this post was submitted on 04 Aug 2025
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I used to pour it into a glass jar. But these days I'm just using a paper towel or 3 after it dries and chuckin it in the bin.

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[–] RebekahWSD@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

Into a teacup, into the fridge, then when full and solidified, peeled out and thrown into the trash.

[–] Dorkyd68@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago

I pour it into a bowl. Once full ill freeze it then toss out on trash day

[–] Lifecoach5000@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago

I pretty much use your method, although sometimes after making breakfast sausage, I will fill up the pan with soap and water and let it soak for maybe a day. Then, I will go outside and dump and kinda hose it off then take it back inside to wash in the sink proper.

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 5 points 6 hours ago

Reduce, reuse, recycle.

I try not to deep fry anything, my body doesn't need it, and the convection oven does a decent job. Shallow frying can also do a similar job most times at the cost of some extra time.

Decent quantity of bacon grease get collected for reuse. Small amounts just get paper toweled. If I did give in and deep fry something, that oil is being reused all week. Go big or go home.

When I'm done with it, I grab the smallest sealable container from the recycling, out the cooled fat in it, and it goes in the trash. It usually isn't more than a cup or 2.

[–] ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml 7 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Saw this thread from a mile away and ran to tell everyone I don't have that problem because I own an air fryer

[–] RickyRigatoni@retrolemmy.com 4 points 6 hours ago

We are gods among rodents, you and I.

[–] Nemo@slrpnk.net 3 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Left... over?

If I'm deepfrying, I set it aside and reuse it.

If I cooked something like bacon that gave off fat, I save it and use it to cook other things later.

If I was sautéing something, I used the correct amount of oil and there's none left over.

If I was roasting something, I turn the pan drippings into a sauce.

I will say, if you're having this problem a lot cooking meat, you're probably not trimming the cuts properly before cooking. Trim those and throw the scraps in the freezer until the next time you make stock.

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 18 minutes ago* (last edited 17 minutes ago)

I have fat in my freezer and am a total noob at stock making. The fat is leftover from a slab of pork I cut up into 8oz portions and froze.

I would like to hear / read more about this earth thing called stock, if you are willing to share.

[–] mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca 2 points 6 hours ago

I don't have enough oil left over to bother doing something other than wash normally

if there's enough fat left, either cook more food in it, or wipe it with a paper towel. but that's rare

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago

Keep an extra can about for fat drippings.

[–] bort@piefed.world 95 points 17 hours ago (4 children)

Are you renting or do you own?

[–] mechoman444@lemmy.world 5 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

What I totally don't ever do under any circumstance at anytime for any reason even though it's super convenient and easy is pour it down the sink. Yes sir. That's not something I ever, ever do! Wouldn't it be crazy if I did? Omg. So crazy!

[–] Maestro@fedia.io 3 points 8 hours ago

Yes, so crazy. You don't want to cause a fatberg the size of a bus

[–] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 9 points 12 hours ago

You can compost it if you aren’t generating huge amounts. Mix it with something absorbent like sawdust or used coffee grounds and mix into a composter, and add extra “green material” like leaves or lawn clippings.

[–] actionjbone@sh.itjust.works 54 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (12 children)

Depends on what kind of leftover fat.

If frying something in measurable quantities of oil, the oil can be filtered to remove solids, then stored to re-use later.

If cooking something greasy like bacon or sausage, either I'll cook other things in the same pan after, or I'll pour it through a strainer, let it cool, and freeze it. Once I've saved a bunch, I clarify it.

Fat is flavor. In my house, it doesn't get thrown away. There are lots of ways to reuse it.

[–] ObtuseDoorFrame@lemmy.zip 15 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (2 children)

Reusing cooking oil causes cancer. I thought this was wildly known, but I'm consistently surprised at how many people online say things like this.

This is why "drip jars" stopped being used in the 20th century. There used to be one in every house until it was understood it causes stomach cancer.

https://www.adityabirlacapital.com/healthinsurance/active-together/2025/01/27/cooking-oil-and-cancer/

https://www.sfa.gov.sg/food-safety-tips/food-risk-concerns/risk-at-a-glance/reusing-cooking-oils

[–] inconel@lemmy.ca 16 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

But singapore site links USDA q&a on how to reuse it safely and has section for "what you need to do if you reuse oil". They don't particularly advice or encourage single use.

Oil quality is dependent on storage method (strain it with filter, keep airtight non-transparent container etc) and cooking temperature so people need to be informed, but I don't see reusing it once or twice with appropriate care cause significant harm.

[–] TheReanuKeeves@lemmy.world 14 points 15 hours ago

That's if you take it beyond the smoke point. Which you wouldn't do if you are trying to avoid free radicals in your food to begin with. Even vegetable oil is extracted through a heating process.

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[–] paequ2@lemmy.today 8 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (1 children)

I currently use (probably too many) paper towels to absorb the oil and then toss them into the trash can. I'm not happy with this solution, but I don't want to pour it down the drain.

I found this the other day https://fryaway.co/ but I haven't tried it yet. It's supposed to make the oil solid so you can more easily toss it.

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[–] jbk@discuss.tchncs.de 12 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Our city's trash disposal also provides free plastic buckets for cooking oil. I try to use that as often as possible. I love it

[–] phonics@lemmy.world 6 points 13 hours ago

Oh that's cool actually. I hadn't heard of that before.

[–] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 33 points 17 hours ago

Wipe with paper towel, toss in trash.

[–] gigachad@sh.itjust.works 2 points 9 hours ago

I just wash my pan normally. The amount of leftover oil is negligible.

If I deep fry something (which I pretty much never do), I put in a glass jar and throw it into the bin.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 5 points 12 hours ago

I usually just pour it over the rice or macaroni or whatever, to consume whatever little is there, so as not to waste it, and for flavor.

I try to fry stuff in tallow as well, which is a lot nicer IMO.

[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 25 points 17 hours ago

I let it cool off and then scrape it into the trash/compost. Sometimes I use a paper towel, sometimes I just scrape it.

[–] fodor@lemmy.zip 3 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Stopped deep frying. Partly for health and partly out of laziness.

[–] phonics@lemmy.world 5 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

I was talking about just in your pan. Like after bacon or whatever

[–] throbbing_banjo@lemmy.world 4 points 6 hours ago

Save your bacon fat in a jar, it's clutch. You can do the same with beef tallow. Need to saute some onions for rice and beans? Bam, fry them in bacon fat. Stew recipe calls for vegetable oil to saute your carrots? Fuck that, tallow it. Some traditions exists because they work.

[–] Drusas@fedia.io 20 points 17 hours ago (3 children)
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[–] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 13 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

If it cools into a solid fat then it goes in a bowl and put it outside for wildlife to enjoy some easy calories. A trail cam and some time has given me a good chunk of backyard nocturnal drama, like the falling out of two tomcats.

Liquid fat/oil is used to re-season pans or soaked up with a paper towel and dumped.

[–] garbagebagel@lemmy.world 5 points 11 hours ago

Man, living in a house sounds so cool sometimes 🥲

[–] omgboom@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 17 hours ago (1 children)
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