The right way to dispose of your cooking oil

Fried foods are enjoyed by quite a lot of people. However, when food is fried, there’s usually a leftover of oil. Not many people know what to do with this, whether to properly dispose of it, reuse it for frying, or anything more. 

Most people would usually pour it down the kitchen drain, but that’s not the ideal thing to do. Yes, you read right. Don’t pour your oil down the drain. This article will teach you why this is not right, and the best way to dispose of your cooking oil. Read on to discover more. 

Why can’t I pour my oil down the drain?

As you might have guessed, The answer to this has to do with clogging. When you pour oil down your kitchen pipe, it doesn’t stay liquid forever. As the temperature becomes lower and it cools down, it’ll become solid, which would build up over time and clog your pipes. Unfortunately, the solution to clogging won’t be as simple as buying a new pipe, as clogging can lead to flooding. So the next time you want to dispose of oil, tell yourself, “Definitely not down the drain!”

How else am I supposed to dispose of my oil?

A much safer alternative would be to wait for your oil to cool down after frying, transfer into a metal container, and voila! Then, you can easily throw that in the trash.

No metal accessible?

In place of metal, you can use an empty can of soda, plastic bottle, or bag.

Eco-friendly ways of disposing of your oil

If you have compost in your garden or backyard, you can pour the oil used to fry vegetables. You can also transfer your leftover oil to a large container and seal it off. When the container is filled with oil, you can take it to a recycling center to convert it to better, e.g., biodiesel.

How to reuse frying oil

Leftover frying oil can be reused provided you strain all food particles from the oil using a filter or colander. Failure to strain out the food particles could cause rancidity and the growth of microorganisms in the oil. To get the best out of your cooking oil, you can either,

Store oil in an airtight sealed container OR

Store the used oil in a refrigerator to improve its shelf life (Maximum 3weeks)

NB: The flavor of the food gets incorporated into the cooking oil. Reusing this kind of oil will part that flavor into the new dish you’re trying to make.

How to use less oil when frying

Add a little oil first and add more if needed instead of using excess oil from the beginning.

Know your oils! Know the best suitable oil for a specific food item.

Do not mix different types of oils while reusing.

Avoid reusing oils more than once.

Conclusion 

Now that you’ve read all the above. It’s safe to assume that you’ve become more enlightened on how to properly dispose of oil, how to reuse frying oil, and tips to use less oil while frying to avoid wastage. Always remember, no matter what, to never pour grease down the drain. If your friend still does, be sure to share the link to this with them.