Why You Should Avoid Foil And Plastic Wrap When Wrapping A Sandwich

Sandwiches make for some of the best meals to take with you on-the-go, because you can easily pack them to save for later. Whether you're saving your sandwich for a work lunch, picnic, or stroll, you always want to make sure your sandwich is transported properly to preserve the texture and taste of your ingredients — as well as the sandwich's structure. There are definitely right ways to wrap sandwiches — and wrong ways – but no matter how you do it, you may not want to wrap your sandwich in foil or plastic wrap. 

Aluminum foil and plastic wrap won't absorb fluids from your sandwich. This means that if you wrap your sandwich with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, the moisture from your sandwich will get trapped in the wrapping, resulting in a soggy sandwich that will not be as enjoyable when you finally eat it on your lunch break, at your picnic, or on your stroll. Instead of aluminum foil or plastic wrap, you should use parchment paper to wrap your sandwiches.

The porosity of parchment paper allows it to absorb the moisture from your sandwich to help keep it from getting too soft and wet while in transport, so it's a great way to prevent soggy sandwiches. When you tightly wrap your sandwich in parchment paper, it will also squeeze all parts of your sandwich, which will make all of the ingredients in your sandwich adhere to each other securely. 

Parchment paper can also keep your sandwich fresh for a considerable amount of time, and it preserves the flavor of your ingredients so it will taste as good as when you first made it. Additionally, if you cut through the middle of your parchment paper-wrapped sandwich, the structure of each half of your sandwich will remain intact. Just be sure to use the proper technique for wrapping your sandwich in parchment paper.

Once you've made your delicious sandwich and you're ready to wrap it up, get a 12-inch x 16-inch rectangle of parchment paper. This material can sometimes be stubborn, as it often curls up and resists lying flat. If you're having this problem, then you can get the parchment paper to lay flat by scrunching the paper up, then evening out the wrinkles on your table or counter to make it lay flat. To preserve the structure of your sandwich before you wrap it, use the cold cut folding hack: Fold condiments into your cold cuts within the sandwich, like you're enclosing them in a pouch.

Then, place your sandwich right in the middle of the parchment paper. Pinch the ends of the parchment paper and make a ½-inch fold over the top of your sandwich. Crease it so it's nice and tight. Fold the parchment paper underneath the sandwich and keep it snug. Finally, fold the corners of your parchment paper on your sandwich like a present, with the triangles on each end tucked underneath, and you're all set.