Storage of foil and cling film in the kitchen. Food film or foil: what is the best way to store food

Or vegetables, and repackage the remaining food and bring it back home. On average, foil prices range from 30 to 400 rubles. We decided to test food foil from various manufacturers and see if it makes sense to overpay.

Cooking foil in the kitchen is always useful

How to properly store food in foil

Most housewives use aluminum foil for its intended purpose: to keep groceries fresh from the store after they've been opened. A piece of this or that product is simply wrapped in several layers of foil and put into the refrigerator. In fact, you can wrap it in one layer, the main thing is that the joint of the sheets is airtight. The air and vapor permeability of even the thinnest foil is almost zero. A number of manufacturers have written that foil should not be used to store acidic and salty foods, since the metal can oxidize. But we conducted a simple experiment: we placed pieces of foil from different manufacturers in ordinary table vinegar. After 3 hours, the sheets were washed and looked at. None of them showed obvious signs of oxidation. Conclusion: for a short time (a couple of hours), acidic foods can be stored wrapped in foil. For longer storage, it is better to use cling film or a container with a lid.

How to bake in foil

Another popular use of foil is for baking. In this case, it is better to fold the foil sheet in half - so that it does not tear, and for better heat transfer. It is not worth twisting the edges hermetically - there is a chance, albeit small, that the package can be torn apart by steam.

There is a lot of controversy among housewives about which side - glossy or matte - to lay out products. By and large, there is no difference: the reflectivity of the glossy side is 88%, and the matte side is 80%, that is, the cooking speed will be approximately the same. We conducted an experiment: for a delicious salad, we baked two beets of the same size, wrapped in foil in different ways. An hour after being in an oven preheated to 180 degrees, the temperature of the beets in foil, wrapped with a gloss on the outside, was 99.6 ° C; beets wrapped in foil matte side out - 101 ° C. So if you want to cook the dish a little faster - wrap the foil with the matte side out.

Beetroots wrapped frosted side out will cook a little faster.

But in the microwave, you should not cook in foil. Aluminum does not transmit electromagnetic waves, and the potential difference between the foil and the metal parts of the stove or different pieces of foil will cause the metal to spark at the points of contact. If you need to heat something in foil, then it should be unrolled before heating.

Another use of foil is to make baking molds out of it. To do this, it is better to use thick foil or fold thin foil in several layers.

We tested food foil for ease of use (is it easy to unwind from the roll), strength (does it tear when wrapped), “stickiness” (does food stick to it when baked), fire resistance - that is, those qualities that housewives usually pay attention to and gardeners.

Instances under test

For testing, we chose the following brands of foil: Paclan, Toppits, Every Day, Sayan Grill, Sayan Universal, Food Foil, Chistyulya, Moy Dom.

Foil prices range from 30 to 400 rubles

Toppits foil was packed in a box, all other foils were shrink-wrapped. All foils, with the exception of the "Every Day" foil, have a warning against unwanted contact with acid. The thickness is indicated only for the Sayan foil (20 µm and 11 µm). Of all the samples, at the first acquaintance, Toppits foil, which has a honeycomb structure, attracts attention. According to the manufacturers, this improves its use. But, as it turned out during testing, in most standard situations, embossed foil behaves about the same as without it.

Honeycomb Toppits Foil

All other foils are similar to each other, and if you put all the samples side by side, you can see only a slight difference in the degree of gloss.

The convenience of use

First of all, the foil must be strong and not tear when unwinding. After opening the package, we conducted the first test - we unwound a piece of foil and tore it off by hand. Only one foil - nameless ("Food Foil") - was torn inside when unwinding. There was a desire to immediately remove it from testing, but after carefully unwinding a large piece, we managed to curb it.

"Food foil" torn when unwinding from a roll

In the future, it was with this roll that problems arose again: the edge did not want to turn around - a situation familiar to many housewives.

The edge of the foil did not want to unfold

The foil "Sayan for Grill" seemed to us the most convenient to use. We rated the ease of use on a 5-point scale (see the summary table at the end of the test drive). And they also made sure that it is more convenient to tear off the foil with your hand on the edge of the table, and not cut it with scissors.

