What Do You Do With Used Cooking Oil?

It's a rarity, but I decided to batter and deep fry some fish. It was delicious, but then I started searching online to see how to properly dispose of the oil (no sense keeping it as it could be months before I deep fry again). Best I could come up with was put it back in the container it came in and toss it in the trash.

Is that really the only viable option?

Jonah wrote:It's a rarity, but I decided to batter and deep fry some fish. It was delicious, but then I started searching online to see how to properly dispose of the oil (no sense keeping it as it could be months before I deep fry again). Best I could come up with was put it back in the container it came in and toss it in the trash.

Is that really the only viable option?

I let the oil cool down, and then quadruple up on plastic bags and place those bags into a sauce pan. Then dump the used oil in there, close using knots and toss in the trash.

Jonah wrote:It's a rarity, but I decided to batter and deep fry some fish. It was delicious, but then I started searching online to see how to properly dispose of the oil (no sense keeping it as it could be months before I deep fry again). Best I could come up with was put it back in the container it came in and toss it in the trash.

Is that really the only viable option?

If it was relatively clean. Could you filter it and freeze it? Then get another use before disposal?

I've been filtering, freezing, and re-using my deep fry oil for years. Don't throw it out! Let the oil cool to around room temp; filter through a fine-mesh strainer in to a freeze-able container.

Then next time you fry, unfreeze the oil by simply putting it (frozen) in to your deep fry pot & letting it warm up like you normally would. Add some fresh oil every time you deep fry, as you'll lose some volume as you go. You shouldn't even need to throw away any oil, unless you notice some strong/off flavors.

I haven't thought of freezing it. That would address the fact that I don't fry very often so stored oil would go rancid. I'm going to give that some thought, as that fried fish was awfully tasty.

Thanks,

I strain and freeze used fish fry oil separate from oil used to fry other things (chicken, fries, breaded veg, cheese curds). Some people might keep their chicken frying oil separate too. I have freezer space for the multiple containers. If I didn't, I would bag the oil up and throw it out.

Depending on where you are there may be a location that accepts used cooking oil for recycling purposes. Check http://earth911.com
Unfortunately the closest to me is all the way out in Naperville (30 miles).

There also *may* be a restaurant in your area that is already having their used oil picked up by a biodiesel processor that *might* be willing to accept used oil. This type of thing is unlikely to be something advertised but local community organizations might be of help.

A new-to-me method for cleaning cooking oil for reuse.

Happened to notice that Edzo's has a card on its tables stating that, among other things, its frying oil is being recycled for biodiesel.

Cathy2 wrote:A new-to-me method for cleaning cooking oil for reuse.

That's very interesting, purely (to me) from the technical aspects of what makes it work. Though if the initial complaint about the method of pouring it through a filter-lined strainer is that it takes too long I'm not seeing how this isn't an investment of at least as much time.