14 Things To Do With Butter Wrappers Besides Put Them In The Trash

Butter — it's a staple ingredient found in millions of kitchens across the world. But what do you do with those pesky butter wrappers once you've used up the whole block? In reality, most of us probably toss them in the trash without giving it a thought. However, these wrappers can actually be incredibly useful for a range of tasks in the kitchen. They can help you save time, reduce waste, and even enhance your cooking and baking.

From greasing pans to wrapping leftovers, butter wrappers can serve as a handy tool, and we think they're certainly worth holding on to. Since each one is lined with a thin layer of residual butter, they're perfect for buttering veg, meat, or even bakes fresh out of the oven. You can even use butter wrappers to stop bread from drying out!

The best way to store your butter wrappers is in the fridge or freezer, in a resealable bag or airtight container. This will keep the residual butter left on the wrappers fresh, and it also means they're easy to grab as and when you need them. So, before you toss your next wrapper, take a look through our list of hacks below. You'll soon discover how easy it is to repurpose these unassuming scraps and use them to revolutionize a whole host of everyday kitchen tasks.

Read more: The Most Useless Cooking Utensils, According To Chefs

Use Them To Line Muffin Pans

One great reason to stash your butter wrappers is so you have something to use if you're ever out of muffin pan liners. The empty wrappers work perfectly to encase your muffins or cupcakes, with the residual butter preventing them from sticking to the pan or the wrapper.

First, grab a butter wrapper from your stash in the fridge or freezer and unfold it. Then, rub the buttery side of the wrapper around the muffin cup to grease it before turning the wrapper over (so it's now butter side up) and pressing it down to line the cup. Fill the wrappers with your muffin or cupcake batter as usual and bake. Before you know it, you'll be popping your freshly baked muffins out of those wrappers with ease. You'll also notice that the thin layer of butter on the wrapper leaves your bakes with a subtle buttery flavor.

This is such an easy hack that can make a big difference in your everyday baking. Plus, it's a win-win, since it helps you to cut down on kitchen waste.

Turn Them Into Homemade Candy Wrappers

Butter wrappers are also perfect for wrapping homemade candies. They're an economical, eco-friendly, and effective way to store these sweet treats. Plus, the slight buttery residue on the wrappers prevents candies from sticking to them, meaning easy unwrapping when it comes to enjoying the candies later.

To turn butter wrappers into candy wrappers, you'll probably need to cut them into smaller pieces. Assess the size of your sweets, then cut the wrappers into squares or rectangles as needed. Then, each piece can be used to wrap the individual treats. Simply place the candy in the center of the wrapper piece, fold the edges over, and twist the ends to secure the candy inside.

This method is great for various homemade treats, such as caramels, truffles, fudge, and toffees, particularly if you're gifting them to friends and family. The repurposed wrappers will add a lovely rustic charm to your sweets!

Cover Leftovers With Them

Another great way to reuse butter wrappers is as coverings for your leftovers. With their smaller size and uniform shape, they're a handy tool for keeping food fresh without having to cut sheets of plastic wrap or foil.

If your leftovers are in a small bowl or container, just pop the butter wrapper on top (butter-side down) and fold the edges over the sides. This will help to keep your food from drying out or getting contaminated with odors from other foods in the fridge.

You can also use the wrappers to cover the cut end of a vegetable, like a cucumber or zucchini, to keep it fresh. Or, perhaps you have a half-used avocado or lemon in the fridge that needs wrapping. A cut wedge of cheese is perfect for covering, too. Try combining a few wrappers together and you can even wrap up a sandwich with them. The leftover butter on the wrapper is great for keeping the bread moist and adding a little extra flavor.

The same butter wrappers can also be used time and time again for protecting leftovers. Just give them a wash between each, and there's no need to waste them. Even without the buttery residue, they will still make useful and conveniently sized coverings.

Use Them To Grease Pots And Pans

Before you throw out those butter wrappers, why not keep them on hand to prep cake pans for baking? The slightly buttery wrapper makes the perfect tool for greasing pans, stopping the batter from sticking and ensuring easy removal of your bake from the pan when it comes out of the oven.

All you need to do is give your baking pan a good rub all over to transfer that leftover butter onto it. Since the wrapper is only greasy on one side, your hands will stay clean, and you'll notice how easy it is to cover the pan in a thin, even layer without any big clumps or spots missed. For larger pans, you might find that you need two or three wrappers to grease the whole surface.

