There are a couple of items that I like to buy in bulk to make sure I’ve always got them stored at home – one of those items is parchment paper. Parchment paper is a paper coated with silicone, making it heat-resistant and giving it non-stick properties. This makes parchment paper so useful when cooking.
However, because it’s called paper, one may very easily be unsure if it’s safe to put in any device that heats up, such as the dehydrator. This leads us to the question at hand.
Can you put parchment paper in a dehydrator? You can put parchment paper in a dehydrator. Most parchment paper can withstand 420 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and dehydrators rarely reach temperatures above 150 degrees. Parchment paper has non-stick properties and is, therefore, perfect for use in the dehydrator where food may stick to the trays easily.
What Is Parchment Paper?
Parchment paper is a paper that’s widely used in cooking for its non-stick properties. Parchment paper is very convenient, affordable, and efficient. To obtain its non-stick and heat-resistant properties, the parchment paper is coated or treated with a release agent capable of withstanding temperatures involved in the process of cooking – most frequently, that release agent is silicone.
Oh, I might also tell you that parchment paper is not waxed paper. They’re two different things with different areas of use. What makes them unlike one another is the coating used to treat the paper. While parchment is treated with silicone, wax paper is treated with wax – which can melt (and even burn) when exposed to high temperatures.
Aside from being very efficient, parchment paper is also very convenient. It’s available in pre-cut sheets, can be disposed of when used or kept and used again if the paper is still intact.
While this article will focus on parchment paper in dehydrators, know that parchment paper can be used for a bunch of different things. There’s really no end to what you can do with it.
Benefits of Using Parchment Paper in a Dehydrator
So what’s so good about using parchment paper when drying foods in a dehydrator? I’ll tell you why I think it’s as good as I do, based on my anecdotes.
No clean-up required
The difference between dehydrating with and without parchment paper can be measured in time and effort. Without parchment paper, at worst, the majority of the batch may stick to the dehydrator’s trays.
Scraping the goo off of the trays takes time and effort. Once that’s done, you’ve got to clean the trays to remove any leftover residue that wasn’t removed when you scraped the ingredients off the trays.
Yes, I’ve described the worst-case scenario, sometimes it’s just a single or a couple of pieces of the batch that stick. Nevertheless, using parchment paper will reduce the time and effort wasted on clean-up by A LOT.
Parchment paper makes your trays last longer
Because there will be less food sticking to the trays, less food will have to be scraped off of them and, in turn, they will have to be washed and scrubbed fewer times. Together, this makes the tray lasts longer and maintain good condition.
Excess oil and dried sugars also take a toll on the trays.
Parchment paper keeps food from falling through the cracks
Dehydrator trays come patterned with holes, the design is made to allow heated air to circulate through the dehydrator’s trays. While every tray comes with a bunch of holes, these holes are rather small and pose no threats when placing fresh foods on them – but when the foods have lost their moisture and shrunk in size, the holes may be big enough for the ingredients to fall through.
Placing a thin layer of parchment paper on every tray will offer a safety net for the dried out foods.
Parchment paper allows the food to breathe
Wax paper, plastic wrap and aluminum foil can all seal out air while parchment paper allows it to seep through while foods are dehydrating. It’s the heated air that dehydrates so you don’t want to prevent it from reaching your foods.
Parchment paper is versatile
When it comes to dehydrating, parchment paper can be used to make fruit leather, fruit roll-ups, drying jerky, drying vegetables, herbs, and much more. One paper to conquer them all.
Is It Safe To Put Parchment Paper in a Dehydrator?
It’s definitely safe to put parchment paper in a dehydrator. This is a question that I get on a regular basis, which I am really happy about. I’d be worried if people weren’t asking these kind of questions. Let me explain why parchment paper is safe to put in your dehydrator.
It’s heat resistant: Parchment paper’s silicone coat makes it resistant to heat because the melting point of silicone is very high. Dehydrators operate at very low temperatures and will never come close to the temperatures required to cause parchment paper to combust or melt.
It doesn’t contain chemicals: When you’re using parchment paper you can relax knowing that you’re not cooking any harmful chemicals along with your food. The process of making parchment paper includes few chemicals and no harmful ones. You can even go for the unbleached (brown) parchment paper if you want even fewer chemicals.
It can be shaped: Your liner will have to be adjusted to fit the size and shape of your dehydrator trays. Parchment paper is easy to cut and shape to fit your dehydrator. Cut the parchment paper to fit the trays evenly, this way you will have less excess paper flapping in the wind.
It can be reused: There’s no harm in reusing parchment paper a couple of times (3-4 or until the paper starts to become brittle). You may also use both sides of the paper, as there’s no up/down-side. This is great for both you and the environment!
How Do I Use Parchment Paper In My Dehydrator?
This is such an easy procedure so I’ll get straight to it. This is how it is (can be) done.
- Start by measuring your parchment paper so it fits the dehydrator’s trays.
- Cut the parchment paper accordingly.
- Place the parchment paper on the trays and place the foods of your choice on top of it.
