Silicone baking mats are an excellent and practical addition to any kitchen. Their reusability makes them a more environmentally-friendly choice compared to alternatives like parchment paper. Moreover, they outperform parchment paper in ensuring even heat distribution and are suitable for baking at higher temperatures. They are also quite durable and easy to clean, provided you avoid mistakes that make cleaning silicone baking mats more challenging. However, storing silicone baking mats can be a bit tricky. A simple, cost-effective, and space-saving way to store your baking mats is by reusing old, empty boxes of parchment paper, wax paper, aluminum foil, cling wrap, or similar products.
For this clever storage solution, just gather your old boxes, ensure they are empty, and roll up and insert a silicone baking mat. If you are finishing off a box of parchment paper for this purpose, consider exploring innovative ways to repurpose parchment paper around your home. While simply placing the rolled-up mat inside the box is sufficient, you can enhance your storage box in a couple of ways. Label the box, and if it has a sharp-toothed edge designed for cutting its original product, remove the sharp edge to protect your baking mats from scratches or damage. Then, you can store the box wherever you usually keep parchment paper or any suitable space in your kitchen.
Should you try this silicone baking mat storage method?
There are several reasons why this box method is an effective way to store your baking mats. Silicone baking mats should be stored either flat or loosely rolled. Folding them can cause permanent damage like creases and wrinkles. Rolling up a mat and placing it somewhere in your kitchen could lead to it getting squished and forming a crease. Storing it in a box provides extra protection. The box also shields the mats from sunlight exposure, which can cause silicone to deteriorate over time. Additionally, the stickiness of silicone baking mats makes them prone to collecting dust and debris, which can be bothersome to clean. By placing clean mats in boxes, you minimize their exposure to dust, hair, and other particles, keeping them pristine for future use.
If you have multiple mats, it’s best to use multiple boxes to avoid rolling them too tightly, which can consume significant space. Ensure the boxes are large enough for this reason. If the boxes don’t fit ideally in your kitchen, you might be interested in more simple hacks to save space when storing silicone baking mats. Overall, repurposing these old kitchen boxes into effective storage for your baking mats is a fantastic way to breathe new life into an item you might otherwise recycle or discard.
