Re-using Frying Oil?

[Far-I]

So i just broke in my 10qt frier the other night.

Had over some peeps and fried up sweet potatoes, green beans, aparagus, onions and eggplant in a tempura batter

Then fried up many many bluegills and crappies. (3 limits of each) It was f-ing good, thats for sure.

For the batter i used Old Bay seasoning mixed with Japanese Sushi House style bread flakes, its very good.

Anyways my question is can i reuse the peanut oil i fried with. I think if i filter all the crumbs out it'd be ok, but might affect the taste?

Do any of you reuse the oil, or just slap down the ching to do it right all over again?

[CJH]

I've heard you can use it up to three times, but can't confirm that for sure.

[paul pachowicz]

strain it thru cheesecloth, a slow process, and keep it in the fridge. Next time you use it fry a few sliced up potatoes first before adding your product. But, I wouldn't use it for anything other then fish again. You also may want to spend a few bucks and get a thermometer and make sure you are cookin at 365.

[Bohunk]

I use my oil 3 times, then discard, making sure to strain every time used. I use a large funnel with a screen, but this does take some time as it will clog periodically. Between uses, I also take a large rubbermaid kool-aid container and freeze until next use.

[Windy City]

I know I use my Shore Lunch Miracle Oil over and over with just straining and we have not lost a family member yet!

I am sure that our fearless moderator will chime in soon with the correct answer. He is always in the know on these topics.

[eyemaster]

You can reuse the oil several times as long as it doesn't get burned...do not get the oil over 375. Make sure you strain it after each use with a filter or cheese cloth to get all the particals out of it. Then refrigerate it. Restaurants don't throw their oil out after 1 use or 3, they will use it for a week or longer. The key is to keep it free of the debris and not to let the oil get too hot.

I use my oil for a season and then throw it. I store my oil in the fridge between uses.

[Tom Linderholm]

You can use the oil as much as you like, it will begin to take on a flavoring not so great as it oxidizes and will begin to get stale over time. Good reason not to mix fresh with old as well.

If you are using it once a week, you should be able to get a half dozen fries out of it without it affecting the flavor of your meal.

Also depends on how hot you get it, once it begins smoking, time to start fresh.

[riverrat56]

I work in a resturaunt (bar acctully...) anywho we change oil once a week when were slower, usually two times a week in the summer, but we filter it every night. This is more often than alot of resturaunts change out oil. Everything from fish, shrimp, chicken, onion rings and french fries go in there and nothing really requires an odd or funky taste. The key to keeping oil from aquiring a bad or fishy taste is to make sure there is enough oil and a large enough heat source that the oil will not get cold when fish is added. This will quickly "seal" the breading and keep the oil cleaner.

So I would say using it for 5-10 times would be fine as long as it is filtered after use.

[morefishplease]

Make sure you buy a good oil that won't break down fast. I work for a soybean oil processing plant and make these oils. Peanut oil is not bad but for the price its not worth it. Try cooking your oil with an Extend, Mel Fry, and for best performance a canola creamy frying oil. These oils work great and outperform peanut oil and are less expensive.

[weld1]

After you get done with the oil in the fryer you can finish using it up in your ice auger, generator, mower, snowblower ect. j/k its good for a long time if you take care of it as stated in above posts.

[beer batter]

I've never put my oil in the freezer after using it, and never had any issues. Why the need to freeze it if it's strained out properly?

[Jaspernuts]

I have never had a problem getting at least ten uses out of my oil. The only thing I use it for is fish.

[eyemaster]

I don't know that you need to freeze it, but keeping it in the fridge will keep the bacteria from growing in between uses.

[Phred52]

Far-I, I've been deep frying all sorts of stuff for the last 25+ years. I have 4 'true' deep fryers plus I use cast iron skillets and a dutch oven or 2 on occasion. ALL I've used have been (get this) Paint filters from the local auto body paint supplier (usually free!!)! They're paper and fibre glass, they can't leave loose pieces and they're clean. Plus, Your fryer cooks at 250+ degrees for bacteria. As long as you haven't burnt your oil,(that it still has a good odor to it), just filter it and use it again. If you burn it, and you'll be the first to know, don't reuse it!!Give it to the "Bio-diesel" person in the neighborhood. The other thing that'll go wrong with oil is, it'll get rancid If you have any sense of smell, you'll catch that right away, too. As long as your oil smells okay, use it. I fry alot of different things in my oil. If you don't overcook you recipes, your oil will last a good while. Just pay attention, and yes...there IS a learning curve! Good Luck, Experience will teach you. Phred52

[Lindy Lee]

Some of the sporting goods stores sell a large funnel and a filter combo that works great. The funnel has a metal strainer in the bottom that causes the filter not to set all the way down so all the oil is not trying to leave the very point of the filter. It has been a while since I bought mine so I do not remember the price or the cost of the filters.

[BK19]

they do make a pump with a filter in it just for cooking oil

[eyemaster]

I have had 2 of the pumps, they were both terrible. I don't think I will try another one!!