I bought a deep fryer a few yers ago, used it once, and never again, as it took
so much oil and I didn't know if you could reuse it or how to store it. So, can
you reuse th eoil, and how should it be stored? Thanks.

Reading from news:rec.food.cooking,
posted:

> I bought a deep fryer a few yers ago, used it once, and never again,
> as it took so much oil and I didn't know if you could reuse it or how
> to store it. So, can you reuse th eoil, and how should it be stored?
> Thanks.

One friend of mine, who's Italian, a professional musician, and comes from
a family of chefs, from whom he picked up much of his cooking knowledge,
told me that once oil has been used to fry once, it becomes carcinogenic
and should be discarded. That gets expensive if you fry very much at all.
I just tend to use canola oil until it starts turning dark, then I pour it
over into an empty cat litter jug to be saved for discarding later.

One thing I do want to do is get something that I can use to strain the
crumbs out of the oil so I can fry things without the little black crumb
speckles getting on things like french fries. Oil won't flow through a
paper towel, and I think I remember trying a dishcloth once, but that just
let oil drip through slowly. I have a strainer I use for draining pasta
and potatoes, but I think the screen mesh on it has holes that are too big
to keep the crumbs and allow the oil to flow through.

As for buying a deep fryer, we have two of them: a Fry Daddy and some
other kind of fryer with a basket lever on it for lifting and draining.
Only problem with both of those is that they're not submersible in water,
which makes cleaning them sort of a hassle. So I just use a big pot with
a thick bottom on the stovetop and stick a thermometer on the side. I
just make sure I scour the insides really good to avoid the caked-up
grease buildup that affected a pot we used to fry in. Keeps it useful for
other things besides just frying.

As for storing it, I just keep it in the pot it was last used it, and
stick a lid on top of it.

Damaeus

In article >,
wrote:

> I bought a deep fryer a few yers ago, used it once, and never again, as it
> took
> so much oil and I didn't know if you could reuse it or how to store it. So,
> can
> you reuse th eoil, and how should it be stored? Thanks.

My deep fryer only holds 4 cups and comes with a snap lid.
If I intend to re-use my oil, I let it cool first then filter it thru
one of those re-usable fabric coffee filters. Clean the deep fryer and
put the filtered oil back into it, put the lid on and put the whole
thing in the 'frige. It's small so it fits.

Otherwise, I discard the oil, clean the fryer and put it away.

You can store the filtered oil for re-use in any clean container in the
refrigerator.
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>

Subscribe:

In article >,
Damaeus > wrote:

> One thing I do want to do is get something that I can use to strain the
> crumbs out of the oil so I can fry things without the little black crumb
> speckles getting on things like french fries. Oil won't flow through a
> paper towel, and I think I remember trying a dishcloth once, but that just
> let oil drip through slowly. I have a strainer I use for draining pasta
> and potatoes, but I think the screen mesh on it has holes that are too big
> to keep the crumbs and allow the oil to flow through.

I use one of those re-usable fabric or metal mesh coffee filters to
filter the oil. Works like a charm.

And it's washable.
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>

Subscribe:

"Omelet" > wrote in message
news
> In article >,
> wrote:
>
>> I bought a deep fryer a few yers ago, used it once, and never again, as
>> it
>> took
>> so much oil and I didn't know if you could reuse it or how to store it.
>> So,
>> can
>> you reuse th eoil, and how should it be stored? Thanks.
>
> My deep fryer only holds 4 cups and comes with a snap lid.
> If I intend to re-use my oil, I let it cool first then filter it thru
> one of those re-usable fabric coffee filters. Clean the deep fryer and
> put the filtered oil back into it, put the lid on and put the whole
> thing in the 'frige. It's small so it fits.
>
> Otherwise, I discard the oil, clean the fryer and put it away.
>
> You can store the filtered oil for re-use in any clean container in the
> refrigerator.
> --
> Peace! Om
>

The caveat is if you cook something really strong (like fish or battered
onion rings) it is best not to use it for something else (like fried
potatoes) afterwards. But yes, simply cover it and put it in the
refrigerator. Strain it before using again (even paper coffee filters
work).

