Silicone is a very common material used today for the production of products for various purposes. This can be molds (forms intended for the manufacture of sculptures, jewelry, etc.), fishing tackle, cosmetics, etc. However, food silicone used for the manufacture of kitchen utensils is currently the most popular.
Tableware
More recently, food grade silicone was used to make only baking tins. Today, dishes and various kitchen accessories are also made from it. Very good performance characteristics differ, for example, colanders and double boiler made of silicone. Their undoubted advantages include, first of all, health safety. Food-grade silicone does not oxidize and does not emit any harmful substances even with strong heating. In addition, it is a completely hypoallergenic material. Silicone colanders, among other things, are very convenient to store. They can simply be folded several times and put in a cabinet.
Since silicone has a very low degree of thermal conductivity, it is often used to make potholders, heat-insulating handles and supports for hot dishes. The performance of such products are simply wonderful. Stands reliably protect countertops from spoilage, and tacks allow you to remove dishes even with open fire without risking burning your hands. The simplest kitchen utensils of this variety can, by the way, be made independently. For this purpose, liquid food-grade silicone is usually used, from which the desired product is simply cast.
The advantages of dishes made from this material can also include durability. Abrasion, in contrast, for example, from the same wood, it is completely not affected. In addition, it is elastic and completely non-slip. These qualities have made it ideally suited for the manufacture of liners for culinary hammers and cases for glasses.
Silicone molds
It's just that molds made of this material are very popular among housewives. Food-grade silicone is most often used specifically for the manufacture of molds. There are several advantages to using it for this purpose:
As is the case with cookware, good non-stick properties. Silicone baking dishes do not even need to be greased when used.
Elasticity. Pulling baked goods out of this form is very simple. If you wish, you can even mold Moldova inside out.
Lack of any smell. Flour products made in such molds completely retain their natural taste.
Easy to care. Wash forms from this material very easily.
You can use silicone molds not only for the manufacture of flour products. Very often they are used for baking fruits, vegetables, meat and fish stews. Some housewives make with their use beautiful sweets from pastille and puddings.
How to distinguish a fake
Of course, all the advantages described above differ only in high-quality food-grade silicone, made in compliance with all the required technologies. But, unfortunately, in the modern market there is simply a huge number of such products cast from fake material. You can distinguish them from real ones by external signs:
On a dubious type of packaging. The absence of a label and description in Russian may indicate a poor quality of dishes.
The presence of an unpleasant smell of rubber.
The appearance of a white vein in a bend.
Very cheap food-grade silicone products are not worth buying. Too low a price can be a sign of fake. Among other things, when buying such dishes, you should definitely pay attention to the marking. The presence of CE letters means that the product complies with European standards. The letters FDA are affixed to silicone utensils if they are tested for compliance with the requirements of the U.S. Food Control Authority.
Disadvantages of Silicone Kitchen Accessories
The minus of dishes made of this material, many housewives believe that it is too soft, and to use objects because of this is not too convenient. In this case, the way out may be to buy products of this type with a metal frame. Also, the disadvantage of silicone utensils is that they are not washed very well in the dishwasher.
Composition of ordinary and food grade silicone
So, the forms and dishes from this material are considered completely harmless. But is it really so? Let's deal with this in more detail. All silicones are, in fact, no more than one of the varieties of artificial rubber. That is, they belong to the group of polymers with monomers that contain silicon atoms.
There is both one-component and two-component silicone. In the latter case, in the manufacture of various products, a hardener is additionally used. All silicones from the silicon-oxygen chain â SiO â SiO â SiO, are composed. Organic side groups are added to this inorganic chain. They join through silicon atoms. By changing the length of the main chain, varying the side groups, specialists get materials with different properties.
The silicone composition of any groups is thus almost the same. The food version of this material differs from other varieties in that it includes various kinds of additives that increase its resistance to high temperatures and prevent destruction due to contact with food.
Many probably would like to know how to make silicone at home. Unfortunately, making its own food grade with your own hands is impossible. You can only make ordinary silicone, which can not be used for baking or cooking other dishes. Such material is made from liquid glass and ethyl alcohol in different proportions.