It is convenient to tear off the foil on the edge of the table

Strength

For a strength test, we packed a beet tuber in one layer of foil and twisted the ends tightly. Two samples - "Sayanskaya universal" and "My house" - were torn at the same time, I had to do a second take. Our expectations that some sample would burst from the steam did not come true, all bundles remained intact.

For another strength test, we wrapped an ordinary glass with a piece of foil and cut off the edges.

You can make molds out of foil

After that, a glass of water was poured into each mold. Only Toppits foil and Sayanskaya for grill successfully passed this test, all the rest sooner or later turned around, and the water flowed out of them.

"Stickiness"

The most common use of foil is to use it as a substrate or envelope when baking meat or fish in the oven. When baked in an envelope, the products are more likely to be stewed in their own juice, therefore they almost never stick. But when using foil as a substrate, this happens quite often.

First of all, we decided to bake chicken wings on foil (see the recipe). The wings are baked in two passes: first, without anything, at a temperature of 180 ° C for 30 minutes, and then smeared with sauce and sent to the oven preheated to 150 ° C for another 15 minutes. The chicken did not stick at all only to the Sayan Universal foil.

Chicken wings did not stick only to the "Sayan Universal" foil (left in the bottom row)

We also decided to bake salted lemon on foil - it was interesting to see how the foil behaves in an aggressive environment. There were no visible changes to the foil. The juice from the lemons dried up. Seriously lemon stuck only to the foil of Paclan, "Every Day" and "My House".

The lemon didn't stick to the Toppits foil at all (second from the left in the top row)

fire resistance

Many manufacturers claim that their foil is suitable for grilling food. We gave the samples a cruel test: we burned them with a burner for 30 seconds (about the same as throwing foil on hot coals).

Burning foil with a burner is almost the same as throwing it on hot coals.

The metal glowed, but held. Later, after examining the foil, we saw that all the sheets had burned through: a transparent mesh was visible through the light. Conclusion: you should not throw vegetables wrapped in foil into the fire, it is better to cook on smoldering coals.

instead of a resume. By the end of testing, we remembered the saying about "British scientists": it became clear that we proved only one thing - all tested samples behave approximately the same. The leader could not be identified. On the other hand, a clear outsider was identified: the Moy Dom foil did not pass strength tests, salted lemon was completely stuck to it, and chicken wings were also stuck. But the “Food Foil”, which broke when unwound, passed one of the strength tests, and the wings and lemon almost did not stick to it. The foil “Sayan for grilling” turned out to be the most convenient to use, it keeps its shape better than others, but, unfortunately, chicken wings stick to it. Paclan foil was distinguished by an unreasonably high price - in our testing it did not show results worthy of its purchase.

Cling film is an absolutely ingenious thing, which can be found in many applications. As the name implies, this film is usually used to wrap products in it, thereby saving them from weathering.

For example, already cut cheese will be stored longer if wrapped in cling film, the same applies to sausages, but in addition to its direct purpose, the film can be used in other original ways.

Store portions of dough in the freezer

To leave the dough to harden, wrap it in cling film. It will not stick to the surface of the refrigerator and will not absorb foreign odors.

Store food properly

So that aromatic foods such as ham or cheese do not interrupt and absorb the smells of each other, wrap them in cling film. It will help protect products from weathering, preserving their taste and original appearance.

Roll out the dough through cling film. Table and rolling pin stay clean

Line a table or cutting board with one sheet, cover the dough with another. It takes skill, but it's worth it.

Wrap the mixer with cling film to keep liquids from splattering and flour from dusting.

Works with stand mixers and immersion blenders. In the latter case, you need to close three-quarters of the bowl, leaving an opening for the appliance.

Keep the piping bag clean

If there is only one bag, but there are several creams (even different colors), it has to be washed many times. But everything is much easier if you make a bag of cling film, put cream in it and insert it into a pastry bag.

Protect your gadgets from moisture and pollution

Wrap your tablet and smartphone in plastic wrap whenever you watch YouTube while eating or cooking. The food film is thin - the sensor will respond. And if something spills or wakes up, the gadget will remain unharmed.

Leave your plates clean after eating

The idea will be appreciated by bachelors and desperate lazy people.

Get rid of cork smell in wine

When trichloranisole (TCA) appears in a wine cork, the wine starts to smell like mold or wet cardboard. You can get rid of unpleasant odors with a decanter. If it is not there, a simple device made of cling film and a decanter will help. If the TCA is low, the film may absorb it.

