Why Cover Food With Foil in Oven | The Answer will Suprise You

You are going to heat up a dish, but don’t have a lid, or you don’t want your roast beef to stick to your skillet. No matter what the situation is, one thing in the kitchen comes in handy every time.

It is your good old friend the foil. It stops the food mess, keeps the moisture inside, and can even act as a container on some occasions.

But there is a significant benefit of the foil we don’t talk about much. It is why cover food with foil in the oven. 

There is more to it than you think. And we are going to discuss that in this article.

Why Cover Food With Foil in Oven and Why Not Leave It Open

Covering your food with foil before putting it in the oven might sound like a tradition. It is what our grandparents did, so we do it too. But the significance of it is far more than that. 

Ever wondered why the turkey isn’t dried out? Or the asparagus is still retaining its natural juice but still cooked thoroughly? The answer to all of that is the foil wrap. 

What Happens When You Cover Your Food With Foil in the Oven

When you leave a dish open in the oven, the top part starts to cook right away. Because it is exposed to the heat of the oven directly. 

While in the meantime, the middle and bottom part is still in the heating process. By the time those parts start to get cooked the top layer of your food is already cooked.

As food takes time to cook thoroughly, the upper part of the food starts to get dry. And on occasions, even get burnt. This is due to being exposed to heat directly.

But if you cover your food with a layer of foil, it doesn’t get dried at all. Because of the foil’s high heat resistance, it doesn’t let the upper part of the food get burnt or cooked to the extent to be dried.

This is why it is an essential step to cover your food with foil before putting it in the oven.

Does Covering Your Food With Foil Help Cook Faster

We all want our food to cook faster. At the same time, we want it to be cooked thoroughly. To minimize your gas or electricity use and maximize your food cooking, foil can help you a lot.

It not only lets the food come out perfect in every layer but also helps it not to get dried out or burnt in the top and the bottom. 

The foil acts as a vessel that reserves heat and builds an atmosphere in the dish so that the food can cook efficiently. Thus making it cook faster than leaving the dish open.

The Benefits of Using Foil in Your Oven

There are a lot of benefits to using foil in the oven. Here are a few of those that might amaze you.

• Cooks your food thoroughly.
• Keeps the top part of your food from burning.
• Retains the juiciness of your food.
• Minimizes mess in the oven from splattering.
• Easy to clean after the food is cooked.
• Can also act as a disposable container.
• Makes the food cook faster by retaining and distributing heat throughout the pan.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does putting foil over food in the oven do?

Putting foil over your food in the oven minimizes the chance of the food getting burnt. At the same time, it doesn’t let it go dry on the top of it. And cooks thoroughly and retains the moisture. Also, it keeps the splattering of grease and food residue from building up on the oven wall.

Does covering food with aluminum foil make it cook faster?

Yes. It creates an all-around heating environment that helps the food cook faster. Normally your oven reaches its top setting temperature and then starts to cool down for a bit. And again the temperature goes up. If you cover your food with aluminum foil, it keeps the temperature inside the cooking pot/pan the same all the time. Hence it cooks faster.

Why do you cover food when baking?

Normally it is not suggested to cover your food while you are baking. This is due to the heat forming the crust over the food. But if you find your food to be browning faster than expected, then you can cover it with aluminum foil to stop it from burning. 

When should you cover food in the oven?

Different food needs different types of approaches. If you are stewing, you will need to cover the pot. If you are roasting, you need to keep your roast uncovered to form the outer layer first. And in mid-way, you have to cover it with foil. So it all depends on what type of crust you want, and what type of moisture you are aiming for. 

Conclusion

Covering your food with foil in the oven does not only make the food cook faster, but also makes it juicy, and succulent. It is because the heat doesn’t let the food dry out. At the same time, there is no mess in your oven from the splatters. Which is a good thing. You won’t have to put so much effort later on cleaning the oven.