How to use foil for baking in the oven? Food foil for baking: which side should I put in, where should I put the matte side and the shiny side? How to properly wrap meat, fish, potatoes, chicken, etc.

Why do you need baking foil?

Perhaps not everyone knows its properties and scope of application. Its most popular purpose is baking food. Especially meat and fish. Foil is safe even at high temperatures. True, you need to use it correctly. But this is not all that she can help both a young and an experienced housewife.

Baking food in foil is not only healthy, but also delicious. It also helps to prepare a dietary dish. And the cooking time is significantly reduced. Due to the fact that the liquid in it does not evaporate, the food does not burn. There may be exceptions if you forget about the oven for a long time. But for this you need to try very hard.
Not everyone knows or even thought that the shiny side is antibacterial. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about the benefits of food cooked in foil.
And the fact that it is not transparent allows you to preserve as many useful vitamins and elements as possible. Even at high temperatures.

Foil for cooking

Many people have no idea about freezing food in foil. But she will become a good assistant here too. Foil also withstands low temperatures perfectly, helping to preserve the beneficial properties and appearance of food.
Foil is great for packing breakfasts or other foods. Another minor use for it. Also, one of its advantages is that it does not absorb odors. And don’t miss the aroma of the packaged product.
In terms of baking, you can’t do without it either. Every housewife has encountered the fact that the pie can turn out a little dry. The same foil will help to avoid this. Just cover the pie with it. And for a golden brown top, remove the foil 10-15 minutes before removing the dish.
This aspect does not apply to cooking, but kitchen appliances can be made shiny without any effort. To do this you need a ball of foil and some baking soda. Boil the utensils in this and rinse. The foil will give exactly a mirror shine.

As you can see, food foil has a very wide range of applications. And that's not all she's capable of.

During baking

Foil is the thinnest aluminum sheet that is used when baking food in the oven. This material varies in thickness, length and width of the sheet. If for baking there is no difference whether to use thin or thick foil, then for packaging products this choice will play a rather important role.

Baking foil during the cooking process protects the product from the loss of existing vitamins and microelements; it does not allow light and air, as well as liquids and gases, to pass through. But despite this, this product is an excellent heat conductor. That is why products cooked in foil turn out juicy and appetizing.

What are the differences between the sides of food-grade aluminum foil?

To be honest, few people think about which side of the foil to use. Indeed, their properties are not much different. And nothing bad will happen if you bake it on one side or the other. The only thing that can affect is the taste. Still, there are slight differences.

In principle, foil does a good job of retaining heat. But the glossy side is a little better in this aspect.
But the matte side attracts heat better.
It is believed that the shiny side can release harmful substances at high temperatures. You should calm down, because food foil is absolutely harmless.

Using foil

Contact with an acidic environment is possible, but not on the shiny side, but on the matte side. No harmful substances are released, but the taste will be worse.
For freezing and storing food, it doesn’t matter which side you pack it on. Therefore, you can use it however you like.

Properties and features of the material

Regular foil is made from different metals - tin, steel, gold or silver. They are rolled through large shafts, the gap on which gradually decreases. In this way, layers of metal “paper” of the required size are obtained, which are then rolled into rolls.

Foil, suitable for preparing or storing food (food), is made of aluminum . It can most often be found in the store. This material is considered the safest; it can come into contact with food.

How to use foil for baking in the oven?

Foil is very easy to use. Even the most inexperienced housewife can handle it. And most importantly, you can experiment and choose a recipe that your family will appreciate. After all, it is universal, and you can cook almost any dish in it. But you should consider some tips for using it.

Do not cook in foil:

cereals and grains
soft and green vegetables
some fruits (apple, quince, pears)

It is simply undesirable to cook fruits, since they do not turn out tasty. But the first two points absolutely cannot be cooked in foil.

The most important thing in using foil is tightness. It is very important to package food so that juice or fat does not leak out. By the way, pies should also be closed very tightly. This is the key to a delicious dish and delicate taste. It also significantly saves cooking time.
This is no longer advice, but a minor nuance. If the foil is very thin, then you need to take two or even several layers. After all, her chance of getting damaged increases significantly. Especially if you cook fish or a whole chicken.
Do not cook wild poultry in foil. Its cooking method is different from the usual one, it takes much longer and requires some skills.

How to properly wrap food?

But you need to wrap meat or fish correctly , otherwise the temperature inside will be insufficient or the juice will leak out and burn:

The wrapper must be intact, otherwise juice or fat may leak out through the holes and the dish will be dry and even burn;
The fins of the fish must be trimmed, otherwise they will tear the packaging.
To prevent the foil from burning, grease the inside with sunflower oil.

