Why should foil not touch food?

[aquinas_chris]

So, I was watching Martha's daytime show the other day and she commented as they were cooking a sweet potato that the foil should NEVER touch your food. But then she didn't say why. I have never heard this? What's the deal? Does it make it taste different? The guy from Jean Jacques actually put a layer of parchment between the food and foil.

ps. did anyone see how he was flirting with Martha??? :D

[lindrusso]

I have found that some foods are reactive with foil (and other metals) and will actually start to eat through the foil.

It seems to me it would be certain foods - like tomatoes which are acidic - that should not touch foil, but perhaps she is playing it safe by making a blanket statement. I use foil to line my pan when making brownies all the time and there's direct contact, so I don't think it really is ALL foods.

[Hammster]

Were the sweet potatoes sticky? You know, with brown sugar, etc? Maybe the foil would stick to the stickiness of the dish and end up pulling off whatever was under the foil. (Hence the parchment between the food and the foil)
The only things I don't put foil on are acidic foods, as mentioned by lindrusso, and sticky things that could have the chance of being pulled apart when removing the foil. (I prefer to use parchment instead of foil to line my cake and brownie pans instead of foil as lindrusso has suggested. But that's my preference)
Ah something just came to me. It's possible that she could be concerned about the supposed link between aluminum and Alzheimers. Foil is aluminum and there are some studies showing a link between that and Alzheimers. Of course there are studies showing the opposite. So decide for yourself.

[funniegrrl]

I HAVE heard Martha espouse the theory about aluminum & Alzheimers. Even though the idea that aluminum foil and cookware is a problem has been debunked, I'm guessing Martha still believes it. And, as already mentioned, acidic foods WILL eat into the foil and you'll have black sludge on the food where they touched.

[SheRa]

i've heard that as long as it's not the REALLY shiny part that touches the food, you're safe. one side is always more dull. my fiancee swears by this. :confused:

[Valerie226]

I've had tomato sauce eat little holes right thru the foil, and leave black marks. I make sure my lasagne has a fairly cheesy top & I spray the underside of the foil with pan spray & have never had a problem since. It also makes sure the foil doesn't stick.

[funnybone]

i've heard that as long as it's not the REALLY shiny part that touches the food, you're safe. one side is always more dull. my fiancee swears by this. :confused:


I was watching a show where they showed how foil was made (I think on Food TV) and the only reason that one side is shiny and the other not, is because of the way it is made. They said it didn't matter what side you used, it's just preference.

As for foil and food, I have no problems with it and love the new Reynolds Release brand. I don't wrap baked potatoes in foil because it leave a soft skin. I prefer it crispier.

[Hammster]

i've heard that as long as it's not the REALLY shiny part that touches the food, you're safe. one side is always more dull. my fiancee swears by this. :confused:

I used to believe that too. But then I saw a show on FoodTV or Discovery Channel that showed how foil is made. Basically 2 sheets of aluminum, one on top of the other, are sent through some powerful rollers that press the aluminum flat to the thickness of foil. So the shiny sides are the sides that contact the rollers and the dull sides are the sides that are contacting each other as they go through the rollers. So, the show basically said there was nothing special about the shiny side versus the dull side as it was strictly a byproduct of the manufacturing process.
Funniegrrl is correct in the black sludge (basically corroding aluminum caused by galvanic reaction of an acid, tomato, and a conductive metal, aluminum) getting on the acidic foods. And it will change the flavor of the food if that happens.
When in doubt, use some kind of liner between the foil and the food. As previously mentioned, parchment. For freezer storage, wrap in plastic first and then foil for best protection in the freezer.

Something I just thought of from the original message. People bake regular russets in foil all the time without using a liner of parchment. If Martha's recipe is just for baked whole sweet potatoes, that may be ok as well. Or maybe the sugar from sweets is enough to cause the reaction?

[funniegrrl]

I've baked sweet potatoes in foil many times and had no reaction; I've also baked them without successfully. You can't eat the skin of sweet potatoes, so the crisp/steamed issue is moot.

