To Prevent Butter Splatter, Don't Throw Away The Wrapper

Your recipe calls for half a cup of melted butter, so what do you do? Unwrap a stick, toss the wrapper in the trash can, and put the stick in the microwave for about 30 seconds, right? But have you ever accidentally pressed the wrong button and ended up with an oily mess all over the walls of your microwave? Or perhaps the butter was already soft and didn't need the full 30 seconds.

There are many ways to prevent butter from exploding in the microwave, like microwaving the butter in small increments or covering the dish with a napkin. You could also buy one of those splatter covers, but if you don't have one of these covers or don't want to dirty a napkin, you can use the butter wrapper. A butter wrapper is obviously already coated with butter, so why not use it as a shield to prevent the spread from splashing beyond the dish?

Most butter wrappers are made of microwave-safe, paraffin-based paper that's designed to resist grease and moisture. However, some stores still sell aluminum butter wrappers, which should never be placed in a microwave. It's pretty easy to tell the difference between the two at first glance; the paraffin-based version is slightly transparent, unlike the aluminum one.

So you can completely remove the paraffin-based wrapper, open it up, and place it on top of your bowl with the butter in it to prevent splatter. Or, you can throw the entire stick of butter in the bowl without unwrapping it. Just leave it on as you melt the butter. 

The only thing you really have to worry about is dripping from the wrapper on the way to the trash can and making a mess on your floor. Either hold the dish under the wrapper on the way to the trash can or hold your hand or a napkin under the wrapper to catch any butter drippings. You can also save the butter wrappers and reuse them for other foods, instead of immediately throwing them away. That way, you can prevent a mess and cut back on landfill waste.