Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to oven trays – after all, life is too short to spend hours scrubbing burnt-on food and stains. Lining your trays before cooking prevents grease and oil from staining the trays while soaking them straight after use loosens burnt on food residue and makes them easier to clean.
When prevention isn’t enough
Sometimes, with the best will in the world, lining paper will tear and you will forget to soak your oven trays after use and be left with a sticky, grimy mess that needs to be dealt with before you can use the tray again.
The best thing to do is to wipe off as much residue as you can with a paper towel before setting the oven tray to soak in hot soapy water in the sink. If this does not break up the grease, you may wish to swap out soap for baking soda as it is mildly abrasive while also being a natural degreaser.
An alternative to cleaning
If you really detest cleaning or are regularly cooking on a large scale, ovenable trays may be a suitable alternative for you. Ovenable trays are made from sustainably sourced paperboard, a food safe material that will withstand heat from a microwave or oven and be recyclable at its end of life.
Ovenable trays are intended for single use but unlike plastic, will not melt while your food is cooking and are fully recyclable, reducing plastic pollution and safeguarding the environment. Ovenable trays eliminate washing up without harming your green credentials.