Jill

Reading from news:rec.food.cooking,
Omelet > posted:

> In article >,
> Damaeus > wrote:
>
> > One thing I do want to do is get something that I can use to strain the
> > crumbs out of the oil so I can fry things without the little black crumb
> > speckles getting on things like french fries. Oil won't flow through a
> > paper towel, and I think I remember trying a dishcloth once, but that just
> > let oil drip through slowly. I have a strainer I use for draining pasta
> > and potatoes, but I think the screen mesh on it has holes that are too big
> > to keep the crumbs and allow the oil to flow through.
>
> I use one of those re-usable fabric or metal mesh coffee filters to
> filter the oil. Works like a charm.
>
> And it's washable.

Ah, we have one of those, I think. It uses a paper coffee filter, too,
but has a mesh screen, too, I think, for extra protection against coffee
grounds. We just rarely ever make coffee, so I didn't even think about it
until you brought it up.

Damaeus

jmcquown wrote:
> The caveat is if you cook something really strong (like fish or
> battered onion rings) it is best not to use it for something else
> (like fried potatoes) afterwards. But yes, simply cover it and put it
> in the refrigerator. Strain it before using again (even paper coffee
> filters work).
>
> Jill

Great advice, Jill. Also, I would not sprinkle salt the food before you
cook it.


Becca

On Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:22:04 -0400, wrote:

>I bought a deep fryer a few yers ago, used it once, and never again, as it took
>so much oil and I didn't know if you could reuse it or how to store it. So, can
>you reuse th eoil, and how should it be stored? Thanks.

A couple of the replies got lost by my news server. How long can the oil be kept
covered in the fridge? When do you know it's time to get rid of it? Thanks.

wrote:
>
> On Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:22:04 -0400, wrote:
>
> >I bought a deep fryer a few yers ago, used it once, and never again, as it took
> >so much oil and I didn't know if you could reuse it or how to store it. So, can
> >you reuse th eoil, and how should it be stored? Thanks.
>
> A couple of the replies got lost by my news server. How long can the oil be kept
> covered in the fridge? When do you know it's time to get rid of it? Thanks.

It won't prolong the life of the oil
to keep it in the fridge, except that
it's dark in there and keeping it in
the dark will prolong the life of the
oil. Shielding it from oxygen is even
more important, so a putting it in a
closed container with minimal headspace
is more important.

Rancidity proceeds by a free-radical
chain reaction. Once it starts, it
progresses very quickly. You'll know
it by the smell. Most chemical reactions
are sensitive to temperature, but this
one is not very sensitive to temperature.
If you filter your oil to remove stuff
that might be food for bacteria, you can
keep it at room temperature.

No hard and fast rule can be given
for how long it will keep. If it lacks
the foul odor and taste of rancid oil,
it's good.

Saturated fats like coconut oil and lard
keep the longest. Contamination with old
oil can seed the reaction which causes
rancidity, so it's important to clean
all of the oil out of containers being
reused and the fryer itself.

In article >,
Damaeus > wrote:

> Reading from news:rec.food.cooking,
> Omelet > posted:
>
> > In article >,
> > Damaeus > wrote:
> >
> > > One thing I do want to do is get something that I can use to strain the
> > > crumbs out of the oil so I can fry things without the little black crumb
> > > speckles getting on things like french fries. Oil won't flow through a
> > > paper towel, and I think I remember trying a dishcloth once, but that just
> > > let oil drip through slowly. I have a strainer I use for draining pasta
> > > and potatoes, but I think the screen mesh on it has holes that are too big
> > > to keep the crumbs and allow the oil to flow through.
> >
> > I use one of those re-usable fabric or metal mesh coffee filters to
> > filter the oil. Works like a charm.
> >
> > And it's washable.
>
> Ah, we have one of those, I think. It uses a paper coffee filter, too,
> but has a mesh screen, too, I think, for extra protection against coffee
> grounds. We just rarely ever make coffee, so I didn't even think about it
> until you brought it up.
>
> Damaeus

Cheers! :-)
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>

Subscribe:

In article >,
wrote:

> On Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:22:04 -0400, wrote:
>
> >I bought a deep fryer a few yers ago, used it once, and never again, as it
> >took
> >so much oil and I didn't know if you could reuse it or how to store it. So,
> >can
> >you reuse th eoil, and how should it be stored? Thanks.
>
> A couple of the replies got lost by my news server. How long can the oil be
> kept
> covered in the fridge? When do you know it's time to get rid of it? Thanks.