Cook poached eggs without a poacher

Cover a small bowl with cling film, grease it with vegetable oil and crack an egg. Then make a bag, tightly twist it and send it to boiling water. This cooking method is convenient because you can cook several poached eggs at once.

Cook eggs in the fridge

Or rather, in the freezer. From long exposure to low temperatures, the yolks become hard and acquire an unusual taste. Wrap the eggs tightly in cling film and place in the freezer. The temperature must be below 18 degrees.

After three days, take it out, make a small hole, drain the protein, and then completely break the shell and carefully remove the yolk. This dish is served in some expensive restaurants.

Make a non-spill glass

A great solution for children and a lifesaver when traveling. From such a vessel it is convenient to drink on the train and in the car without fear of pouring yourself and everything around. Just stretch the film over the glass, pressing the edges tightly. Insert a straw into the center.

Do not allow liquid food and drink to leak

Remember the rule: first the film, then the lid. This includes bottles, lunch boxes, and any other utensils that you plan to take with you on a picnic or to work. Even a thick-looking sauce can leak out if the container with it turns over in the bag.

Use cling film instead of a fridge mat

Marketers claim silicone fridge mats are antibacterial and help food stay fresh longer. In fact, they just protect the shelves from smudges from pots and other contaminants. But ordinary cling film will do just fine with this mission.

What if the kitchen is limited by square meters, and there is no special pantry in it? How to properly organize storage systems and fit all kitchen utensils? We have prepared 7 practical ideas and 25 visual examples that will help keep a small kitchen in order.
1. Open shelves

You can store dishes on open shelves
Open shelves can be installed in any part of the kitchen - on a free wall, in a niche, between furniture and appliances, in the corners, under the ceiling. They are also good because they do not visually reduce the space, but give it a perspective, create a feeling of lightness. On such shelves it is convenient to store plates, cups, glasses, spices and your favorite cookbooks.

Open shelves save space

Open shelves do not overload the space

Interesting storage of dishes on open shelves

Stylish open shelves in the interior of a small kitchen
2. Window seat

You can arrange a window seat
In a small kitchen, you need to use all the space. And not just on the walls. It is worth paying attention to the place by the window. Here you can also install small shelves or use the windowsill as a work surface. It is convenient to store a mixer, coffee maker, dishes on it.

Window seat option
3. Dishes on the wall
In the event that there are a lot of pots and pans, and there are few storage places, the dishes can be stored directly on the walls. For these purposes, they must be in perfect condition - well washed and cleaned, so that it looks aesthetically pleasing.

You can hang pots and pans directly on the wall
In order to fix the dishes on the wall, it is enough to use roof rails and slats. Of course, if you wish, you can make a special board with hooks, on which it is convenient to hang the necessary items.

Pots and pans on rails

You can make a special board with hooks
4. Roof rails
Roof rails are real helpers of modern housewives. With the help of structures in several floors, you can store not only ladles, shovels and beaters. Some models are able to fit plates, cups, pot lids and cutlery.

An example of storing dishes in a small kitchen

Roof rails in the interior of the kitchen
On magnetic models it is convenient to store knives, scissors, attach sheets with recipes to them. On the rails with hooks, cups, pots, towels, skimmers will perfectly fit. There are samples on which there is a place for storing paper towels, cling film, foil.

Magnetic rails make it easy to store knives

Some models have storage space for paper towels.
Roof rails, like open shelves, are universal. They can be installed on a kitchen apron, free walls and fragments near cabinets. It is best if they are located as close as possible to the working triangle, so that the hostess can always quickly take the right spice or utensils.

Pot lids can be stored on the rails

Convenient storage pockets

Convenient railings in the kitchen
5. Storing vegetables
If in a small kitchen there is no separate pantry, then you need to think about proper storage of vegetables. One of the best options is to hide them in one or more drawers. The main thing is that it is located in a dry place (not near the sink) and well ventilated. It is advisable to store vegetables not in plastic bags, but in baskets that allow air to pass through. It can be wicker or metal models.
In the cabinet, potatoes and other vegetables will be limited in light, which will extend their shelf life. Greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini can be stored on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator or in special containers that are provided in any refrigerator.

