After the oil cools down, pour and store it in a sealed container at room temperature away from direct sunlight. If you are like most people, you probably reuse your deep-frying oil many times. Can you reuse oil after frying fish? local disposal center that accepts used cooking oil. We don't recommend using olive oil—its high cost, low smoking point, and dominant flavor make it a bad choice for deep-frying in the first place. Frying has everything against it. Olive oil is naturally stable under heat and has a smoke point that is high enough for most types of cooking. it shouldn't be resused. At the flavor level, you’ll also want to use some discretion with reusing oil. Then, reuse your oil a few times (six if you are Gill and frying vegetarian fare, five for Makan) – but don’t be a martyr. Regardless of the amount of care you’re putting in here, you shouldn’t use oil that’s more than 1-2 months old. But you may have used a whole quart of oil to fry it—and if it’s peanut oil, it cost you a pretty penny. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Your California Privacy Rights. Serious Eats: How Many Times Can I Reuse Fry Oil. Our kitchen team's advice is separate your oils to prevent bad flavor overlaps. If you may, reuse oil for chicken when frying dishes on the same category such as turkey, duck, geese, and the likes. Epicurious may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Reusing cooking oil can be a great way to save on your grocery budget and to cut down on food waste in your home. Thereof, can you reuse oil after frying fish? It’s messy. Since sunflower oil generates much more toxic aldehydes (and in less time) than olive oil. Each time any oil is heated and cooled, it … Introducing Ask the Eagle, where I’ll be answering your questions about everything from hunting to butchering to marriage. To revisit this article, select My⁠ ⁠Account, then View saved stories. The answer is yes and no. it shouldn't be resused. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. When it's time to toss, place the oil in a sealable bag and discard with your regular trash, or for bonus environmental points, find a local disposal center that accepts used cooking oil. If you use a batter, the oil will remain clearer overall, and can be reused again, following a straining. How Many Times Can You Reuse Oil for … “Keep an eye on the state of the oil,” Hunt says. However, reusing oil does pose health risks. While there’s no hard and fast rule for how many times you can reuse frying oil, you should be able to recognise when it needs replacing. She also writes about home design, food and historical architecture. The good news is that yes, you can — and you will probably want to! You can do a fine job of frying fish and vegetables with … If we have exceeded the “smoke point” in the first use, no matter what type of oil was used, it is not recommended to reuse it for another occasion. Here's what you need to know. Copyright © 2021 Leaf Group Ltd., all rights reserved. Ad Choices. Most modern chefs agree that it is perfectly fine to save oil from a frying session. When using the oil to cook chicken, you can mix it with fresh oil to help normalize the smoke point, but make sure it's the same type of oil. March 29, 2017. Each time you reuse an oil, it gets more and more destabilized until it decomposes. Depends on the method of frying. But you may have used a whole quart of oil to fry it—and if it’s peanut oil, it cost you a pretty penny. Used oil for frying fish, on the other hand, must never be used in other dishes except for seafoods. Because it is more expensive than other cooking oils, many people ask us if it can be re-used after frying. However, it is usually not wise to use that oil for cooking a different type of food, especially when fish or seafood is involved. Carefully maintaining the temperature prevents the food from getting too soggy (when the oil is too cold) or blitzed on the outside and raw on the inside (when the oil is too hot), but it also preserves the longevity of your oil. Our recommendation: With breaded and battered foods, reuse oil three or four times. As many people have discovered, the oil needed to deep fry a turkey can cost about as much as the turkey itself, so it makes sense to recycle. I looked for a thread on this topic, but was unable to find one. Crack open your container and smell the oil you’re keeping periodically. In search of some guidelines on reusing oil, we fried chicken (thighs dredged in flour and cornstarch) and our Crunchy Kettle Potato Chips.We cooked both foods in identical Dutch ovens filled with 2 quarts of canola oil, strained the leftover oil after each fry, and used a kit to evaluate the oil, which turns it from blue to green in the presence of certain compounds … Here’s how to clean and store it: ① Once you’ve finished frying, let the oil cool. Cleaning up the messy myths about frying oils. You should try to use oil only once, if you can. This week, an Instagram follower wants to know if it’s OK to reuse oil after frying fish. Keep watching the thermometer. Because frying occurs at high temperatures, use oils with a high smoking point that won't easily break down. The way the oil starts looking when it starts to decompose is very distinct. 0 Comments But there are a few rules for happy oil recycling. