Deep frying oil

[Bigdaddydvo]

Just bought a deep fryer and made some wings last weekend.

They were yummy.

Assuming I put the plastic cover on the fryer, how long will the oil last without going bad? I used Vegetable Oil.

[cbfair]

Put the oil in a milk jug or other (clean) covered container and refridgerate it. It should last indefinately.

[RunDownHouse]

There's no need to refrigerate the oil.

[Maulik]

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Put the oil in a milk jug or other (clean) covered container and refridgerate it. It should last indefinately.

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that's too much work & probably unnecessary. What can "go bad" in oil?

[CardSharpCook]

You typically get better results from oil after it has been used once or twice. However, oil does go bad. You can usually tell by smell - don't know how to describe it, but it will smell (not a horrible smell, but a bad smell). Store the oil in a container between uses. Refrigeration is not necessary, but may help it last longer.

[cbfair]

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Put the oil in a milk jug or other (clean) covered container and refridgerate it. It should last indefinately.

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that's too much work & probably unnecessary. What can "go bad" in oil?

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That's a good question and I don't have an answer. My family has always done it that way and it seems to work fine. I don't fry very often but when I do, I usually have some used oil on hand that's ready to go.

Somehow, the idea of oil sitting on my counter or in a closet somewhere for 6+ months is pretty gross, but I don't mind seeing it in a container in the back of the fridge.

[cbfair]

I found this here (http://www.culinary-yours.com/frying_oil.html)

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Prolonging Oil's Useful Life

The longer an oil is heated, the more quickly it will decompose. Avoid preheating the oil any longer than necessary. If you're cooking more than one batch of food, quickly add each new batch, unless time is needed to adjust the cooking temperature. Turn off the heat as soon as you've removed the last food batch from the oil. Cool.

Use a quality deep-fat frying thermometer, even if you're using an electric deep fryer.

Shake off loosely attached break crumbs from breaded food before adding the food to the oil. Loose crumbs and other particles scorch quickly and pollute your oil. Use a small strainer or slotted spoon to remove as many crumbs as possible.

When the oil has cooled enough that it is safe to handle, strain it through paper towels, coffee filters or cheesecloth into its original empty container or a clear glass jar. Do not mix it with unused oil.

Store the oil, tightly sealed, in a cool, dark place or in the refrigerator. The oil may cloud in the refrigerator, but it should become clear again at room temperature with no ill effects.

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[Brain]

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Put the oil in a milk jug or other (clean) covered container and refridgerate it. It should last indefinately.

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that's too much work & probably unnecessary. What can "go bad" in oil?

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CardSharp has it right. You can tell rancid oil by the smell. It just won't be right and you'll be able to tell.


Vegetable oils are made up of long-chained esters and are formed from fatty acids. Ester oxidation back to fatty acids by air and other molecules is the cause of the rancidity.


So keep a lid on your oil when you're not using it and don't use it when it gets too dark. You'll get more smoke that way and your food will start to taste like it was burned. Toss it and use some fresh stuff next time.

[ChipWrecked]

When I was a kid my parents used to filter it now and then to prolong it in their restaurant. Yes, once it gets too dark it's history.

McDonald's flashback: When I was a kitchen ape there, the fryer oil was changed now and then, and the replacement stuff was solid. We were warned to be sure to pack the stuff beneath the heating tubes. Sure enough, one day some douche plopped a block of the stuff on top of the tubes, and it exploded. Hot grease all over the kitchen. Good times.

[tonypaladino]

if you ever fry fish or something else with an odor, deep fry a couple of whole potatoes right after, then store the oil.

[Shajen]

Hey duder, I dunno how knowledgeable you are about the oils you use, but this site should give you a hand... (http://www.culinary-yours.com/frying_oil.html)peanut oil is my favorite for stuff like turkeys. If you already knew all this, disregard.

HTH

[diebitter]

I didn't know you could even shallow fry oil, never mind about deep fry it. Does it taste better than just drinking it out of the bottle?

[RunDownHouse]

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McDonald's flashback...

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If there are any of you high school kids still working fast food, a fun little prank with the fryers is this:

if you're closing, and it takes long enough that the fryers cool down, throw some ice in there. The next day, when they open and switch them on, as the oil get hot enough the ice will make it "explode" in a bunch of little pops. Fairly harmless prank, but I guess you could lose your job, depending on work environment.

[tonypaladino]

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I didn't know you could even shallow fry oil, never mind about deep fry it. Does it taste better than just drinking it out of the bottle?

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not funny

[HtotheNootch]

Don't forget that old cooking oil can be converted to biodiesel.

So if you have a friend with a diesel vehicle, convince him/her to subsidize your deep frying habit.

[BruinEric]

Great question. You will want to check more authoritative sources on this one -- I think Alton Brown did a "Good Eats" show where he discussed re-use of frying oil.

My thoughts:

You probably need to be filtering your oil after some use, or else the little brown bits which will be left behind will burn and impart an off flavor to your food. I have no idea how your equipment is set up, but it might be worthwhile to send your oil through a coffee filter at some point. I often use paper towels (I just use a stove-top pan with inset basket). Wait until your oil isn't burning hot -- duh.

If you ever take your oil past the "smoke point," it's done. You need to chuck it (uhh...not down the drain!). Different oils have different smoke points. I'm sure a bit o' googling will get you this info.

One of the best oils you can use for frying IMHO is peanut oil. More expensive than generic "vegetable oil," but with a higher smoke point.

To save some pennies buying oil, try your local store that has bulk foodstuffs and look at the bottom shelf.