You can cut it to fit any shape or size of pan (see #9), form your own muffin cups (picture below), fold it into serving cones for snacks like popcorn, or make a disposable piping bag.

Parchment muffin liners -- self-made and pre-shaped. Both work - TheMessyBaker.com

There. Ten reasons to use parchment. I’m not sure if I’ve convinced my mom. She’s a tough sell. Have I convinced you? If you’re already a convert, how do you use parchment?

 

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17 Comments
  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 15:45h, 24 May

    Thanks so much for your kind words about my photos. I’m working hard at improving them. Oh, I shudder to think of how I polluted the web with flash-washed images a few years ago.

    Getting parchment into pans can be tricky, but well worth the effort. . I should do a post dedicated to that. Thanks for sharing your frustrations. I’m sure you’re not alone in this.

    Keep baking!

  • Vanessa
    Posted at 15:29h, 24 May

    Alright, I will give it another try, but I find it terribly finicky when trying to get it into pans.

    My real reason to comment though is to tell you how much I have been loving your photography. Really beautiful Charmian!

  • wendyb964
    Posted at 23:24h, 24 May

    I used to consider it a luxury as a small roll at the grocery store seemed pricey. Now available at my big box club store, it’s far less expensive and I don’t feel so decadent. It’s invaluable for lining 9×13 pans of brownies, layered bar cookies, and layer cake pans. Too lazy to cut the two strips that would make nice square corners for a square/rectangular pan, I lift the entire contents out and slice the outer 1/2 inch or so off all sides to “pretty” it up which leaves lots of nibbles for us (usually most of what I bake gets given/sold to others.) Not a fan of regular paper cupcake liners, preferring foil, I might be a convert to parchment paper ones. Thanks!

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 00:41h, 27 May

    What a great way to use parchment without fussing. As for cupcake/muffin liners, the paper ones can stick and tear the baked goods. The parchment ones don’t. I think they are worth buying but a lot depends on how often you bake, what you bake and how much room you have in the pantry cupboard.

    Thanks for sharing your smart, “lazy” way of lining brownie pans! Bake on!

  • Phillip
    Posted at 23:38h, 02 June

    “Ten reasons to use parchment. Have I convinced you?”

    Definitely, come me in!

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 12:30h, 03 June

    You’re in!

  • Susan Sampson
    Posted at 14:40h, 13 June

    I’m with you on the parchment. I love it, too. To get it to stick and straighten in the baking dish, I very lightly grease the pan, then press the parchment onto that. It molds nicely and doesn’t shift when I pour in the batter. There are some interesting specialty sizes. I have a box of small parchment squares, which I don’t use much, but they do come in handy occasionally. They also make pre-cut tube pan parchment liners, which I rarely see in stores. I have tried the parchment liners for cupcakes/muffins, but didn’t like them because they gaped and pulled away from my cupcakes — too messy looking.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 23:18h, 13 June

    Great tip on getting parchment to stay put in the baking dish. Thanks so much for that. I have never seen pre-cut tube pan liners but wouldn’t have the room for them even if I did stumble upon them. I’ll stick to butter and flour for now. 🙂

    Thanks again for taking the time to share your expertise. For those who don’t know, Susan Sampson is an amazing food writer, author, and a former food editor with the Toronto Star. Just standing near her makes me a better cook.

  • Rosita
    Posted at 23:54h, 27 November

    Thanks, I will use it to wrap around the husks of my tamales, so it’s not messy on the extra dough

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 10:15h, 16 December

    What a great idea! Parchment has endless uses. Thanks for adding to the list.

  • Keller
    Posted at 11:23h, 15 October

    What an incredibly wasteful product. Parchment paper is coated with silicone and absolutely CANNOT be composted or recycled. Stop pretending you know what you’re talking about. Major recyclers will not accept it and it is not compostable according to organizations that study compostability and recyclability. How hard is it to use a regular baking tray or a silicone mat without parchment paper? Stop spreading lies about this crap product. If you’re going to use disposable products that must be thrown in a landfill to satisfy your personal convenience, just acknowledge that instead of acting like you’re taking the high road somehow.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 11:58h, 15 October

    My municipality composts food-soiled parchment. It no longer recycles parchment, which has changed since in the years since I originally wrote this. I will amend this in the post. I’ve tried silicone mats and they are great for some baking but nothing that leaks. I use large trays, and have yet to find a silicone mat that fits it properly. Parchment has greatly reduced the amount of washing up I do, which saves water, and soap, as well as time.

    I am glad you are passionate and took the time to comment. That said, I respectfully request that in the future you address the issue itself and skip the personal accusations.

  • Jenny
    Posted at 09:17h, 18 February

    Thank you for sharing this. Can wax paper also be recycled?

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 12:17h, 09 March

    Unfortunately, waxed paper is not recycable. Recycling breaks down paper using water to create a pulp. The wax coating prevents this.

    Waxed paper *might* be compostable, depending on what it’s coated with. If it’s coated in soybean oil it’s compostable. If it’s coated in parrafin, which most are, then it’s likely not compostable. Some parrafin is vegetable-based, most is petroleum-based. So, how do you know? If the coating is compost-friendly, the packaging will likely promote this. If the packaging doesn’t say anything, chances are it’s not compostable.

    Hope this helps.

  • Ines Davis
    Posted at 19:57h, 30 September

    More of a question: baking with students during covid 19, I’d like to label each student’s little pizza or bread or muffin individually before baking. Can I write name with permanent marker on parchment under each item broke baking? Is it safe? Other options?

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 21:15h, 30 September

    We did this long before COVID. It’s safe. Just write the name with permanent marker where you will see it once the food is on the parchment, then FLIP IT OVER so the marker doesn’t touch the food. The top or corner works well.

    Alternatively, the kids can initial a corner of the parchment before you flip it over. This helps with buy-in. But it takes time and might mean sharing a marker, so it might not work for you.

    Good luck with the baking. That’s a lucky group of students.

  • Robin L Stickle
    Posted at 00:59h, 04 November

    My daughter is fascinated by remakes of authentic stuff from the medieval time era. I want to make her a medieval-style notebook with parchment paper that is silicon coated. Would it work to write on with a fountain pen?