# Why do storebought muffins have paper wrapped stems? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 18, 2007, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-storebought-muffins-have-paper-wrapped-stems/388515 "2007-01-18T22:00:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-storebought-muffins-have-paper-wrapped-stems/388515/1 "2007-01-18T22:00:31Z")
I dislike the paper wrappings on my store bought muffins. They are more troublesome to unwrap and messier. I see [silicone muffin pans](http://www.chefsresource.com/silmufpansil.html) are available today. If I am correct in the assumption that they do not require parchment, why don’t store bakeries use them? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-storebought-muffins-have-paper-wrapped-stems/388515/2 "2007-01-18T23:25:42Z")
Other than small bakeries making small batches, those flexible silicone pans are probably not ideal for mass production where a “batch” of muffins may be thousands of them. So, rather than re-tool the production lines, (which would be wickedly expensive) they stay with metal pans. The paper liners are dirt-cheap, and need no cleanup of the pans between batches. Unlike us at home spooning batter into pans, the muffin factories squirt just the right amount of batter into just the right spot and don’t dribble it on the pans. Spraying the pans with non-stick stuff would require fairly frequent cleaning - probably between each batch. Once they’re baked, cooled, and tossed out of the pans, the paper liners help hold the muffin together as they get jostled around in shipping. “Naked” muffins would probably shed a lot of crumbs and look uh, crummy. The wrapper also will help hold in moisture so the muffins don’t dry out too fast. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2007, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-storebought-muffins-have-paper-wrapped-stems/388515/3 "2007-01-19T00:00:16Z")
but the majority of consumers prefer the paper. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2007, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-storebought-muffins-have-paper-wrapped-stems/388515/4 "2007-01-19T00:15:34Z")
gotspasswords has it all down, but I just had a memory flash from childhood, which has remained buried for these many decades. After taking the paper off the muffin, and eating the muffin (or cupcake), I would take the wrapper, which still had a lot of muffin remnants encrusted, and chew it up like gum, til it was used up, and then ditch the muffin cud. It was a secret little lagniappe then, but seems mighty nasty now. Was I alone in this odd pleasure? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2007, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-storebought-muffins-have-paper-wrapped-stems/388515/5 "2007-01-19T00:19:02Z")
Not that, but I did run my teeth along the liners to scrape the good stuff it off. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2007, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-storebought-muffins-have-paper-wrapped-stems/388515/6 "2007-01-19T01:40:32Z")
Thank you, **gotpasswords** for a very informative response. As a bonus, I also learned a new word _lagniappe_. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2007, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-storebought-muffins-have-paper-wrapped-stems/388515/7 "2007-01-19T03:06:44Z")
Stumps. Not stems. Muffin _stumps_. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2007, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-storebought-muffins-have-paper-wrapped-stems/388515/8 "2007-01-19T04:18:47Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] Stumps. Not stems. Muffin _stumps_. [/QUOTE] Not to be confused with [muffin tops](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=muffin+top) ! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2007, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-storebought-muffins-have-paper-wrapped-stems/388515/9 "2007-01-19T06:21:53Z")
[QUOTE=gotpasswords] those flexible silicone pans are probably not ideal for mass production where a “batch” of muffins may be thousands of them. [/QUOTE] According to my mother, and other expert bakers\*, they aren’t even ideal for home use! They are too flexible, tend to bend and spill just trying to put them into the oven. Plus they aren’t very sturdy; a little nick in the edge and it will tend to grow like a crack in a windshield, and soon it’s torn all the way across. Mom is still using some muffin tins that she received as wedding presents in 1949; these silicone pans wouldn’t last one-tenth as long, she says. \*And that has recently been confirmed by Consumer Reports, which found much the same problems. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2007, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-storebought-muffins-have-paper-wrapped-stems/388515/10 "2007-01-19T06:37:08Z")
[QUOTE=elelle] Was I alone in this odd pleasure? [/QUOTE] nope.