Don’t Throw Away the Butter Wrappers
It seems like I’m always buying butter. I don’t complain about anything – when there is a lot of oil around, I’m warm and safe, but I often find myself unwrapping three or four sticks a day, depending on the type of projects I’m working on.
This means that I am collecting a fair amount of wrappers, which I am not complaining about either. These pieces of paper, which still have precious oil on them, have many uses. I store mine in a plastic bag in the freezer and take them out as needed for the following purposes:
- Lubricating baking dishes: There is usually just as much oil in one wrapper as you need to lubricate a small baking dish.
- Light Pan Fry: Rubbing the pan with the butter wrapper makes it a little greasy, perfect for light pan frying or sautéing.
- Food Separation: All kinds of frozen foods – from baked goods to hamburgers – can be prevented from sticking together with butter wrappers.
This applies to all butter wrappers, but especially to those from which you peel sticks at room temperature; with these guys you can practically spread a piece of toast. In fact, you probably should.