Leftover wrappers can also come in handy for greasing frying pans, pots, and casserole dishes. If you don't want to go over the top with the oil or fat content in a dish, but still need to prevent food from sticking to the pot or pan, the wrappers contain just the right amount for a light greasing.

Use Them To Stop Butter From Splattering All Over The Microwave

Reheating butter in the microwave can often lead to a messy explosion, leaving the inside of your microwave coated with greasy spots that, let's face it, are a massive pain to clean. But, enter the humble butter wrapper, which can provide a simple solution to this splatter problem.

Just place the butter wrapper over the top of your butter-filled bowl or container before microwaving. The butter side should be facing down. This creates an effective shield that keeps any splatters at bay. If you're melting or softening an entire stick of butter, another option is to leave it contained inside the wrapper when microwaving. Just make sure to pop it in a bowl first. This is completely safe, your butter will still melt perfectly, and your microwave walls will thank you!

You can use this hack for other foods that have a tendency to splatter in the microwave, too, like sauces, soups, or gravies. Butter wrappers should be able to cover any small container effectively, so there's no need to fuss with plastic wrap or special microwave covers. Just reach for your handy butter wrapper stash.

Use Them To Separate Frozen Foods

Butter wrappers also have a nifty use when it comes to freezing foods. Sometimes, we're faced with the issue of individual food items sticking together in the freezer. One simple trick to stop this happening is using butter wrappers to separate them.

Those simple butter wrappers are perfect for placing between foods to keep them apart, with the excess butter acting as a non-stick aid. This works great for foods that are flatter in shape and prone to sticking together. For example, doughs, burgers, cookies, and pancakes. Or, try separating slices of fruits like lemons or oranges for adding to cold drinks. Using the wrappers allows to you keep the foods in individual portions rather than struggling to pry them apart once they've inconveniently frozen into one solid block.

When it comes to defrosting, each piece of food will be completely separate. Thanks to your butter wrappers, you'll be able to grab just what you need rather than having to thaw the entire batch.

Butter Corn On The Cob With Them

Have you ever spread a knob of butter onto a corn on the cob, only for it to slide right off? Luckily, we have another creative butter wrapper hack for you; get ready to say goodbye to badly buttered corn.

Once again, that thin layer of butter left on the wrapper is going to come in handy here. There should be just the right amount left on there to coat the corn all over. Just take the leftover wrapper and wrap it around the warm corn (butter side in, of course). Then, rub it back and forth all over the corn. The butter should melt and spread across the surface in a nice, even layer for the perfect light coating.

This method will ensure that each and every kernel is covered with creamy butter without having to use a knife or get butter all over your hands. It's a super handy one for picnics or barbecues where you might not have utensils to hand. So, don't forget this handy hack for your next corn-on-the-cob feast.

Grease Knives With Them

We've covered pots and pan, but knives are another kitchen item that can often benefit from a quick greasing. And butter wrappers are the perfect tool for this. If you're trying to cut particularly sticky foods or ingredients, it's easy to get into a bit of a mess. The knife might quickly become stuck, dirtied, or hard to use, and the sticky food quickly gets all over your hands as you try to remove it from the knife.

So, before cutting something sticky, perhaps a slab or fudge, a gooey brownie, or sticky dried fruits like dates and prunes, make sure you have a butter wrapper on hand. Simply take the wrapper and carefully rub the buttery side along the blade of the knife. This should provide an ideal non-stick coating and make your chopping much smoother. Greasing a butter knife before spreading sticky ingredients like peanut butter or Nutella is also a great idea, and it'll make the knife much easier to clean, too.

Additionally, if you're chopping something that breaks apart easily, like a crumbly cake or flaky pastry, try using a lightly buttered knife. This will help the knife to glide through without ruining the presentation of your food.

Use Them To Prepare Rice Crispy Treats

We love whipping up a batch of rice crispy treats! They're fun to make and always turn out deliciously sweet and chewy, but sometimes, things can get a little messy during prep. Dig out a trusty butter wrapper from your stash in the fridge, and you'll find it can be incredibly useful when it comes to making these sticky treats.

A crucial step in the rice crispy treat process is squishing that sticky marshmallow and cereal mixture down into your prepared baking pan before you chill it. This part can sometimes be troublesome, with your hands or compacting tool of choice getting coated in a layer of gooeyness and failing to press everything down efficiently.

But, to solve this, all you need to do is take your butter wrapper and press the buttered side down onto the mixture in the pan, using it to smooth everything out into an even, flat layer. The wrapper should glide smoothly over the sticky mixture without creating any unwanted mess. Don't forget you can use a butter wrapper to grease the pan at the beginning, too, before you line it with parchment paper.