- Place the trays in the dehydrator and start dehydrating.
- Remove the trays from the dehydrator and lift the parchment paper from the trays.
- Remove the dried-out foods from the parchment paper.
- Optional and depending on the condition of the paper: either throw it in the trash or store it for next time.
What Brand of Parchment Paper Do I Recommend?
I’m sure most, if not all, brands of parchment paper qualify for use in the dehydrator. Still, I have experienced more trouble with some brands than I have with others. Yes, these so-called “troubles” have really been peanuts, but still. I’ve found a few favorites and figured I would share which ones I would recommend getting if they’re available in stores near you.
If You Care Certified Baking Parchment Paper
Their parchment paper is definitely what I would consider high-quality parchment paper. Not only is the product itself strong, but it’s also made in an environmental-friendly way, and free from chlorine, which we should do our best to promote.
I wouldn’t consider parchment paper an expensive item, mostly because it saves so much time and time is really the best investment you can make. If You Care’s parchment paper falls somewhere in the lower end of the price range, I would say.
SMARTAKE Parchment Paper Baking Sheets
Smartake’s parchment papers come pre-cut straight out of the packaging, they’re packaged in a way that prevents them from folding. Parchment paper that doesn’t stay flat can become bothersome as it may “wrap” ingredients when it curls. Yes, placing food evenly all over the paper will prevent it from folding but it’s still a nice hassle-free bonus.
I always go for the unbleached version. They come in packs of up to 200 pieces – it may sound like a lot, and considering the fact that they may be reused up to 3-5 times, it is.
Measuring 12x 0.8 x 16 inches, they’re medium-sized and can be cut to fit the dehydrator’s trays.
Geesta Parchment Paper Circles
Unlike the rest of the items on the list, these parchment papers come in the shape of a circle. I’m not sure if the majority of commercial dehydrators are round but a significant amount (every single one that I have owned at least) have circular trays – making these parchment papers a convenient accessory to accompany those trays.
Geesta’s parchment paper is coated with silicone and both sides of each paper have a non-stick surface. They can be reused multiple times before finally disposing of them. They’re unbleached, non-toxic, and non-wax.
Is Parchment Paper and Wax Paper the Same Thing?
No, no, no! They’re not the same thing and they should not be mixed. You do not want to put wax paper in your dehydrator. Wax paper is coated with wax – which melts at lower temperatures than silicone and food sticks to it. There’s much you can do with wax paper but using it as liner for your dehydrator trays just isn’t the best idea.
So, the primary difference between them is their coating and the properties it adds.
Using wax paper can sometimes leave your food with a lingering taste of wax, which some find unpleasant.
What Else Can I Line My Dehydrator Trays With?
To answer this question I would need to know what type of food you’re dehydrating. See, some foods can spark chemical reactions when they come in contact with certain materials.
Take acidic foods and aluminum foil for instance; cooking acidic foods on aluminum foil will cause the foil to corrode and leave small dark patches on your food. Aluminum foil is therefore best used on foods that aren’t acidic.
Another thing to take into consideration is the material’s non-stick properties and how certain foods tend to behave when dried-out. Some foods stick to the liners much easier than others. Aluminum foil, for instance, doesn’t have non-stick properties and shouldn’t be used for sticky ingredients.
To give you an idea of when to use what, here’s a small guide.
- Aluminum Foil: Best used for foods that don’t stick and are low-acid.
- Plastic Wrap: Best used for foods that are juicy and fruit leathers. Plastic wrap is flexible and contains the juices when they’re released from the foods, preserving the flavors and, at the same time, keeping the juice from dripping through to the bottom of your dehydrator.
- Nori Sheets: Nori sheets are made of dried seaweed and carry a strong taste of seaweed and fish. They’re best used when dehydrating something from the ocean, as the flavor is carried over and may not mix well with other ingredients.
- Plastic Embroidery: These mesh liners are available online and can be used for all solid foods. They can be cut to fit your dehydrator’s trays.
- Teflex Sheets: These sheets are coated with Teflon and can be reused. They’re non-stick and flexible, oftentimes used when making fruit leathers or purees. I definitely recommend getting a set of these Teflex Sheets from Amazon, they’re very easy to use and maintain.
Conclusion
Finally, we have arrived at the end of our journey on this topic.
What have we learned? If you don’t own a custom made sheet for your dehydrator’s trays, parchment paper is definitely the way to go. There are other alternatives but none of them are as versatile as parchment paper. You can’t compete with the properties of parchment paper along with it’s areas of use.
Having these at home isn’t just great for dehydrating bot also for baking, air frying, roasting and more. There’s just so much you can do with them and they’re gonna keep you from spending hours in the kitchen scrubbing grease off of your kitchen appliances.
So if you’re looking for something to put in your dehydrator – go with parchment paper. It’s heat resistant, it allows the ingredients to breathe, it can be cut to fit any shape, most (if not all) foods will fall off easily when finished dehydrating, and they’re very affordable.