Why Throwing Out Your Frying Oil Is A Huge Mistake

We're not sure if you've seen the headlines, but everything has gotten more expensive. Frying oil is no exception, but, luckily, it's also particularly conducive to that old slogan, reduce, reuse, recycle. (It also delays the pesky task of disposing of the stuff, which comes with its own set of rules.) And, like frying itself, it isn't the easiest thing you can do in the kitchen, but, once you've gotten the hang of it, repurposing frying oil can become routine.

Safety is of paramount concern. Once you've made a beautiful batch of perfect fried chicken in a couple of inches of canola oil heated to somewhere between 300 to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, you need to let it cool before you even think about storage steps. This is not a case for cleaning or getting ahead as you go. Once the oil is safe to touch, strain it through cheesecloth to remove any debris that would otherwise burn up on its second use. If you can maneuver the oil into its final storage container, like a mason jar, great, but you might want to first use a wider-mouthed container to avoid any spills. Once sealed, you can refrigerate the oil for up to three months, or until it clouds, foams, or assumes a strange odor.

You can repeat the above steps a couple of times, within reason. Again, if any visual or olfactory anomalies arise, and it's got to go. If all stays well, dedicate your oil batches to similar types of foods. If you used one portion to make french fries, for example, designate the next for something like potato chips. Think along similar lines for sweets: You can likely apply the oil you used for beignets to donuts or sopapillas, but you wouldn't want to make any of those treats with the oil you'd previously used for onion rings. Assume that the oil is going to absorb some of the flavor of whatever you're frying in it, and prepare for it to have absorbed a lot more.

Once you've learned how to extend the life of your frying oil, you'll also open the door to even more recipes to explore. Pair a few beer-battered filets with those fries for a classic fish and chip dish, jazz up your gnocchi, or explore even more fried dough delights that just can't be replicated in the air fryer.