Foil: where to put the shiny side and the matte side?

It was already mentioned above that there is not much difference. And even more so, there will be no harm to the food. Most housewives do this automatically, without even noticing which way they turned it. There are only a couple of minor recommendations.

If vinegar or lemon is used in the marinade, it is better to wrap the shiny side inward. Because the matte side may react. Especially at high temperatures. But do not be afraid that harmful substances will be released. The taste will just deteriorate a little.
Place the shiny side on the baking sheet and bake so that the matte side is on top. Another caveat is that food on the shiny side is less likely to stick or burn.
It is also better to cover the pie with the shiny side facing inward. But this is not such a fundamental question.

Which side should I put the baking foil on? Principle of use

All types of aluminum food grade paper, regardless of thickness and format, have differences between the sides of the surface. One has a pronounced gloss, and the other has a matte finish. Most housewives have been using the product for many years without thinking about this difference. Even if they notice the difference, they believe that there is no need to attach importance to it.

In fact, although small, there are differences. Glossy side:

Reflects heat rays more strongly;
Has an antibacterial effect;
Doesn't stick to food.

Absorbs heat;
Retains moisture;
Reacts with acidic environments.

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Is it possible to place foil on a baking tray and which side to cover?

Of course, you can not only wrap food in foil, but also cover pies or other baked goods, and also place them on a baking sheet. Foil also makes good ramekins. You can prepare a portioned lunch. And the fact that you don’t even need to wash the dishes after cooking will be appreciated by many housewives.

It has already been said many times that there is not much difference which side to choose. But still, there are two small points that are worth considering. This does not mean that you need to do it this way and not otherwise. Simply, the dishes will turn out tastier, more nutrients will be retained, and they will cook faster.

It is better to place the shiny side on the baking sheet . Still, the products will not stick, and the appearance will be more beautiful.
But you need to cover it the other way around - the matte side up. Because it attracts heat well, and this is important in baking or baking. This way the dish will get the required temperature and cook faster.

Do I need to pierce the foil when baking?

Many of us have repeatedly asked ourselves the question: is it necessary to pierce holes in the foil, and why are they needed at all? After all, there are so many recipes, so many cooking methods. Some argue that they cannot do without them. And others do not pierce the foil at all. Both options are correct. It just has to match what the dish will come out of after baking, and what you would like to get.

The advantage of foil is that the food is cooked in its own juice. This means, for example, the meat turns out very juicy and soft. When holes are poked in the foil, this moisture evaporates. Accordingly, the meat will turn out drier and tougher. Therefore, it is worth considering what product you are going to prepare.
When holes are pierced in the foil, a golden crust is obtained. If the product is hermetically sealed, it stews more. Therefore, the ideal method would be to make holes in the foil 15-20 minutes before removal. During this time, an appetizing crust will have time to form, and the meat or fish will be well baked.

Using foil in cooking

The properties of aluminum paper make it possible to give the dish an unforgettable juiciness and aroma. Meat or fish, wrapped in foil, are soaked in its own juices and slowly baked in the oven. Considering that the surface of the product is protected from direct exposure to high temperature, heat treatment is carried out in a gentle manner, which is very important for preserving useful substances. Using metal film allows you to make large pieces of meat or chicken carcass tasty and soft without prior soaking or marinating.

Meat or fish, wrapped in foil, are soaked in its own juices and slowly baked in the oven.

Meat dishes are salted after cooking! This helps to release less juice during processing.

Before baking, vegetables are wrapped separately to place on a baking sheet. Whole potatoes or peppers are sealed and placed in the oven. To prepare vegetable stew or casserole, use a special heat-resistant dish, which is covered with foil on top.

Before baking, vegetables are wrapped separately to place on a baking sheet.

When processing products, metal paper of at least 0.11 microns is used. If the material is thinner, then the dish is wrapped in two layers.

The temperature in the oven is brought to 100 degrees and allowed to stand for 20-30 minutes while processing the vegetables. Meat or fish products are kept for more than half an hour at a temperature of at least 200 degrees, and then turned off and allowed to soak in their own juice for another 15-20 minutes.

To prepare pizza, place foil on a baking sheet, then place the prepared semi-finished product and cover. The peculiarity of preparing dishes using aluminum paper is the need for a longer baking time. At the same time, ordinary potatoes or homemade cutlets will receive an unforgettable taste and aroma.

To prepare pizza, place foil on a baking sheet, then place the prepared semi-finished product and cover.

When preparing baked goods, 5-10 minutes before the end of the process, the foil should be placed on top of the baking sheet. This will keep the baked goods from burning on top.