Parchment paper facts for kids
Parchment paper, also called baking paper, is a special kind of paper. It's made from cellulose, which comes from plants. This paper is treated to have cool features like being non-stick, resisting grease, keeping out moisture, and handling high heat.
People often use parchment paper when they are baking or cooking. It's a handy, disposable paper that stops food from sticking. Its surface is super smooth, so food slides right off. It can also handle very hot temperatures, up to 220°C (428°F)! Don't mix it up with waxed paper, which is covered in wax and acts differently.
Contents
How Parchment Paper Is Made
To make parchment paper non-stick, it gets a special coating. The most common and safest coating is silicone. This silicone layer is what gives the paper its amazing ability to prevent food from sticking.
Using Parchment Paper in the Kitchen
Parchment paper is super useful in the kitchen!
Baking Cookies and More
One of its best uses is for baking. You can line your sheet pans with it, and you won't need to grease them with butter or oil. This makes baking cookies, pastries, and other treats much easier. Plus, cleanup is a breeze because the pan stays clean! You can quickly bake many batches of goodies without a lot of mess.
Cooking in Pouches
Parchment paper is also great for a cooking method called en papillote. This is a fancy French term that means cooking food inside a closed pouch made from parchment paper. The food steams gently inside the pouch, keeping it moist and flavorful. It's a fun way to cook fish, vegetables, or chicken.
Parchment Paper vs. Waxed Paper
Parchment paper can often be used instead of wax paper when you need a non-stick surface. However, you should never use wax paper in the oven. The wax on wax paper would melt, smoke, and could even catch fire, ruining your food and making a mess. Parchment paper is safe for oven use because it's designed for high heat.
Other Cool Uses for Parchment Paper
Parchment paper isn't just for cooking! It has special features that make it useful in other industries too.
In Factories
For example, in factories that make textile tubes (like the cardboard tubes inside paper towel rolls), an outer layer of parchment paper helps protect them. It makes the tubes stronger and resistant to wear, heat, and oil. In other industries, parchment paper helps things not stick together during manufacturing, like when making furniture parts or rubber products.
For Creative Projects
Some artists and crafters also use thin, uncoated parchment paper. It's popular in origami, the art of paper folding. Its smooth surface and strength make it perfect for creating complex and detailed paper models.
What Happens When You Throw It Away?
Parchment paper is made from plant fibers, so it's considered compostable. This means it can break down naturally over time. You can often put it in industrial compost bins, and sometimes even in your home compost pile. It's a more eco-friendly choice compared to some other kitchen disposables.
See also
- Coated paper
- Dough
- Greaseproof paper
- Release liner
Images for kids
-
In Spanish: Papel sulfurizado para niños
