Recycled Cooking Oil

After I made french fries with dinner last night, I was left with almost a whole cup of oil.  I didn't want to pour it in a can and waste it. I didn't want little bits of food in it, making it rancid either.  So I decided to recycle it.  Here's what I did.

First, I took a coffee filter and laid it in a strainer.

I put that over a bowl to catch the oil.

I then carefully poured my still-hot oil into the coffee filter.

This is what was left in the filter.  Ick.

But here's what was left in the bowl.  Nice, clean oil.  

I poured it into a plastic container to store for the next time.

 

Notes:

My now-filtered oil looks exactly like the stuff in the original container!  I did something a little different after that. This may be unusual, but it's an experiment, so what the heck.  I put it in my freezer. I wanted to see if it would turn solid.  It did, but it took the better part of a day.

My intention was to keep it as fresh as possible until the next time I use it.  I suppose I could have just as easily put it in the fridge.  Since I don't like deep frying very often, I thought it better to put in the freezer.  It will be interesting to see if it develops any moisture chrystals and then pops like crazy then next time I use it.
Update:  It didn't!  It acted like oil is supposed to act.  Niiiiiiice oil.

It didn't have any potatoey flavor from when I made the french fries either. I'll use it in baking, etc... I'm okay with that.   I just didn't want to do like they did in the old days and put it in a can under the sink with festering food particles in it...yuck!

Another oil I recycle is bacon fat.  I just strain it, then put it in a cup with a lid and keep in the fridge. When I go to make eggs, I scoop out a teaspoon or so.  Cheap and tasty!

I also use dripping from meats to make gravy, but that's a post for another day!

Try saving stuff you'd usually throw away.  You'd be surprised at what you can use again.  It saves you money and makes you happy every time you use your recycled oil, knowing you didn't waste it!

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