If you are tired of failed baking experiences or tacky kitchen messes then do not worry anymore. Selecting the right paper for your food cuisines and baking can make your kitchen experience smoother and better. Butcher and parchment paper are similar in appearance but they have different roles in the kitchen. These customised sheets also have different manufacturing processes, heat resistance, and applications. We have discussed in detail the key differences, and how they can help you prevent kitchen clutter and make your cooking/baking enjoyable. Let’s dig into the details of parchment paper vs butcher paper.
Butcher Paper Vs Parchment Paper
Features | Butcher Paper | Parchment Paper |
Material | Unbleached Kraft paper | Silicone coated |
Texture | Thick and Slightly Rough | Smooth appearance |
Heat Resistance | Up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit | Up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit |
Moisture Resistance | Highly resistance | Low resistance |
Non-Stick Properties | Low stickiness | Highly non-stick |
Breathability | Highly porous | Less |
Common Uses | Wrapping meat, smoking, barbecuing, lining sheets. | Lining baking sheets and pans, roasting and baking. |
Eco-friendliness | Uncoated paper is biodegradable and nature-friendly. | The unbleached form is more environmentally friendly. |
Availability | Custom sizes and different colour options. | Comes in white or brown colours. |
Butcher Paper – Perfect Wrapping Solution
The use of the word butcher itself leaves us wondering what is butcher paper actually. If you are curious to know then the answer lies right here. Custom Butcher Paper is a durable and food-grade paper that serves various applications in the food industry. Plus, it is a popular choice for wrapping meats due to its tensile strength, breathability and many other features. It also offers a high presentation of the products and is not limited only to wrapping but also used in crafts and decoration.
Unique Colors Of Butcher Paper
Printed butcher paper comes in diverse types due to its uses and properties. Given here are the popular choices of butcher paper that you can use according to your business needs. Plus, they also come in different sizes and thicknesses to give you a memorable cooking experience.
White Butcher Sheets
This is an uncoated paper that is used for wrapping sandwiches and subs. It is also used for lining serving trays, for crafts and as a table cover for enhanced presentation.
Pink Butcher Paper
This is also called peach paper which is used to display fresh meats to enhance their appearance. This is also a perfect choice for smoking meat and barbecuing. You can use them without worrying about any harmful effects because Butcher papers are FDA-approved.
Gardenia Butcher Paper
This is a premium butcher sheet that protects the meat from outside moisture and refines the colour of its contents. This is commonly used in meat and fish displays.
Peach Treated Butcher Paper
This paper is treated with a sizing agent to preserve the freshness of meat. It is a thick, food-grade paper perfect for grilling and smoking. It prevents leakage and offers breathability to the wrapped meats.
Manufacturing of Butcher Paper Sheets
The manufacturing process of butcher sheets is different from parchment paper. Different chemicals and coatings are used. Here is a brief discussion of the manufacturing of customised butcher sheets.
- Chemical Treatment: For butcher paper, wood pulp is used that is obtained from virgin wood or recycled materials. In this process, the wood is cooked with a chemical solution to break down lignin to separate the cellulose fibres. The chemicals used are NaOH and Na2S. They ensure stronger fibres and durable paper.
- Bleach Process: This is an optional step. It is done to obtain white paper. The bleaching agents are used to remove the natural brown colour. These agents are H2O2 and ClO2. They do not affect the paper’s durability and give an aesthetic appeal to the paper.
- Sheet Formation: The pulp is transformed into sheets by spreading it onto a mesh screen where the fibres bond together. After the drying process, the paper is cut into desired sizes and shapes.
- Coating: After sheet formation, the paper is treated with different coatings to make it resistant to grease or moisture. Coatings are applied to handle different types of food from dry cuts of meat to moisture-rich items like fish.
How Butcher Paper Helps In the Kitchen?
Butcher sheet rolls offer various benefits and have unique properties that make them an ideal choice to use in the kitchen. Below is a table to let you know about the classy nature of the butcher sheet.
Features | Function |
Breathability | It allows air and smoke to pass through while cooking or steaming which enhances the taste of food. |
Durability | The paper offers durability and wraps meat without tearing or crushing. |
Moisture Absorption | This paper absorbs little fat and juices of the meat to give a crusty appearance. |
Food Presentation | You can use it to present the food in trays to give them an appealing touch. |
Perks Of Using Butcher Paper
Butcher paper is preferred due to its versatile applications in different industries. It is used commonly in the food industry. But other education and craft industries also use butcher wrapping paper for various decoration purposes. Here are the perks of using these customised sheets.
- This is used in various food preparation tasks, from wrapping and storing to lining, smoking, steaming and covering foods.
- These sheets can be used as decorative wrapping papers for sandwiches, burgers or other food items.
- For craft projects such as paper mache, you can use butcher wrappers as an affordable and convenient sheet.
- It can also be used as a backdrop for an event to elegantly display the photos.
Parchment Paper – Keep your Foods Fresh
Ever wondered what is parchment paper and how it helps to make our cooking and baking convenient? No? We have the answer to satiate your curiosity. Parchment paper is versatile, non-stick and heat-resistant, widely used in kitchens and food industries. It serves various other purposes for instance in craft projects. This is also called baking paper due to its high heat-resistant properties.
