Four Bad Uses for Aluminum Foil

That roll of aluminum foil stored in your kitchen drawer can be a useful kitchen aid if you know how to use it properly. Unfortunately, this relatively inexpensive product isn’t suitable for every application. Despite all the many uses of aluminum foil, there are occasions where you should leave the foil in the drawer. Here are some situations where you shouldn’t use aluminum foil in the kitchen:

Bad aluminum foil uses: Keep it out of the microwave

It may be convenient to line the bottom of your baking pans with aluminum foil when you’re baking in a conventional oven, but keep it out of the microwave. When aluminum foil is placed into a microwave, it creates an electrical charge which causes sparks to form. If these sparks hit a flammable material in the microwave, a fire could result. It’s important to keep all metals out of the microwave to avoid the potential for a fire or damage to the oven.

Bad aluminum foil uses: Using it in the oven without cooking spray

While aluminum foil can be used to line pans to be used for baking, you still need to spray the surface of the foil lightly with cooking spray to prevent sticking. If you don’t want to use cooking spray, an alternative would be placing cookies or other baked items on parchment paper which also offers the advantage of making clean up a breeze.

Bad aluminum foil uses: Storing acidic foods

Although aluminum foil can be used for storing foods in the refrigerator, avoid wrapping acidic foods in it. The acid from the food will gradually dissolve the surface of the aluminum foil causing small amounts of aluminum to migrate into the food. At the very least, this can give food an undesirable metallic taste. At worst, it could present a health problem if low levels of aluminum leech into food over time. The verdict is still out as to the health risks but leaching aluminum certainly won’t make your food taste any better.

Bad aluminum foil uses: In the freezer

Light weight aluminum foil is generally too fragile to use for home freezing. While the heavy duty grade aluminum foil will work, it’s best to place a plastic bag over the food after its wrapped in aluminum to prevent tears and small holes.

Even though aluminum foil can’t be used for every kitchen application, it’s good to have a roll of the less expensive, lighter gauge aluminum foil as well as the heavier gauge for freezer applications. With increasing awareness of the health dangers of storing foods in plastic, aluminum foil can provide a convenient alternative as long as the food doesn’t have a high acid content. It’s truly a versatile kitchen aid.