Do you reuse oil?
Posted by _Dalida_ on Feb 01, 2009 · Member since Jan 2009 · 966 posts
LIke if you sauteed something for lunch and there's some leftover olive oil or something, do you reuse it for dinner saute? Just curious.... it seems like it would be okay, and save a bit ;)
we have an oil can with oil from lots of different dishes. we use it to fry potatoes and tofu and stuff. its REALLY good and flavorful.
On the rare occasion I deep-fry something, I save the oil. I know it's supposed to be disposed of and worse for you when it's used, etc, but it seems like properly disposing of cooking oil at home is a pain. I wind up just using a Tbsp or two at a time for stir-fries, etc.
The last time I deep-fried I was making these little "spiced purse" things (Thai dish), and inevitably the contents of one or two became exposed while frying, so all my food after then tasted like Thai/Indian spices :)>>>
Dare I say, it would be a good idea to add spices to a little bottle of oil just for this purpose.
Anyway, I tend not to do that with leftover sautéing oil because a little oil in the pan winds up getting really sticky and difficult to remove, so I usually wash it out right after I'm done. (I don't have non-stick or cast iron)
I save my oil too, if there is enough to pour out into something!
I hate wasting it!!
It depends on your oil and how hot you have it. Olive oil can be reused for deep frying not once but several times. When it gets dark, you toss it.
Yes, you can deep-fry in olive oil. I don't know where the TV chefs get the "you can't" idea from, but it's bollocks. People on the Mediterranean have been deepfrying in olive oil since before written history.
You may want to strain out any "bits" (breading crumbs etc) when it gets cold but you can re use it.
It makes me mad that they tell us we're supposed to recycle our oils but then you have to drive out to some "collection point" in the boondocks on every alternate Wednesday and then you get there and discover they are only open from 2:00 to 2:15 unless it's Leap Year--or such as that.