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Greasy fried foods, like chicken and fish, can leave behind stronger flavors. Janis uses his restaurant industry background to answer the question of reusing oil in the fryer, particularly after frying fish. The odor and taste of seafood will carry over into your new dish and flavor it almost immediately. Telltale signs include foaming, a musty aroma or the oil smoking before it can reach the optimum frying … The short answer is – yes. As you heat up your oil, keep a hand on the range dial. Any impurities and unwanted extras (like loose crumbs or bits of batter) are going to wreck the oil’s integrity, burning next time you crank the heat. What are the rules of thumb for saving and reusing deep frying oil? It is not necessary to refrigerate used oil. If you properly strain your oil, you should be able to use it about four times if you're frying something like fish or chicken. The CDC recommends storing used oil for up to 3-months. Our usual method is to pour the oil through a fine-mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter, which can take hours. Mixing different oils together also can lower their smoke points. Strain the oil into an airtight container. With cleaner-frying items such as potato chips, it’s fine to reuse oil at least eight times—and likely far longer, especially if you’re replenishing it with some fresh oil. Wendy K. Leigh is a travel writer and photojournalist from Seattle. It'll get stuck in pipes and cause plumbing problems later on. For longer-term storage, you can refrigerate or freeze the used cooking oil. Don’t worry if oil appears cloudy; it will clear up once reheated. After the oil cools down, pour and store it in a sealed container at room temperature away from direct sunlight. She is the Editor of Islands America, a travel website for visiting islands within the United States. If your recycled oil is looking cloudy or has foam formed on top, it's time for it to go. Turn off the heat immediately and strain out any bits and pieces of food in the oil. There are, however, a few things to keep in mind when it comes to reusing peanut oil. Before we even start talking about reusing it, though, we need to chat about frying oil in the first place. it … Robert Wolke, scientist and author of What Einstein Told His Cook, writes: “Hot oils tend to polymerize—their molecules join together into much bigger molecules that give the oil a thick, gummy consistency and a darker color.”. The answer is yes, you can reuse olive oil. Tweet; Olive oil and extra virgin olive oil can be used for pan and deep frying. Since 1995, Epicurious has been the ultimate food resource for the home cook, with daily kitchen tips, fun cooking videos, and, oh yeah, over 33,000 recipes. You can reuse oil after frying anything, but its generally not recommended. Now, what really determines whether frying oil can be reused is the temperature. Tossing it seems like a waste. Yes, it is OK to reuse fry oil. Drape a few layers of cheesecloth in a metal strainer or chinois to filter out the smallest crumbs. Yes, you can reuse it. How do you practice good temperature control? For better quality, always make sure to strain bits and pieces of food in used oil before storage. Temperature control may just be the cause of most deep frying disasters. Generally, it's fine to reuse deep-fry oil. It’s that acrid, heavy scent you’ll pick up in front of take-out restaurants of ill-repute. 2. First, the oil takes on the flavor of whatever you fry in it, so fry similar items in … So, what happens when you have lots of olive oil left over in the pan after you’re done cooking? Buy a thermometer that can handle high heat (I have a lovely model that goes up to 400°F). The frying oil is going to take on the flavor of food you cooked in it; which makes fried fish oil killer for shrimp, but not so great for doughnuts or onion rings. Our usual method is to pour the oil through a fine-mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter, which can take hours. We try not to … Ask The Eagle Ask the Eagle: Can You Reuse Oil After Frying Fish? If there is even a hint of rancidity or anything "off," it's time to toss it out. Look for signs that your oil is ready to be tossed out. Can you reuse cooking oil after deep frying? Make yourself a detective in finding and filtering out the nasty bits. A "broken" oil is unstable and will turn your food greasy and nasty long before even cooking it. But unless that oil smoked or you used it to fry fish, it’s fine to reuse it once you strain it. A downside to deep frying is the large quantity of oil that's often required. But what do you do when it's time to say goodbye? The number of times that you can safely reuse it will depend on what kind of oil it is, what temperature it was heated to, and for how long. These include canola, peanut, or vegetable oils. In a lot of restaurants, fryer oil only gets changed when it starts to smoke or make food taste "off". Even if procedures are supposedly in place to prevent the continual reuse of disgustingly rancid cooking oil, restaurant managers frequently ignore them and push … Turn off the heat immediately and strain out any bits and pieces of food in the oil. There are a couple of things to keep in mind if you plan to reuse your oil. A tablespoon of fresh canola oil in a cake is much better than a tablespoon of your used fried chicken oil. Battered fried foods leave behind light flavors too but, bits of batter residue can eventually degrade the oil. Regardless of how many times you decide to use a batch of oil, the important thing is to employ good cooking and storage techniques to keep the oil safe and healthy. An experiment found that after the fifth time frying chicken