An option for storing vegetables if the apartment does not have a pantry
6. Order in the cabinets
Sometimes, with a sufficient number of lockers, there is still a shortage of storage systems. All because of the wrong organization of the space inside them. How to put everything in order?
First of all, it is necessary to pack all bulk products in glass or plastic jars, sign them for an easy search for the desired cereal.
Then you need to sort out the dishes and get rid of broken and unusable plates, cups, pots.
Those items that are least used are best placed on the highest shelves.
To make it convenient to get a jar with a certain cereal or spice, you need to line up the vessels in this way: high jars are lined up away (near the cabinet wall), medium ones are placed in front of them, and the smallest containers are located closer to the door.

Proper storage of dishes in cabinets

Proper arrangement of dishes

Storing cereals in a small kitchen

Storing Pans and Baking Pans

It is convenient to store cereals in plastic and glass jars
7. Under the sink
When the issue of storing dishes, vegetables and products is resolved, it remains to figure out where to hide household chemicals? Washing, cleaning, sponges and gloves, as well as a broom with a dustpan and a trash can, are best placed under the sink. Here it is advisable to equip convenient shelves or use retractable containers on wheels, which you can buy at a hardware store. Ordinary plastic and metal boxes are suitable for storing household items.

Storage under the sink

The refrigerator during the New Year holidays is usually bursting with food prepared for the holidays. Letidor will tell you what is the best way to store food so that it stays fresh for as long as possible.

In order to quickly put food in the refrigerator and compactly place them in it, it is advisable that you have food containers of different sizes, parchment paper, cling film, ceramic and enamel utensils in your kitchen.

Butter, after you have opened the package, it is advisable to transfer to ceramic or glassware, but not to plastic.
Smoked sausage and hard cheese best wrapped in parchment paper; it does not let in odors and grease, but it breathes. If you have already cut sausage and cheese, then you can wrap them in cling film or foil - but you should not keep them in the refrigerator for a long time.

caviar it is better to transfer from an open jar or plastic container to a glass one - this way it will stay fresh longer. Do the same with any canned food that you have already opened, but have not yet eaten to the end. But the marinades should not be transferred to another container - this way they will only deteriorate faster.
For eggs there are special compartments in the refrigerator door. If you have a large load on the shelves of the refrigerator, then you can store eggs here, but it would still be more correct to keep them on the top shelf - then they will stay fresh longer.
Vegetables and fruits it is better to store them in special containers at the bottom of the refrigerator, and it is not necessary to put them in bags. The fact is that moisture condenses in polyethylene, which makes fruits and vegetables mold faster. Better to keep them open. If you bought vegetables and fruits in the store already packed in vacuum polyethylene, their shelf life will be longer than if you put them in a regular plastic bag. But as soon as you open the package, the process of reproduction of bacteria will rapidly develop and the products will begin to deteriorate.
fresh greens it is better to store in a plastic bag, but slightly ajar so that it breathes.
Fresh meat and fish without a freezer, you can keep it for a very short time - no more than 1-2 days, while they can either be left in the vacuum package in which you bought them, or transferred to glass or enameled dishes.
Ready meals(soups, salads, main courses) can be stored in enamelware, plastic or glass containers.

Concerning plastic containers, then, firstly, they must be intended for food storage (there is a special sign - a glass and a fork), and secondly, you must check what dishes they are suitable for (hot and cold or only cold), whether use them in the microwave (if you decide to reheat the dish without transferring it to another container). It is not recommended to store acidic foods, dishes prepared with the addition of lemon juice, vinegar in plastic containers. Another disadvantage of plastic containers is that they are poorly washed from fat, roughness quickly appears on their surface, that is, they quickly fail.
Glass containers preferable: they are easy to clean, they can store any food. But their disadvantage is fragility. In addition, you can not immediately put a glass container that you just took out of the refrigerator into the microwave. It needs to warm up a bit.
vacuum containers- an excellent device that allows you to increase the shelf life of the product by 3 times. The principle of their operation is as follows: air is pumped out of the container, which slows down the growth of bacteria and increases the shelf life of the product. In vacuum containers you can keep ready-made meals, cutting, fresh meat and fish. If you want to use a vacuum container to store the finished dish, then it is important to transfer it to a container and refrigerate 2 hours after preparing the product.
Not recommended use aluminum utensils and stainless steel utensils as storage containers - the metal surface can oxidize and poison food.
in foil it is undesirable to store sour dishes (for example, meat or fish cooked with tomato or lemon), and it is also impossible to wrap still hot foods in it, otherwise the aluminum from which the foil is made may react with food and particles of the substance will enter the human body.

