When we put food in the fryer we expect it to cook quickly so that we can eat it as soon as possible. That’s the joy of frying food but what about the remaining frying oil?

Before putting the oil away for another use in the future you have to make sure that it has completely cooled down. When pouring hot liquids into a cold glass jar, the glass could crack which could be quite dangerous. It also keeps you safe from having any burns in case a drop or two falls on your hand. Furthermore, frying oil gets hotter than water and acts like a sealant so be very careful when handling it.

Strain the liquid so that no particles float around once inside the new container. The last thing you want to taste is stale food from weeks before. You can use a sieve with holes as small as possible. Place coffee filters inside the sieve to catch even tinier particles that you may not have seen.

You can pour the strained oil in either a glass jar or the bottle that it came in. Just make sure that the container is clean and free of dust. To do this neatly, use a funnel over a sink to keep surrounding surfaces clean.

You can store this cool, clean oil in the fridge to keep it fresh for a longer period of time. The oil will retain some of the taste so rather use it for same purpose as before. Avoid reusing it more than twice.

Alternative facts to keep in mind when reusing frying oil:

  • Vegetables do lose water and over time the frying or cooking oil will get watered down.
  • If placed in the fridge, it will go slightly clouded or murky because it is no longer at room temperature.
  • Frying oil poured down the drain could affect the pipes and clog them up over time. You don’t want that to happen so don’t pour it down the drain.
  • Cooking oil is edible oil yet it can still be used for small household jobs around the house. Squeaky doors can be fixed with a couple of drops of regular cooking or frying oil.
  • Flat foods do not need so much frying oil. Try to save as much as you can when it comes to small appetizers and bread.
  • Frying oil will eventually expire. If it starts to smell stale or rancid you need to get rid of it.
  • You can throw frying oil away in a sealed container in a bin or call a used oil collector.