Until it turns rancid? ;-)
It's going to vary depending on what you did with it!
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>

Subscribe:

On Oct 27, 3:05*am, Damaeus > wrote:
> Reading from news:rec.food.cooking,
> posted:
>
> > I bought a deep fryer a few yers ago, used it once, and never again,
> > as it took so much oil and I didn't know if you could reuse it or how
> > to store it. So, can you reuse th eoil, and how should it be stored?
> > Thanks.
>
> One friend of mine, who's Italian, a professional musician, and comes from
> a family of chefs, from whom he picked up much of his cooking knowledge,
> told me that once oil has been used to fry once, it becomes carcinogenic
> and should be discarded. *That gets expensive if you fry very much at all.
> I just tend to use canola oil until it starts turning dark, then I pour it
> over into an empty cat litter jug to be saved for discarding later.
>
> One thing I do want to do is get something that I can use to strain the
> crumbs out of the oil so I can fry things without the little black crumb
> speckles getting on things like french fries. *Oil won't flow through a
> paper towel, and I think I remember trying a dishcloth once, but that just
> let oil drip through slowly. *I have a strainer I use for draining pasta
> and potatoes, but I think the screen mesh on it has holes that are too big
> to keep the crumbs and allow the oil to flow through.
>
> As for buying a deep fryer, we have two of them: a Fry Daddy and some
> other kind of fryer with a basket lever on it for lifting and draining.
> Only problem with both of those is that they're not submersible in water,
> which makes cleaning them sort of a hassle. *

I use 91% Isopropyl alcohol to cut the gummy oil residue in my
Frydaddy.
>
> Damaeus

--Bryan

On Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:58:22 -0700 (PDT), --Bryan >
wrote:

>On Oct 27, 3:05*am, Damaeus > wrote:
>> Reading from news:rec.food.cooking,
>> posted:
>>
>> > I bought a deep fryer a few yers ago, used it once, and never again,
>> > as it took so much oil and I didn't know if you could reuse it or how
>> > to store it. So, can you reuse th eoil, and how should it be stored?
>> > Thanks.
>>
>> One thing I do want to do is get something that I can use to strain the
>> crumbs out of the oil so I can fry things without the little black crumb
>> speckles getting on things like french fries. *Oil won't flow through a
>> paper towel, and I think I remember trying a dishcloth once, but that just
>> let oil drip through slowly. *I have a strainer I use for draining pasta
>> and potatoes, but I think the screen mesh on it has holes that are too big
>> to keep the crumbs and allow the oil to flow through.

Much simpler to pour the used oil into a metal can and let it rest for
a day, the particulates will settle to the bottom, meanwhile clean
your fryer. Then without stirring carefully ladle the clear oil back
into the deep fryer and discard the remaining particulate laden
portion, you'd see when you reach the dirty oil. I save used oil and
fat drippings in a cardboard juice/milk container in my freezer, in
winter it gets tossed outside for the birds. For the quantities of
deep frying oil used in a home kitchen straining to salvage the last
dregs is pretty silly and straining doesn't remove any fetid
odor/taste... use fresh oil for mild flavored foods like
spuds/fritters, next use it for mid range items like chicken, last use
it for fish... you don't want to use fat for frying more than three
times anyway. Commercial establishments that do a lot of deep fat
frying, like fast food joints, have banks of large commercial fryers
all connected to a single filtration system that operates
continuously. The filtration system incorporates sensors that
indicate when it's time to discard the oil, then it is all pumped into
large containers and is picked up by whoever has the contract for
discarded oil... typically animal food companies add it to their dried
foods. I don't do much deep frying anymore, it's too troublesome and
the oil usually costs more than the food being fried.... it's easier
to eat out for those kinds of foods... and I don't eat deep fried
foods more than a few times a year anyway... I've learned to enjoy
oven roasted potatoes more than french fries... slice spuds into thin
wedges, toss with just enough oil to coat lightly, add s n'p and place
one layer deep in a large pan and roast until all puffy, crisp, and
golden brown... I gaurantee they're better than any fries from
commercial eateries these days... now they all use the same frozen
pre-fried fries you can buy at the stupidmarket.

London broil w/oven roasted spuds:
http://i35.tinypic.com/34pfer4.jpg