On sale today there is also a very interesting edible silicone. It is used as a bait for fishing.
How to use silicone molds
When baking using this kitchen accessory, the following rules should be observed:
Pouring the dough into the mold should already be when it is on a wire rack or on a baking sheet. Otherwise, due to the softness of the walls, transferring it later without splashing the contents will be problematic.
It is not necessary to lubricate a baking dish before use. Do this only once - after purchasing a new product.
Ready baking should be kept in the form for several minutes. After that, it will be possible to get it without any problems.
It is impossible to use knives and various metal objects to separate burnt baking from silicone. Tearing or cutting through this material can be very easy. Instead of a knife in such cases, use a wooden spatula.
Molds for freezing
If desired, silicone molds can be used not only for baking, but also for the preparation of frozen sweets or jellied meat. This material perfectly tolerates not only elevated, but also lowered temperatures. Above, we considered how to make silicone, not food, but ordinary. For the manufacture of molds for ice, this option, by the way, may well be suitable.
There are even special silicone molds designed to make ice. Pulling out the finished product from them is very simple. You do not need to use a knife or anything else for this.
Like silicone dishes, molds intended for baking or freezing are allowed to be stored in the folded state. Of course, it is impossible to put such products on fire in any case. Food grade silicone will melt.
Sealant
Food-grade silicone can be used not only for the manufacture of molds and utensils. Its unique properties allow its use in some other areas. For example, food-grade silicone sealant is used in the repair of equipment at bakeries, confectioneries, etc.
Application for cooking vegetables
Some housewives believe that in silicone molds everything cooks a little faster than in other dishes. In addition, it is easier to care for kitchen utensils made of this material. Therefore, they use molds for cooking not only baking, but also other dishes in the oven or microwave. For example, in such a mold, you can make a tasty vegetable stew according to this recipe:
A small piece of meat is beaten, cut into small pieces and marinated in sour cream for half an hour.
At this time, vegetables are prepared for baking. Potatoes and eggplant need to be cut into cubes, carrots - in pieces, and finely chop cabbage.
Slicing should be folded into a cup and mix, previously salted.
Then green peas are added to the mixture of vegetables.
From above everything is sprinkled with chopped green onions.
Next, meat is added to the vegetables.
The resulting mixture is dumped into a silicone mold and placed in the oven for about 1.5 hours.
Baking recipes
Flour products in such utensils, as already mentioned, it is allowed to do absolutely any. It can be, for example, a delicious cupcake. It is prepared as follows:
200 g of margarine is melted on the stove.
1.5 cups of sugar is added to it (no need to remove from the stove).
In the resulting mixture is poured 4 tbsp. l cocoa and pour 100 ml of milk. The mixture should boil and cool.
Separately, beat 4 eggs and pour them into a margarine mass. Then a little soda and 2 cups flour are added to the mixture. Then everything is well mixed and poured into a silicone mold. Bake the cupcake for 45 minutes.
How to make ice
To prepare ice in molds, it is best to purchase a mineral water without gas. You can also use boiled water. Ice from sweetened, tinted with food coloring or juice juice is very unusual. In this case, the berry or a piece of some fruit is first laid on the bottom of the mold. Then sweetened water is poured. Ice molds, by the way, are easy to make including using food-grade silicone sealant.
Other species
As already mentioned, silicone can be not only food grade. There is also a cosmetic option for it, medical and construction. Above, we considered how to make silicone alcohol, which can be attributed to the construction group. Such material is used for the manufacture of forms for various kinds of decorative products. Medical silicone is most often used for casting implants. Using the cosmetic option make shampoos, shower gels, etc.
Edible silicone, as already mentioned, is used in fishing. Lures made from it may take the form of fish or worms. There are a variety of options for such products.
As you can see, the scope of use of food-grade silicone is quite wide. It can be used for making dishes, baking dishes and all kinds of kitchen utensils. By the way, for the production of such products, a one-component version of this material is usually used. Two-component silicone is often used for the manufacture of molds for soap, figurines, etc. The fact is that the hardener may contain various kinds of substances that are harmful to health.