Used Veg oil

**Russ** · 08-21-2011, 09:51 AM

I love to eat deep fried fish but the problem is all the leftover oil. I know you can strain it and use it again, but I don't use it often enough and I don't know, it seems like it would spoil? I'm thinking maybe I wouldn't re-use it for 2-3 months.

My question is: What do you do with all your left over oil?

**Jayne** · 08-21-2011, 10:58 AM

I strain mine through cheese cloth into glass jars. I will only use it twice, and then I put in a container and throw it out. I don't deep fry very often either. I'm not sure how long it will keep before it goes rancid. Sorry I'm probably not much help

**Spirit Deer** · 08-21-2011, 10:59 AM

You can freeze oil. It'll keep indefinitely, and it thaws very fast.

**Contrary Housewife** · 08-21-2011, 11:08 AM

I have a fryer and I use the oil multiple times. I keep it until it starts to break down from the heat. You can tell because it will take a long time to heat up and it will not hold the temp long. At that point I empty the oil back into the jug it came in and clean the fryer.

I was told cooking oil could be composted but that you could not add a lot of it at once into the pile. Therefore it usually gets thrown into the trash.

It can also be used as a weed killer, put it in a spray bottle and spray it on the leaves of plants you don't want. It is slow acting, though.

**Libby** · 08-21-2011, 11:46 AM

This is one of the reasons why we don't deep fry in this house - the clean up factor is another as well as the dad factor.

Sounds like you're enjoying your 'QT man time'

**lll** · 08-21-2011, 12:01 PM

I use solid shortening to fry in, when it's done I use it to make bird suet. Just add sunflower seeds and oatmeal but I guess oil wouldn't harden up any.

**zakity** · 08-21-2011, 07:09 PM

I was going to suggest freezing it.

**low-1** · 08-21-2011, 07:36 PM

Didn't know about freezing it, thanks SD/zakity. We fry a lot of fish (and make a lot of homemade french fries), and re-use the oil quite a few times. Then it gets filtered and I run it as bar oil in the chainsaw. Using strictly veg oil, a chainsaw can make quick work of quartering up a moose.

I also have a M1950 Yukon stove for winter camping. It has a fuel adapter and will burn almost any flammable liquid (although we mainly burn wood in it). When going above the treeline, I have mixed old gasoline with old cooking oil to use for heat in the tent.

**Spirit Deer** · 08-21-2011, 09:20 PM

A lot of people freeze the oil they use in their turkey fryers. Those take quite a bit, so I suppose it would get pretty costly if they had to replace it every time.

I freeze olive oil because we don't use it that fast, and I've frozen canola oil when I ended up with three huge bottles. Still don't know how that happened, but freezing it saved the day because we wouldn't have used it all before it went bad.

You can also freeze Crisco with no change in quality.

**Josephhgoins** · 08-22-2011, 08:34 AM

you can also use it to make soap. You just need lye, but the addition of some scents helps as well. As does things for grit.

I haven't used veg oil for it, but in theory it should work just the same.

You will need to boil it in small batches with plenty of water to get rid of any unwanted odors.

**Brat** · 08-22-2011, 08:51 AM

I freeze fish oil..I don't cook fish that much. It can be reused many times..I strain it and put into containers and keep in the freezer..When it breaks down I keep a jug for the camp fire..I pour over the wood and burn it..

**Judi Dial** · 08-22-2011, 09:19 AM

We don't deep fry much anymore. But when I did I reused the oil (would have been nice to know about freezing it; thanks for that tip!) and when I wanted to get rid of it, I'd take it to a restaurant I'd asked beforehand if they recycled their oil and could I add mine? As the restaurants sell their used oil, they usually are happy to take whatever you can come up with from home.

Or, ask if any of your friends make biodiesel?

Judi

**Libby** · 08-22-2011, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by Josephhgoins

you can also use it to make soap. You just need lye, but the addition of some scents helps as well. As does things for grit.

I haven't used veg oil for it, but in theory it should work just the same.

You will need to boil it in small batches with plenty of water to get rid of any unwanted odors.

Hehehe, Russ' new side job - deep fried fish scented soaps. Pre order yours now before they're gone! Makes a great Christmas gift for that 'hard to shop for' man in your life

**mh3rdwheel** · 08-22-2011, 06:39 PM

If you live on a dirt road and you get a lot of dust you can pour some on the road this is what a friend does, or you have a burn barrel or a firepit you can use the oil to start a fire.