Top Things to Know about Cooking Oil

Can You Reuse Frying Oil? 

Frying food, when done correctly, can lead to some tasty results like food items with a crispy exterior and a tender, soft, moist interior of deliciousness. But there’s no denying that frying food requires a lot of oil!  

It would be a shame to use this large amount of oil once and then have it all go to waste—especially in terms of your wallet and environment. So, can you use frying oil more than once? Absolutely! However, there are some ground rules for reusing fryer oil properly. 

Choose Your Oil Wisely 

Different types of oil have different compositions and, therefore, serve different purposes. When frying food, you want to use an oil with a high smoke point. Frying occurs at high temperatures, and once oil reaches its smoke point, it begins breaking down.  

The higher the temperature before the oil burns and smokes, the better. Oils with higher smoke points produce crispier food results and have a longer lifespan when storing and reusing.   

Refined oils generally have a higher smoke point than unrefined ones, and vegetable oils boast a higher smoke point than oils from animal fats. Some good cooking oil options for frying include:

• Vegetable oils
• Plant oils (such as canola and sunflower oils)
• Peanut oil
• Avocado oil 

Perfect Your Frying Technique

In addition to choosing a cooking oil with a high smoke point, it is essential to know the correct temperatures to fry at based on the oil chosen and the intended food. Maintaining the proper temperatures will produce tastier food and avoid broken-down, unstable oil.  

The Science Of Frying  

If I were to venture a guess, I’d bet you already knew that oil and water do not mix. When applied correctly, however, this phenomenon actually makes the frying process work.  

Oil is hydrophobic, meaning it repels water. Most foods you submerge in a fryer contain moisture inside, prohibiting the cooking oil from seeping into the food. This means that the outside, which likely has little-to-no water, will get fried and crispy, but the inside will remain tender and moist.  

As oil breaks down, it becomes less and less hydrophobic, allowing more and more to seep into the food. While a bit of seepage can be desirable, too much will lead to soggy, greasy results without crispiness. Additionally, if the oil used for frying is unstable or the temperature is incorrect, it can lead to soggy, overcooked, undercooked, or dried-out food.    

Does Cooking Oil Go Bad?

You know you can reuse your cooking oil, but does it spoil? Yes. While you can use cooking oil over again a handful of times when adequately filtered and stored, it won’t last forever.

It is important to know the signs that indicate cooking oil is no longer good so that you can dispose of it and replace it with fresh oil. While there is no one answer or set timeline for how long cooking oil lasts, the good news is that identifying when cooking oil has gone bad is typically pretty obvious. Here are some telltale signs that it is time to let go of your used cooking oil:

• The oil is unable to reach frying temperatures without smoking
• The oil becomes thicker and has a gummy consistency
• The oil may become darker in color and more cloudy than before
• A foam forms on top of the oil
• It may have a subtle, or not so subtle, odor it begins to exude

These are all signs that the oil is breaking down and decomposing and that you no longer want to use it for cooking. A good rule of thumb is that you want to toss your used cooking oil if it’s older than one or two months—even if none of these signs are present.

What To Do With Oil After Frying

Knowing what to do with used oil after frying will allow you to save and reuse it for its entire lifespan potential.  

For The Commercial Kitchen: 

Cooking for lots of customers requires a high-volume solution for used cooking oil storage. If you discover a DAR PRO Solutions service center near you, give us a call to set up service. We can typically have a tank delivered within a couple of weeks, and, once it is installed, you’re all set. 

The most reliable and hassle-free method for storing used cooking oil is our automated used cooking oil storage equipment. An automated system eliminates risk of injury to employees while handling batches of hot used cooking oil. It’s also quicker and more efficient than manual processes. Most automated tanks can connect directly to your fryer and suction the oil out with one flip of a lever. 

If direct connection isn’t possible, DAR PRO can help you explore other options, such as a portable grease caddy to transfer oil to an outdoor bin. From there, our expert pickup crew collects your oil and delivers it to our Diamond Green Diesel refinery to be given a new purpose as renewable diesel. 

For Frying At Home:

After frying, let the oil sit and cool until it is safe to handle. Once cooled, sift out larger food and batter pieces. Then filter smaller food particles by straining the oil into another container through cheesecloth, fine mesh, muslin cloth, a sieve, paper towels, or coffee filters.

Storing 

After you’ve filtered out all the leftover food bits, what do you do with the oil when you’re not using it? A clean, fully sealable container is ideal for storing used cooking oil. The original container it came in (if empty) and glass mason jars are great options. Don’t forget to label and date the container, so you don’t lose track of how long you’ve had it.  

Once contained, you want to store the cooking oil in a dry, dark, cool place such as dry storage or walk-in. Proper storage is necessary because heat is not the only element that can lead to oil decomposition. Moisture and light will also speed up the breakdown and damage the oil’s integrity.

Disposing

If your cooking oil is no longer suitable, it is time to dispose of it. Never pour oil or grease down the sink. It will cling to the inside of the pipes and solidify at certain temperatures, leading to clogs and plumbing issues later down the road. Instead, place the oil in a sealed container or plastic bag until it is solid and discard it in the trash.

Reusing

Following these steps will allow you to fry foods without worrying about excess or having to discard oil after just one use. You can use the oil for more than just one round of deep frying as well. Feel free to dip into your reused oil stash for things like cooking on the stovetop or baking, so long as the flavor profiles match up.

Remember that oil will take on flavors from cooked foods, so separate the oils based on flavor groups. You wouldn’t want to use the same oil you fried shrimp in for your doughnuts, would you? 

Because oil takes on flavors, cooking with it used rather than new can sometimes add to the taste of the dish. Depending on the plate, you may want used oil, fresh oil, or a combination of the two. Play around with it if you like, but don’t store used and new cooking oil together.

Need A Used Cooking Oil Disposal Solution For Your Commercial Kitchen? 

In the used cooking oil industry, DAR PRO Solutions is an expert in collection, recycling, and customer relations. Reach out with any used cooking oil questions, or when you need recycling, disposal, or restaurant storage containers.

We have taken you under our wing, but it is time for you to go off and fry!