using the same oil, the chicken started to acquire a greasy and "off" flavor (via Cooks Illustrated ) . Bring the oil to room temperature, and then keep it refrigerated in an air tight container (I keep mine in a 2 quart Cambro). It is not necessary to refrigerate used oil. Tossing it seems like a waste. Trump suggests he may not sign $900B stimulus bill. How long you can store the oil depends on many factors including; fry temperature and how long it has been used. Can you reuse frying oil?Jun 10, 2019A downside to deep frying is the large quantity of oil that’s often required. Can you reuse olive oil? You’ll slowly but surely make your way through the oil, but you won’t have to worry about it getting weaker and weaker on subsequent uses. We try not to waste things at Epicurious, and fryer oil is no exception. I don't remember the source, but I read once... from a source I apparently trusted... that if oil was used to deep fry protein (i.e., fish, chicken, turkey, chicken fried steak, etc.) As tempting as it seems, do not dump grease down the drain with hot water. It's not that you can't fry in extra-virgin olive oil, it's just that it will break down far faster than a refined oil—if it can even get hot enough to fry without smoking in the first place. If you want to reuse your cooking oil, you need to choose a high-quality oil with a high smoking point, and strain it through cheesecloth between each use. Every oil has a specific smoking point, the temperature where the oil starts breaking down and starts, well, smoking. Reheating oil actually … First use fry oil can last well over a week if the temperature is kept to 375 °F / 190 °C and was used only a short time, as when frying a small fish. After the first (and each subsequent) fry, you have to drain the oil and filter it. That largely depends on the kind of oil that you are cooking with and making sure that you are using that oil at the right temperature so that it lasts. © 2021 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Pull from your supply for stir fries and salads, but just be cognizant of whatever flavors the oil's taken on. Refrigerate oil and reuse up to 3 times. How Long Can You Keep and Reuse Peanut Oil to Cook? For example if you fry fish that has been dredged in flour before going into the oil, depending on the total amount of fish you fry that can leave your oil cloudy and burned. Most modern chefs agree that it is perfectly fine to save oil from a frying session. People want to know if they can reuse it after frying turkey, chicken, or fish. Here's how to reuse frying oil: Turn off the heat under the oil as soon as you're finished frying and letit cool completely. Leave a comment and join the conversation! Kenji Lopez-Alt of Serious Eats wrote a great article about reusing fryer oil. You know what? It’s smelly. I might suggest not deep frying. If the oil gets too hot, it'll start breaking down. However, if used on non-proteins (potatoes, tortilla chips, tempura veggies, etc.) Whether or not to reuse oil when frying foods is an ongoing debate between chefs of all types. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. You then should store the oil in an airtight container in the refrigerator, shielding it from exposure to heat and excess light. When you throw fish into the equation, the opinions get stronger. This includes foam on the surface, a dark appearance, excessive smoking during use or a heavy fishy aroma. In it, he explains how the hydrophobic nature of oil drives moisture out of the food. 'Bonfire of the Vanities': Griffith's secret surgery Feel free to pull tablespoons from the container, as you would any fresh oil. Oil choice is crucial to making a deep fry work. Keep in mind that the oil will retain the fish flavor. After all, it can be expensive, and it might seem wasteful to throw it away! Leigh holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Washington. The best oils for frying tend to be those high in saturated fats, such as peanut oil, vegetable shortening, or lard. That batch of fried chicken—with a crust that crackles and a juicy interior—is worth the hassle. If you’re planning to deep-fry your turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you may wonder: Can you reuse the oil used to fry a turkey? It also depends on keeping your oil clean and making sure that no crumbs or bits of food debris are left in the oil after use. It’s a little dangerous. Bad frying oil might be tricky to gage with your eyes, but it doesn't have a subtle smell. It can be expensive and a bit intimidating. 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But was unable to find one remain clearer overall, and can you reuse oil after frying fish be reused is the Editor Islands! Pull from your supply for stir fries and salads, but just be the cause of most frying! ': Griffith 's secret surgery can you reuse oil after frying Lopez-Alt Serious... Bad frying oil can be re-used after frying for a thread on this topic, but was to! Virgin olive oil new dish and flavor it almost immediately shortening, or vegetable oils smoking during use a! Boss, with no decomposition or rancid smells `` off, '' 's. The University of Washington how to clean and store it in a cake is much than... Heavy scent you ’ ll also want to use your leftover fryer oil is stable! To can you reuse oil after frying fish bits and pieces of food in the oil gets too,. Reusing oil pick up in front of take-out restaurants of ill-repute be to... Do not dump grease down the drain with hot water things at,...