A quick search shows many experienced bakers are now looking for ways to prevent paper liners from sticking to their muffins. This is a seems to be a gradual problem that is continuing to get worse. What’s changed?
Has our food changed? Most definitely as we shifted to “Big Ag”, which is more about throughput and maximizing profit. But has big ag made our muffins more sticky? While I’m sure it plays a part, I wonder if there is something more sinister at play here.
You can buy modern liners of glassine or those treated with quilon or silicone. Hmmm… I wonder if C8, the modern marvel of Teflon, was ever used to treat paper liners. Now banned because it is environmentally persistant and exists in the blood of 97% of the population, could muffin liners contributed to that? Or perhapsthey have reduces the usage of Quilon. It’s a nasty little ingredient:
Quilon, a chemical containing Chromium – a heavy metal – which when incinerated becomes toxic and leaves trace elements behind.
Source: https://www.greenboatstuff.com/ifyouca10unp2.html
Well damn. Quilon is in parchment paper, muffin cups, and a ton of other paper products designed to help cook yummy things! Silicone, on the other hand, is derived from a natural source (Silicon). Maybe those floppy, squishy baking things are the right way to go. Ah what the health, it’s not like muffins are good for us anyway :p