For every real housewife, parchment paper is an indispensable assistant in the kitchen, since it is its use that prevents baking from burning, and also facilitates easy removal of it from the culinary form, and besides, the form will remain clean. But what is parchment paper made of and how to choose it correctly?
Currently, parchment paper is made from vegetable parchment. The base paper, namely cotton sheets, does not contain additional layers and fillers. The fibers are processed using sulfuric acid. As a result of this impregnation, cellulose is partially converted into a jelly-like amyloid. After washing the paper, the resulting amyloid layer hardens, and the paper does not soak even when it enters water. In addition, the amyloid is heat-resistant, which means that the products do not burn.
Still parchment paper is made of porous filtered paper. At the same time, it, as in the previous case, is treated with sulfuric acid and dried thoroughly. The main characteristics of parchment paper are breathability, grease tightness, water tightness and strength.
With regard to breathability, food parchment allows you to preserve the taste and smell of products, while preventing them from drying out and absorption of extraneous odors. But unlike cling film, parchment paper allows products to “breathe”.
Grease tightness is a very important characteristic when baking, as paper acts as a separation layer and helps to easily separate the finished product from the baking sheet. You do not need to use a lot of oil.
Water-resistant allows you to pack greasy and moist foods, and then protects them from moisture. Parchment paper, therefore, has a significant advantage over other types of packaging.
In appearance, parchment paper resembles coated paper, but do not confuse them. Since coated paper is intended mainly for printing, and does not have such unique properties as parchment, because it is not intended for storing products.
Baking paper should meet several characteristics. Firstly, a non-stick greaseproof surface should be on both sides of the paper. Secondly, at high temperatures (both in the oven and under hot water) it should not crumble and soak. Thirdly, it should not affect the taste and smell of the products wrapped in it. Fourthly, high-quality parchment paper can be used several times, since it is strong enough.
Note to the hostesses: parchment paper is needed not only for the preparation of confectionery, as everyone is used to think, but also for other purposes. With its help, you can easily cook fish, meat and vegetable dishes. It turns out even tastier than when using foil and sleeves. But it should be borne in mind that for such purposes it is better to choose parchment with a silicone coating.
There is no doubt the benefit of parchment paper for fans of a healthy lifestyle, because when preparing dishes with its use, there is no need to add oil or fats. The nutritional properties of the products are preserved, and the taste is not lost. Tightly tied the ends of parchment paper, you can make a bag in which products are easily boiled in boiling water.
In addition to cooking, parchment paper is used in medicine. It is used for packaging sterile medical devices, as well as dressings and medicines. In addition, parchment is used for wrapping needle products. The wide range of uses of parchment paper made it an indispensable material.