Fat is a necessary part of cooking. When tossing vegetables with olive oil for flavor before roasting or deep-frying Buffalo wings to create a crispy, crunchy exterior, most cooks regularly use oil in some capacity. So whether you’re left with grease-slicked pans after searing and sauteing or find yourself with cups of oil after making fried chicken or french fries, you need to do something with that leftover fat. Pouring it down the sink, though tempting, can damage your plumbing, and tossing it in the compost might ruin your compost. Show
WpGet the full experience.Choose your planArrowRight Knowing what to do with used oil and grease is a requirement of being a cook, so here’s a quick guide to reusing and properly disposing of it. Start with cold oil for crisper, golden french fries you’ll crave For smaller amounts of oil: I typically wipe pots, pans and any other dishes with a paper towel and then toss it in the trash. You can also designate a few dish towels for light grease cleanup and set those aside for regular kitchen laundry loads. Another option is to pour very small amounts of oil directly into a trash bag as long as there is other debris that will help soak it up. You should remove any residual grease from your dishes before putting them in the sink or dishwasher to prevent it from entering the sewer system. (We don’t need any more fatbergs.) Advertisement For larger amounts of oil: Start by trying to limit the amount of oil you use by choosing an appropriately sized pan for the quantity of food you’re preparing, particularly when it comes to frying. Beyond that, oil can be reused by letting it cool, straining it through a fine mesh strainer, coffee filter or several layers of cheesecloth, and then storing it in a dark place to fry another day. Oil starts to degrade once you cook with it and will continue to deteriorate with each use, so there’s a limit to how many times you can reuse it. “In a restaurant, no more than two days,” chef and cookbook author Preeti Mistry told The Washington Post. “Maybe some restaurants give it more days, but we did a lot of frying at [the now-closed] Juhu Beach Club, so it was important to keep it clean.” Oil past its prime won’t be able to reach frying temperatures without smoking and can impart bad flavors to whatever food it touches. “For home use, I would use fryer oil about four times since the amount of items fried is not a huge amount,” Mistry said. Leftover bacon grease is liquid gold. Here’s how to put it to good use. According to America’s Test Kitchen (ATK), what you fry can be more important than the number of times the oil is used in determining how long it lasts: “With breaded and battered foods, reuse oil three or four times. With cleaner frying items such as potato chips, it’s fine to reuse oil at least eight times — and likely far longer, especially if you’re replenishing it with some fresh oil.” ATK made this determination by using kits that tested for degradation, but for the home cook, the easiest way to test if oil can still be used is to give it a whiff to check if it smells off or rancid. And for Mistry: “If it sits for more than a week or two, I would also just dispose of it no matter how many uses.” Advertisement To dispose of larger quantities of cooking and frying oil, always let it cool down first to prevent injury and keep whatever you transfer it to from melting. Then pour it into a disposable, preferably non-recyclable, container with a tightfitting lid. To dispose of it, Mistry suggests searching for companies that collect oil near you. “That might be, like in Berkeley, an actual biodiesel station for cars that run on fryer oil or it might be a local restaurant or grocery store,” they said. If that is not an option where you live, you can discard it with your regular garbage. Read this guide to learn how to avoid the inconvenience of a clogged drain by properly disposing of your cooking and frying oils. By Carol J. Alexander Share this story
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If you enjoy the flavor of deep-fried turkey, French fries, hot donuts, or bacon with your eggs, you’re in good company. Fried food is full of flavor and popular because of it. But frying does make a mess in the kitchen. And, when the frying’s done, you might struggle with where to dispose of the cooking oil or grease. That decision begins at the sink. Cooking oil and animal fat will clog your pipes. If it travels further afield, it will clog municipal pipes and harm a septic system. The grease on dishes placed in a dishwasher will clog up the dishwasher drain, too. Whatever you do, don’t pour fats, oil, or grease down the drain. What is the Best Way to Dispose of Cooking Oil and Grease?The simple answer is to throw it in the trash. To do so, just follow these steps.
Do not pour hot oil into your trash can. It could melt the plastic trash bag and cause a mess. Also, use a container you can seal so that it doesn’t spill out and potentially leak. A couple of options include an empty jar or, for larger amounts, an empty laundry soap bottle. And be sure to wipe oil-coated pans with a paper towel before washing. Can I Reuse Cooking Oil?Absolutely. There is no need to dump your deep-fryer oil after every fry. Let it cool, strain it to remove any food particles, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or a cool cupboard. How Do I Tell if My Cooking Oil is Bad?Your nose can tell you when it’s time to dump your cooking oil. Just take a whiff before using. If it smells rancid or smells like burning wax, toss it. You can also tell by how it feels. Fresh oil feels smooth when rubbed between your fingers. If the oil feels sticky or tacky, it’s past its prime. Can’t I Compost My Bacon Grease or Cooking Oil?Well, that’s complicated. A little oil here or there in your compost pile is of no consequence. But you don’t want to put a whole fryer of oil in there at once. Doing so will mess with the natural microbiome that enables the plant matter to decompose and produce great gardening soil. And that bacon grease? Well, if something smells and tastes good to you, it will smell and taste good to all manner of vermin as well. To keep rats, possums, and others out of your compost bin, and prevent foul odors, keep your bacon grease out of there, too. Can I Pour My Used Oil on the Ground?Some homeowners pour their used oil along the fence row or on the ground away from the house. But, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, that’s not a good idea. In fact, they regulate the disposal of animal fats and vegetable oils with the same standards as petroleum oils. Can’t My Oil be Used to Create Biodiesel Fuel?Yes, it can. If you want to keep your used cooking oil out of the landfill, call your local waste management department to find out if they collect it. Or use RecycleFinder to find a collection site near you. Is it Too Late?If you’re reading this after the fact and you’re staring at water sitting in the sink, not going anywhere, you can unclog the drain yourself. Or, if your drain is slow from a buildup of oil over time, pour a quarter cup of baking soda into the drain and follow with a cup of vinegar. Once the fizzing dies down, flush with hot water. Do this once a month to keep your drains clean and fresh smelling. And remember, the next time you have a hankering for deep-fried crispy chicken, don’t pour the oil down the drain. Next Up In Green Home
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Sign up for the NewsletterGet the latest This Old House news, trusted tips, tricks, and DIY Smarts projects from our experts–straight to your inbox. Thanks for signing up!Check your inbox for a welcome email. Email (required) Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. You can opt out at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Can you reuse grease after frying?Our recommendation: With breaded and battered foods, reuse oil three or four times. With cleaner-frying items such as potato chips, it's fine to reuse oil at least eight times—and likely far longer, especially if you're replenishing it with some fresh oil.
Can you pour grease down the sink?While it may seem convenient to dump leftover grease down your sink drain once you've finished cooking, pouring grease, doing so is far more hazardous than people realize. Grease and cooking oil can cause extensive damage to your drainage system, garbage system and even sewer system by contributing to blockages.
How do you store grease after frying?Though an absence of light is important, very cold temperatures are most effective at slowing oxidation and the production of peroxides, which are the source of rancid oil's unpleasant taste and smell. That's why storing oil in the super-cold, dark freezer is your best bet for keeping it fresh.
Can I pour grease down the toilet?Pouring cooking oil, poultry fat or grease into the kitchen sink or toilet can cause sewer backups. Visit Trash It. Don't Flush It. to learn more about how grease can impact the sewer system.
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What to do with grease after frying
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