It is important to know what you can wrap your food in when you put it in the freezer. You can’t just put food unwrapped in the freezer as freezer burn can occur which will ruin the taste and texture of your food. In this article, we will take a look at parchment paper to see if it is a good choice for the freezer.
Can Parchment Paper Be Used In The Freezer?
Yes, parchment paper can be used to wrap the food you put in the freezer. It has many advantages. First of all, it contains very few chemicals, if any, so you won’t have to worry about chemicals seeping into your food.
Parchment paper can be used in different ways. You can just wrap your food in it but you can also use it to separate items of food such as beefburgers, fish cakes, steaks, and so on. Just cut a piece of parchment paper a little bigger than the items of food and place them in between the food. This stops the food from sticking together, making it easy for you to remove only the number of items you need. This helps you to stop wasting food.
However, there is a disadvantage with parchment paper. Unlike aluminum foil and cling film, it won’t stick to itself. The solution to this problem is to wrap the food in a couple of layers of parchment paper and then use tape to stick it together. You must make sure that it is a tight fit otherwise freezer burn may occur. An alternative method is to wrap your food in one layer of parchment paper and then a layer of aluminum foil.
Can You Freeze Meat In Parchment Paper?
Yes, you can but you must wrap it tightly to prevent air from getting in. Wrap each piece of meat separately so that you can take out just as many pieces as you need. Put them in a freezer bag, squeezing out as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. Put a label on the bag with the contents and the date you put it in the freezer. You don’t want to keep the meat in the freezer for longer than its use-by date.
Will Meat Stick to Parchment Paper in the Freezer?
No, meat shouldn’t stick to the parchment paper as it has a non-stick coating. This is why it is so good for placing in between burgers, steaks, and fish cakes. It stops them from sticking together and you can just remove as few or as many as you need for a meal.
Can You Freeze Fish In Parchment Paper?
Yes, you can freeze fish in parchment paper. Either wrap the filets separately and put them in a freezer bag, or, alternatively, layer them in an airtight container with parchment paper in between the layers. If you have more than one filet in each layer, make sure that they are not touching so that they don’t stick together.
Are There Any Differences Between Parchment Paper and Freezer Paper?
Yes, there are. Parchment paper and freezer paper are not the same things. Parchment paper is the same on both sides and can be used for almost anything including baking. Freezer paper is just that. It is made especially for use in the freezer. One side of the paper is plain paper while the other is coated in plastic. This plastic layer should be put against the food. It prevents the food from getting freezer burn. Freezer burn ruins the taste and texture of the food, as well as takes away some of the nutrients.
Another difference between parchment paper and freezer paper is that food lasts longer in the freezer without drying out when wrapped in freezer paper.
Alternative Wrappings For Food In The Freezer
1. Freezer Bags.
Quite often you will wrap your food in something like aluminum foil or cling film and then put it in a freezer bag. However, sometimes you might want to put your food directly in a freezer bag. If you flash freeze vegetables they won’t stick together, so you can put them directly in a freezer bag. If you want to freeze soup, you can put it straight into freezer bags in meal-size portions. The same goes for foods like chicken, beef, fish, or vegetables that are in a marinade. If you are freezing liquids, make sure that the freezer bags are strong so that they don’t split and make a mess in your freezer. The one thing you need to remember when using freezer bags is to squeeze out all the air so that freezer burn doesn’t occur which will ruin the taste and texture of the food.
2. Wax paper.
Wax paper is covered in silicone wax on both sides. This prevents food from sticking to it. It is also moisture resistant which stops the food from going soggy. Like parchment paper, you need to put tape on it for it to stick together. Unlike parchment paper it doesn’t last for as long in the freezer so don’t wrap up items with it if you want to keep food in the freezer for over three months. An advantage of wax paper is that it is much cheaper than parchment paper.
3. Freezer paper.
Freezer paper is specially made for the freezer. It has one side coated with plastic. This should go up against your food to prevent it from freezer burn.
4. Cling film.
Cling film is a great choice as it sticks to itself, so you are able to seal your food tightly.
5. Aluminum foil.
Aluminum foil is also a good choice as it doesn’t need tape to stick it together. It is possible to seal your food tightly with aluminum foil. Quite often, food is wrapped first in cling film and then in aluminum foil to give extra protection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hopefully, you know all about parchment paper but in case you still have questions, we have answered a few here.
Can you use parchment paper in the fridge?
Yes, it is completely safe to use parchment paper in the fridge. Wrap the food in the same way as you would if you were putting it in the freezer.
Can you use parchment paper in the oven?
Yes, you can. In fact, that is the main use for parchment paper. It is heat-resistant and can be used to line pans. It has a non-stick surface, so your cakes and biscuits won’t stick.
What else can you use parchment paper for?
You can use it for funneling ingredients and even piping icing onto a cake.
Is parchment paper the same as baking paper?
Yes, they are in fact, the same thing and can be used in both the freezer and the oven. The only real difference is in the name. In the US, it is called parchment paper, while in the UK, it is called baking paper.
Conclusion
We can conclude that parchment paper is a good choice for wrapping foods in the freezer. The only problem is that you need to use tape to stick it together. You do have to be careful that the food is wrapped tightly so that air doesn’t get in. Otherwise, freezer burn may occur. It is a good idea to wrap the food in two or three layers of parchment paper and to put the wrapped food in a freezer bag or airtight container.
