Thoughts on...wax paper

Thanks what I leaned from my mom, too. 

Way back in the dark ages when I was a kid, there was no such thing as “plastic bags” for sandwiches.  The bags were wax paper.  The top was folded over, but didn’t stay folded so your sandwich bread dried out. I do remember by the time I got older Mom started using a sandwich shaped plastic container.  

I have a roll of waxed paper deep in the cupboard someplace. I use parchment for the most part now. I buy the big rolls from Costco.  I ran out during the early days of the pandemic.  For some reason parchment was one of the first things to disappear from shelves everywhere. I finally was able to buy some precut sheets from Amazon. I found I really like them. I did pick up a giant roll of waxed paper from Costco when they came back in stock (it was about a year later) but I find myself grabbing the flat sheets. They are so much easier to use. 

“Baggies”!  That’s the word we used to use. Now it’s Ziplock Baggies.  No idea why or when that happened. 

I have never bought or used wax paper.

I also don’t use parchment paper, plastic wrap, or ziplock bags.

We try to stay away from single use items.

Those all seem very unnecessary to me.

Probably 15 years ago I borrowed some wax paper from my MIL, it had a price sticker on it. She didn't want the roll back.

If I batch cook cookies I put layers of wax paper between them and freeze. When we make perogies, same thing. Freeze in layers on cookie sheets and transfer to a larger container.


They still have fold top sandwich bags. I call them all baggies or ziploc baggies. Wasn't baggies a brand name of sandwich bags?

I have a roll and I only use it when packing cookies or fudge in containers and don’t want them to stick.

ETA. I think I’ve seen dh use it to separate hamburger patties for grilling. But, only if he’s grilling for a crowd.

My Mom used to wrap my sandwiches for school with waxed paper. I don’t use it, though I do have a roll stashed in my cupboard.
And I remember when Baggies came out: “ Don’t wrap it, bag it, with Baggies!”

I am pretty sure the roll we have was bought to iron fall leaves with my daughter when she was little. What a weird project.

We don’t use baggies, but have all sizes of containers instead. I’m sure we kept thousands of ziplock baggies out of the trash over the course of 12 years of school lunches.

I will never part with parchment paper though. That stuff is magic for baking cookies.

There used to be a brand of sandwich bags called Baggies!

I just went and looked and in fact I have two rolls in there. They’re probably pretty old and likely I bought them by accident when I wanted parchment paper 🤷🏻‍♀️ The only thing I can think I use it for is to layer between hamburger patties.

I love those Nordicware pans! I don’t have one (I have some awesome USA brand that are great, too), but my mom does. I am tempted to pick up this one from Costco, though. I have an old copper sheet pan with crisper tray, but it didn’t hold up that well and has definitely seen better days. This one is deeper than a standard sheet pan, too. www.costco.com/nordic-ware-gold-high-sided-half-sheet-with-wire-rack.product.100794166.html

I have to say I love nonstick foil and pressnseal!!!

but. I use wax paper to cover stuff in microwave.
I also use it on cake round pans .. I do this so rarely I wouldn't want the round parchment ones to store.
I also line loaf pans when I make fruit cake. I use maybe 1 roll a year.

oh yvonne, I love that you remember your grandmother making the sandwiches tied up for you!  That is such a sweet memory.

My mom used to use waxed paper to roll up the special pinwheel sandwiches that she would make for parties.  She would order the bread sliced lengthwise instead and we would spread the filling on each slice and roll it up carefully.  These were wrapped tightly in waxed paper and put in the refrigerator overnight to make sure they held their shape.  When she was ready to serve them, they were sliced into a pretty pinwheel look.  Having been in the refrigerator overnight made them hold together well and you could just pick one up and eat it without it falling apart.  For whatever reason, when she would make tuna sandwiches like this and put a sweet pickle on one end so that it ended up in the center of the pinwheel, the sandwich tasted so much better than any ordinary tuna sandwich.  She also did a cream cheese mixture and egg salad mixture.  People loved those sandwiches and the looked so pretty on a platter.  Mom would buy both white and wheat loaves sliced lengthwise so there was a contrasting color to them too.

Anyone remember making those wax paper cards in elementary school?  We used either colored tissue paper with dried flowers or a pretty patterned napkin and ironed it between two layers of waxed paper with a sheet of butcher paper both underneath and on top of the waxed paper so that it didn't melt any wax into Mom's good ironing board cover or iron.  We sometimes added a bit of glitter in there too.  I remember making these and thinking they were so beautiful and creative. Mom allowed it, but I know she hated when we did this because there was glitter showing up in the laundry room for ages, no matter how carefully we added it to the cards.

I remember making those! And some kind of "stained glass window" things with something multicolored between the layers.

I used half a roll today! Lol

We made chocolate covered strawberries and it’s the best for that.

We don’t use Saran plastic wrap at all—wax paper is our go to.

I use it to wrap burritos for freezing, I live alone and love things I can grab and eat with no fuss.

I also use it to wrap small portions for the freezer in those plastic dishes Stouffers/Lean Cuisine come in.

A couple of layers of waxed paper and then slip them in recycled bread bags for the freezer.

Not going to buy fancy dishes or bags when I have things that others are tossing. Only the waxed paper is a one use item.