The four things that cause restaurant oil to break down
In order to find safe ways to extend fryer oil life, It’s important to understand what makes oil go bad. There are four things that cause it to break down: heat, air, moisture and light. Some of this is inevitable. While frying, food releases moisture which contains oxygen. When oil comes in contact with moisture and oxygen, it oxidizes – or breaks down -- faster. It’s a natural byproduct of the frying process. Solid food particles and other debris also make oil less fresh.
Properly handling your fryer oil
1. Regularly filter it
Filtration rids your already used oil of solid food particles and other debris that has gotten mixed in. Some fryers have built-in filtration systems. If yours does not, it will need to be done manually through a strainer or a portable filter machine. It’s a necessary process that will save you money on oil costs in the long run.
2. Don’t overfill when changing fryer oil
When changing a batch of frying oil, make sure you don’t overfill it beyond the recommended amount. It should be marked on the fryer. It is a wasteful, inefficient use of that pricey oil you are trying to conserve because a higher oil level means that batch will take longer to reach proper frying temperature, it also increases the risk of an overflow or spill. Make sure you are pouring just the right amount to properly conserve your oil.
3. Train your staff to regularly skim cooking oil
Get your staff in the habit of skimming the tops and sides of your fryer once or twice every hour. It will get rid of errant food particles on the sides of the fryer which keeps the oil clean and consistent for longer, extending its frying life.
4. Know your oil’s smoke point
Remember that desired temperature we referenced earlier? Different types of cooking oil have different smoke points, which is the temperature at which it breaks down. The further oil goes beyond its smoke point temperature, the quicker it goes bad. Make sure you know your oil’s smoke point so you aren’t needlessly rifling through batches due to exceeding its temperature threshold.
Finding the right type of cooking oil is key to ensuring you don’t have soggy fries and that your food tastes delicious.
Proper fryer vat management
The vat is where your oil lives within your fryer. Making sure the vat is managed efficiently can have a positive effect on the life of your fryer oil.
1. Use vat covers between frying cycles
Remember those four components that cause oil to break down? It wouldn’t make sense to leave the oil unnecessarily exposed to them, right? Cover the fryer vats between frying cycles. It will limit the number of food-related particles and other debris from mixing into the batch. It also reduces the oil’s exposure to oxygen, moisture and light, which expedite the oxidation process.
2. Make a habit of turning the vats off
Turning the vats off when you aren’t frying will conserve energy as well as preserve oil quality because the oil isn’t heated when it is not needed.
3. Season fried food on the side, not over the vat
When you pull a fresh batch of French fries or chicken tenders out of your fryer basket, it may be tempting to go ahead and salt and season it right there on the spot. Don’t do this. Salt causes oil to break down faster, and the more solid debris in the oil, the quicker it goes bad. Put the food on a plate and season it elsewhere to preserve oil quality.
FreshFry pods
You might be wondering what a fresh fry pod is. It is a tool that loosely resembles a laundry or dishwasher pod that acts as a vacuum inside a batch of oil. Once you are done frying for the day, drop a fresh fry pod into the oil while it is still hot. It’s important to do so immediately because oil hardens as it cools, making it harder for the pod to extract material.
The pod soaks in the oil and removes water and other debris from the oil keeping it fresher from longer. When you return the next day, remove the pod, squeeze the excess oil out of it and discard it. After that, you’re all set. FreshFry pods have been proven to drastically extend oil life and are readily available for purchase. Keep in mind that you should still regularly filter your oil and that these pods are an additional filtering measure.
Don’t overdo it
These helpful practices will most certainly help extend the life of your oil. But don’t let the skyrocketing price of cooking oil tempt you to stretch it too far. There is a sweet spot when it comes to preserving oil quality and your kitchen’s goal should be to extend that sweet spot rather than simply trying to use a batch for as long as possible. Once oil is spent, continuing to fry with it will have a negative effect on the taste, smell and texture of your food.
How do you know when your oil is going bad? Here’s a guide.
The price of fryer oil is expected to continue to rise in 2022. Being prepared with proactive measures to extend the frying life of your cooking oil help you cut costs and improve your bottom line.
DAR PRO Solutions helps you get the most out of your used cooking oil. We give you a market-based rebated for the fryer oil we collected and handle the process from start to finish. Reach out to a DAR PRO representative today and find out how your business can benefit from our grease recycling and grease trap maintenance program.
Call us 24/7/365 at 855-DAR-PRO1 (855-327-7761).
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12/15/2021