Knowing what food you can freeze is only part of the story. You also need to know what materials suit the freezer and what should be avoided. So can you freeze food in parchment paper or is it unsafe in the freezer?
Can You Freeze Food In Parchment Paper?
Yes, you can freeze a variety of food in parchment paper safely. Parchment paper can also be used to prevent food items from sticking together in the freezer.
Can Parchment Paper Be Used in the Freezer?
Parchment paper can be used in the freezer to protect a variety of food items. It can also be used to prevent foods from sticking together such as between hamburger patties, fish cakes or fillets of fish.
Most parchment paper products sold in the supermarket contain little to no chemicals that could seep into foods.
The drawback with parchment paper is that it won’t stick to itself (like foil or cling film). Instead, you’ll need to wrap your food in parchment paper and then seal it tight with a piece of tape. Because of this, you’ll need to use a few layers to ensure you get a tight seal.
The alternative method is to wrap your food in one layer of parchment paper, seal it with a single strip of tape and then wrap your wrapped food in an extra layer of foil to provide it with added protection from the air and the elements in the freezer.
Not particularly. While it can provide a barrier, it doesn’t insulate or seal, as well as materials specifically designed for the freezer, like freezer paper or plastic freezer bags.
Parchment paper cannot be sealed like plastic bags, but it can be folded or crimped to hold food. You can also tie parchment packages with kitchen string or secure with paper clips. However, it’s not airtight and doesn’t protect against freezer burn like sealed plastic.
Can You Freeze Meat In Parchment Paper?
Provided that you can wrap it tightly then parchment paper can be used to freeze meat. The best approach to take is to wrap each, individual portion of meat in its own sheet of parchment paper before writing on the outside of the paper.
Once you’ve wrapped each portion of meat, place these parcels into one large freezer bag so they’re kept together in the freezer.
When sealing the bag up, remove as much air as possible. You want to squeeze all the air out from the bottom to the top as if you were vacuum sealing it. This will protect it from freezer burn and from drying out.
Will Meat Stick to Parchment Paper in the Freezer?
Parchment paper tends to have a non-stick coating and will therefore not stick to meat.
This is also why parchment paper is a great way of keeping meat products frozen in the same place without them sticking to another. If you want to freeze beef burgers, for example, then you can layer the patties up with a sheet of parchment paper between each one.
Can You Freeze Fish In Parchment Paper?
Like meat, fish can also be stored in the freezer using parchment paper.
If you have fillets of fish, then line a Tupperware container with parchment paper before placing fillets in one layer. Once you have completed the first layer, cover with parchment paper and repeat with another layer and so on.
This method will prevent the fillets from sticking to one another making it easy to grab one or two at a time.
Is Parchment Paper the Same as Freezer Paper?
Parchment paper and freezer paper are not the same. Although there are some key differences, generally pop can be used in the freezer. But, what is it that sets these two apart?
Parchment Paper vs Freezer Paper
Here’s a table comparing the key characteristics and uses of parchment paper and freezer paper. This is the easiest way to tell them apart:
| Feature | Parchment Paper | Freezer Paper |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | Coated with silicone | One side coated with plastic |
| Best Use | Baking | Freezing food |
| Heat Resistance | Yes | No (plastic side can melt) |
| Non-Stick | Yes | No |
| Reusability | Yes (within the same cooking session) | No |
| Cost | Generally more expensive | Generally cheaper |
Alternatives to Parchment Paper
If you haven’t got parchment paper to hand or would prefer not to freeze food in parchment paper, then there are 5 alternatives that are worth trying out:
- Wax Paper – Unlike parchment paper which is covered in silicone, wax paper is unsurprisingly covered in wax. This can be used as an alternative to parchment paper when storing things in the fridge but wax paper tends not to freeze as well as parchment paper.
- Freezer Paper – Freezer paper is made for the job (unsurprisingly). One side is coated in a plastic layer. This plastic side goes against your food and protects your food from freezer burn.
- Foil – Foil works well in the freezer as it’s easy to wrap around food items to provide a tight seal. This is especially important for meat, fish and cheese which are easily impacted by freezer bag. Air getting in will dry the food out, ruining the flavour.
- Cling Film – Much like foil, cling foil works well as it’s easy to seal tightly around food items. You can even use a mix of cling film and foil to provide double protection.
- Freezer Bags – If you’re freezing pieces of marinated chicken, marinated beef or fish then good-quality freezer bags can work a treat. Provided that they’re thick with a solid seal then freezer bags can be a very convenient way of storing food. When sealing, make sure you remove as much air as possible.
