
Wax paper is widely used in cooking and storage of food. Read more about this paper in the article below.
If you’ve ever been on or plan to go on a baking endeavor in the near future, you’ll need to read this article. The practice of using wax paper in cooking and baking is an age old one. The water-resistant properties of this paper is what makes it a favorite, specially among chefs and bakers. If you’re still confused and have no clue as to what it is and what it is used for, then just scroll down for an explanation.
What is Wax Paper
Wax paper, as the name so obviously suggests, is paper with wax. But where is the wax and how is it applied? Wax paper is nothing but processed parchment paper. Processed in the sense that parchment paper is coated with films of oil or wax in order to make it resistant to water. When the paper is coated with wax or oil, which are both immiscible with water or moisture, it stays on the paper, thus making it water and moisture-proof.
Uses of Wax Paper
Now that we know what wax paper is, it’s time to know something about its uses. They range from cooking to other everyday uses.
Baking: If you’ve used wax paper in oven for baking cookies, ever, you’ll know what a terrible idea that is. That’s because wax paper cannot tolerate the immense heat of the oven and hence gets burned. So, many people believe that using parchment paper is a better idea for baking cookies. However, using wax paper for cake baking is a good idea. This is because, while baking a cake, the entire paper gets covered with the batter. This prevents the paper from coming directly in contact with the heat, and so it does not burn. In addition to this, the cake becomes easier to get off the baking pan if it is coated with wax paper.
Microwaving: Another use for wax paper is in microwaves. Because of its wax coating, though it cannot bear the heat of an oven, microwaves do not really affect it. Hence, if you need to prepare food in the microwave, using a wax paper as a base is a safe option.
Packaging: Apart from the baking and microwaving uses of this paper, it is also widely used by bakers and confectioners to package their food items. Since water or moisture cannot penetrate the wax paper, if something like sweets, candy, chocolates, etc. are wrapped in the paper, they will not dry up. They will remain moist and fresh as before.
Dipping Surface: Wax paper is also used as a dipping surface when you need to make food items that need a coating of any kind. For instance, if it’s chocolate-coated strawberries or caramel-coated nuts that you’re preparing, then after you dip them in the chocolate or caramel, you can lay them in a tray that has been lined with wax paper, to cool down and dry out. Since the paper cannot absorb any moisture, the items will come straight off the tray without sticking one bit!
Wrapping: Wax paper can also be used to wrap items that may be delicate, dangerous, or prone to damage due to water. For example, you will notice that the blades that are fitted into your razor always come wrapped in wax paper. It eliminates any chance of skin coming in direct contact with the blade.
Cleaning: Cooking can be a mess. So, the next time you plan to cook something that is sure to leave your kitchen wet, sticky, gooey or all of the above, remember to cover the kitchen counter with a sheet of wax paper. When you’re done, just lift the paper right off the counter and throw it into the trash bin.
Crafts: Apart from all these uses, wax paper can also be used to make different kinds of crafts by kids. One such example is water resistant paper boats. You can make a bunch of them, and have them float in a pond for days, without them getting damaged at all.
In the debate of whether wax paper or parchment paper is better, parchment paper wins only in the baking category. Otherwise, wax paper has many more uses than simple parchment paper. So you know what to pick for what.