Every product has its place

The shelf adjacent to the freezer is the best place to store dairy and sour-milk products, cheese. The temperature here is from 0° to +4°.
On the middle shelves, where the temperature is approximately + 3 ° - + 6 °, it is good to keep sausages, sausages, butter, ready meals.
In the “zero” zone, where the temperature is maintained within 0°-+2° degrees (usually located above the vegetable containers), you can store fresh meat and fish (be sure to isolate them from other products).
In the compartment farthest from the freezer, fruits, vegetables, berries, mushrooms will remain fresh for a long time.
The temperature in the refrigerator door is unstable, given that we often open the refrigerator. It is best to put open juices, sparkling water, sauces here.
Try not to touch the back wall of the refrigerator with all the fullness, otherwise they may overfreeze.

What products do not need a refrigerator:

Tropical fruits (bananas, pineapples, mangoes, kiwi) are best not kept in the refrigerator - they can lose their taste properties from low temperatures.
Do not put chocolate in the refrigerator if you do not want it to become whitish.
Refrigeration is not required to store vegetable oil.
It makes no sense to keep potatoes, onions, garlic, eggplant, uncut pumpkin in the refrigerator.
Canned food, if they are closed, will only take up space in the refrigerator in vain - they may well lie at room temperature.

1. Open shelves

Open shelves can be installed in any part of the kitchen - on a free wall, in a niche, between furniture and appliances, in the corners, under the ceiling. They are also good because they do not visually reduce the space, but give it a perspective, create a feeling of lightness. On such shelves it is convenient to store plates, cups, glasses, spices and your favorite cookbooks.

2. Window seat

In a small kitchen, you need to use all the space. And not just on the walls. It is worth paying attention to the place by the window. Here you can also install small shelves or use the windowsill as a work surface. It is convenient to store a mixer, coffee maker, dishes on it.

3. Dishes on the wall

In the event that there are a lot of pots and pans, and there are few storage places, the dishes can be stored directly on the walls. For these purposes, they must be in perfect condition - well washed and cleaned, so that it looks aesthetically pleasing.

In order to fix the dishes on the wall, it is enough to use roof rails and slats. Of course, if you wish, you can make a special board with hooks, on which it is convenient to hang the necessary items.

4. Roof rails

Roof rails are real helpers of modern housewives. With the help of structures in several floors, you can store not only ladles, shovels and beaters. Some models are able to fit plates, cups, pot lids and cutlery.

On magnetic models it is convenient to store knives, scissors, attach sheets with recipes to them. On the rails with hooks, cups, pots, towels, skimmers will perfectly fit. There are samples on which there is a place for storing paper towels, cling film, foil.

Roof rails, like open shelves, are universal. They can be installed on a kitchen apron, free walls and fragments near cabinets. It is best if they are located as close as possible to the working triangle, so that the hostess can always quickly take the right spice or utensils.

5. Storing vegetables

If in a small kitchen there is no separate pantry, then you need to think about proper storage of vegetables. One of the best options is to hide them in one or more drawers. The main thing is that it is located in a dry place (not near the sink) and well ventilated. It is advisable to store vegetables not in plastic bags, but in baskets that allow air to pass through. It can be wicker or metal models.

In the cabinet, potatoes and other vegetables will be limited in light, which will extend their shelf life. Greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini can be stored on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator or in special containers that are provided in any refrigerator.

6. Order in the cabinets

Sometimes, with a sufficient number of lockers, there is still a shortage of storage systems. All because of the wrong organization of the space inside them. How to put everything in order?
First of all, it is necessary to pack all bulk products in glass or plastic jars, sign them for an easy search for the desired cereal.
Then you need to sort out the dishes and get rid of broken and unusable plates, cups, pots.
Those items that are least used are best placed on the highest shelves.
To make it convenient to get a jar with a certain cereal or spice, you need to line up the vessels in this way: high jars are lined up away (near the cabinet wall), medium ones are placed in front of them, and the smallest containers are located closer to the door.