[clairea]

I've baked sweet potatoes in foil many times and had no reaction; I've also baked them without successfully. You can't eat the skin of sweet potatoes, so the crisp/steamed issue is moot.

Now you've made me nervous. We eat the skin of sweet potatoes all the time. Is there something wrong with it?

Regarding the original question, the only reason I have heard not to let foil touch food is that acidic foods can react with the foil, as mentioned. I believe any theories about the link between the aluminum and alzheimers (which I think is Martha's issue) have been disproven so you don't need to worry about that.

Claire

[SandyM]

Now you've made me nervous. We eat the skin of sweet potatoes all the time. Is there something wrong with it?

No - not that I've heard, or found. :)

[ADM]

Re: "the foil should NEVER touch your food."

I think that is an Urban Legend!

As others have noted, restaurants foil-wrap potatoes, for baking. We cover bowls and casseroles with foil, as well as using foil for covering a baking casserole. We line pans with foil, to make clean-up easier, At Thanksgiving web sites recommend covering the turkey breast with foil, if it is browning too fast. There is freezer foil, too. What else would we use foil for, if we didn't let it come in contact with food?

I have sometimes heard that it is best to have the dull side facing the food, and also that it doesn't matter.

The foil package does warn: "Caution, to avoid possible heat damage to oven, do not cover oven bottom with foil." However, that doesn't mean that you can't place foil on the lowest shelf, to prevent drippings onto the floor of your oven.

I would be willing to guess that at least 99% of us, use foil regularly.

[ADM]

Recipe from Mayo Clinic - Rochester, N.Y. - (Apparently they have no objection to food touching foil). {Heart Healthy food}

LEMON DILL ALASKA SALMON:

4 sheets (12" x 18" each) heavy-duty aluminum foil wrap

4 (4 to 6 oz. each) salmon fillets
4 medium carrots, diagonally sliced
1 each zucchini and yellow squash, thinly sliced
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. dried dill weed
1 tsp.lemon pepper

Preheat grill to medium-high. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray. Put a salmon steak in the center of each piece of foil and arrange carrot slices around the fillet; top with squash slices. Combine remaining ingredients; spoon over salmon and vegetables.

Bring up sides of foil and double-fold ends to form a packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside packet. Grill nine (9) to eleven (11) minutes in a covered grill.Makes four servings.

[ADM]

Re: funniegrrl - I HAVE heard Martha espouse the theory about aluminum & Alzheimers. Even though the idea that aluminum foil and cookware is a problem has been debunked, I'm guessing Martha still believes it."
---------------------------------------
"Many years ago a published research paper suggested that aluminium was associated with Alzheimers disease. The association was never substantiated, and in fact subsequent studies have questioned the original results. They were never reliably reproduced, and the original source of the association was shown to be an artifact of the experiment. But that has not stopped the bandwagon enthusiasts from going into a fit over aluminium cooking gear. Search on Google and you will find lots of cooking web sites which tell you about the dangers of aluminium, in a most positive manner. Do any of them know what they are talking about? No. It's pretty well all hearsay, and pretty well all false. It's yet another very typical urban myth.

For a start, aluminium is one of the more common elements on this planet. Your body is constantly in contact with it, and has very efficient mechanisms for getting rid of it. It would be extremely startling if it turned out to be a hazard after so many millenia of contact. Aluminium is present in many common antacids, and no-one has ever indicted those. Aluminium is present in many anti-perspirants (not that they themselves are a good idea, mind you). An aluminium salt is used to treat drinking water to improve clarity. Enough! But if you want some references, herewith. You can find more via Google.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that aluminum cooking utensils, aluminum foil, antiperspirants, antacids, and other aluminum products are generally safe."

Source: www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/FAQ-Food htm

[shscharles]

Agreeing with everyone regarding foil and acidic/sticky foods. Totally disagreeing regarding Alzheimer's..you're right, an urban legend.

But really jumping in here to chime in with Funnybone regarding the new Release foil. What took them so long?! This stuff is terrific! If you haven't tried it, go buy some! It now comes in wide and regular widths and I truly don't know what I did without it! :D