Prepare Measuring Cups Before Filling With Sticky Ingredients

Butter wrappers can also be a lifesaver when it comes to measuring sticky ingredients like honey, syrup, molasses, or peanut butter. Again, you can use these trusty wrappers as a handy greasing aid.

Take your butter wrapper and rub the buttery side all over the inside of your measuring cup, spoon, or jug, making sure not to leave any gaps. This will coat the measuring device in a protective, greasy layer to prevent the sticky ingredient from clinging to the inside.

Once you fill the cup with the sticky substance, you should notice that it slides out much more easily and leaves a lot less residue behind. So, you won't need to worry about inaccurate measuring or waste time scraping out every last bit. When it comes to cleaning up afterward, this should be much easier, too, since it's not covered in hard-to-shift stickiness.

Use Them To Wrap Homemade Dough

Many recipes that involve pastry or dough will include a chilling step, where the pastry must rest and firm up in the fridge. Think cookies, pie crusts, bread, or pizza. Often, it's recommended to cover the dough in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. But butter wrappers can be a wonderful, eco-friendly alternative.

Once you've prepared the dough, shape it into a ball or log, depending on your specific recipe. Then, take a used butter wrapper and wrap the dough with the butter side down. If you have a larger piece of dough, you might need to use multiple wrappers, but the edges should easily fold over the dough, keeping it nicely covered and protected. Because of that buttery residue on the wrapper, it won't stick to the dough. It'll simply keep it fresh, moist, and easy to handle.

This method is far less wasteful than using plastic wrap, since you're repurposing something that's already been used once. Plus, after you've used the butter wrappers for the dough, you can always give them a rinse and put them to use elsewhere.

Use Them To Make Microwaved Baked Potatoes

If you love the convenience of a speedy microwaved baked potato, butter wrappers are a fantastic tool for keeping them moist and adding flavor.

First, wash your potato and dry it thoroughly before poking holes in its skin with a fork all over. Then, wrap it up in a butter wrapper (or two, depending on its size), covering as much of the potato as possible. This will help lock in moisture while adding some delicious buttery flavor.

Pop your wrapped potato on a microwave-safe plate and microwave it on high for 4-5 minutes. Then, turn it over to help it cook evenly, and microwave for another 4-5 minutes until steaming, tender, and fluffy. You can check whether it's fully cooked by poking it with a knife. Let it cool a little before you unwrap it, and you should be left with one perfectly cooked potato with a mouthwatering, butter-infused skin.

Use Them To Stop Bread From Drying Out

Bread can be tricky to keep fresh, but with the right bread storage techniques, you can extend its life and prevent it from going stale. And your leftover butter wrappers are here to help.

One simple hack to keep the cut end of a loaf moist and fresh is placing a butter wrapper over it. Make sure the butter residue is fairly soft, then place the wrapper butter-side down directly onto the cut surface of the bread. The butter should help it to stay in place. Then, place the loaf into a bread box or bag for optimum freshness. Usually, the cut surface of a partially eaten loaf of bread is the area most prone to drying out since it no longer has the crust acting as a protective layer against exposure to the air. But, the buttery wrapper will trap moisture, keeping it soft and delicious for longer.

Keep in mind that this trick is only likely to extend the life of your bread for a few extra days. If you're looking to store it for a longer period of time, freezing bread is a great option. Just be sure to slice it up first if you only want to grab a slice or two from the freezer at a time.

Use Them To Add Flavor To Baked Goods Or Resting Meat

Our final tip for repurposing butter wrappers is using them to enhance your baked goods, meats, or even veggies. Rather than wasting that lovely layer of butter left on the wrapper, you can make sure every last bit gets used to add flavor to your freshly baked or cooked meals and treats.

A great option is to pop a butter wrapper on top of a freshly baked cake, loaf, or muffin while it's still nice and warm. The heat will allow the butter residue to melt and infuse your bake with a creamy richness, adding flavor and moisture.

Or, perhaps you'd like to add some buttery goodness to your freshly roasted or seared meat. While steak, chicken, or pork is resting before serving up, place a butter wrapper on top and let the butter seep into the meat. It's a simple yet totally delicious final touch that helps to keep everything moist and juicy. This hack also works as a quick and easy way to butter veggies, such as broccoli, green beans, or peas. Again, just place the wrapper on top and let the butter work its magic.

Read the original article on Mashed