Manufacturing Process of Parchment Paper
During manufacturing, ordinary paper is transformed into a non-stick, heat-resistant material. Baking paper undergoes chemical treatment to achieve oil resistance properties along with its non-stick surface. However, greaseproof paper undergoes mechanical treatment to attain oil resistance. Here is a brief discussion of the manufacturing process:
- Pulping: The process begins with wood pulp derived from trees, usually hardwoods or softwood. The pulp is crushed and transformed into sheets and then subjected to a chemical bath to attain enhanced properties.
- Sulphuric Acid Treatment: This is the shaping process in which the sheets undergo sulphuric acid treatment to produce a denser and smoother paper surface with a non-porous surface. Plus, sulphuric acid also makes the paper resistant to moisture and grease. Thus, making the paper resistant to high temperatures without causing burns or deformation, unlike wax paper which burns under similar temperatures.
- Drying and Smoothing: After the sulphuric acid treatment, the paper is dried and passed through rollers to ensure its smooth and even surface. This is a vital step in manufacturing to create a smoother surface.
Types Of Parchment Paper
Parchment sheets come in two different types depending on the usage. They are classified according to the chemical processes. Following are the common types of Parchment sheets.
Bleached Parchment Sheets
As indicated by the name, this paper undergoes a chemical treatment using chlorine to achieve a white colour. Bakery businesses often prefer these sheets due to their appearance, particularly, when baking delicate pastries.
Unbleached Parchment Sheet
This paper is not treated with chlorine and is considered more eco-friendly than bleached. It comes in a natural brown colour. This is widely used for cooking, grilling or steaming. It also helps in cleaning messes and splatters.
Why is Parchment Paper A Necessity For Every Food Business?
In this fast-paced era, Parchment paper rolls are crucial for every commercial or home kitchen because of their diverse properties that help prevent food from burning and many other perks. Here are the reasons to answer your queries of why use parchment paper.
Features | Purpose |
Non Stick | Prevents food from striking without the need for additional greasing/oiling in cooking or baking. |
Heat Resistance | It can tolerate high heat conditions. |
Easy Cleanup | It allows easy cleaning up and prevents food particles from adhering to the sheets or kitchen countertops. |
Adaptability | Assists in various cooking purposes. |
Common Uses Of Parchment Paper Sheets
Parchment roll sheets offer diverse services. They make the cooking experience convenient and enjoyable. Here are the common uses that you must know about these kitchen tools.
- This paper helps in baking, prevents the food from sticking to the pans or sheets and makes it easier to remove the baked items from the pan.
- If you do not have cones for icing cakes or cookies then the parchment sheets serve you excellently, you can simply fold them into cones and decorate your bakery items without any hassle.
- Parchment paper sheets make your pie crust rolling easier without making your counters messy and also help reduce flour usage.
- Cooking en papillote is wrapping food in a parchment sheet and cooking it in the oven without the fear of burns.
- You can also store your cheese in these wrapping sheets.
- Place the parchment sheets on your cabinet tops to avoid any dust or grease.
Parchment Paper Oven Safe Temperature
Parchment wraps are designed to resist high heat temperatures. So they are perfect to use in the oven. This paper is coated with silicone, so it can withstand temperatures up to 450°F without causing any burn or food deterioration. This property makes it an ideal choice for baking cookies and roasting vegetables. So, silicone waxpaper can go in the oven up to a certain temperature and maintain the texture of your foods.
Printings For Custom Parchment Paper & Butcher Sheets
Both parchments and butcher wrapping sheets are similar in appearance but they also differ in printings. For parchment wrapping papers, flexographic and rotogravure printings are suitable for high-quality images and logo printings. However, for butcher wraps, offset, digital and flexography are suitable options. They give fine details and use food-grade inks. You can use advanced printing techniques for brand promotion by adding your logos, texts or brand images onto the wrapping food papers.
Ideal Food Grade Coatings used on Custom Food Papers
Coatings For Parchment Paper | Butcher Paper Coating |
Silicone Coating: adds non-stick properties, enhances the heat resistance properties and prevents the foods from adhering to the surfaces. | Wax Coating: for additional moisture and grease resistance. It prevents the liquids from seeping through. |
Quilon Coating: It also offers non-stick properties but is less eco-friendly than silicone coatings. | PE Coating: creates a water barrier to keep the juices intact.also higher resistance to moisture and grease. |
Can butcher paper be used in the oven?
No, butcher paper is not designed to be used in Oven. It cannot tolerate high temperatures. But, you can use pink butcher paper up to 450°F for wrapping meats during smoking or grilling. This allows the meat to breathe while preventing the meat from drying out. But remember to use moderate temperatures to avoid any burns.
How To Choose The Right Paper
If you are unsure which paper is suitable to use for kitchen purposes then here is the solution for you. If you are planning to bake a cake or roast your favourite vegetables then go for parchment paper. Its nonstick surface is best for baking or roasting. But, if you are going to host a party and want juicy tender meat, then, butcher paper is the perfect choice for grilling and smoking meats. But, if you want to improve the presentation of your foods and give them a delightful look then use any of these according to your product requirements.
Wrap Up!
Confused is butcher paper the same as parchment paper? If yes, then get your answer straight here, both are different and have different properties from wrapping to gratin resistance and oven usage, they offer different purposes. Butcher paper is uncoated and unbleached however, parchment sheet is coated with silicone or quilon. Get your wrapping papers from waxpapers uk to give your food brand an entirely new look with the right customised sheets printed with your logos.