Text 24512, 59 rader
Skriven 2009-05-29 06:26:42 av DAVE SACERDOTE (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av DALE SHIPP
Ärende: Cooking oil
===================
DSh> There was the additional problem of such infrequent use that 
DSh> the oil would go rancid in between times.

DSac> Your method of a deep pan or pot is best for home use, I reckon.
DSac> I use a thermometer when I do it, otherwise we're on the same
DSac> channel.

DSh> What do you do to preserve the oil?  How often do you use it?

We deep fry a couple times a month.  More, perhaps, when I have
a garden full of eggplant because we love fried eggplant sticks
which absolutely SUCK when they're "oven fried."

I'm always one bottle "ahead" with oil, which I only buy in 96-oz
bottles or larger for reasons of economy.  By "one bottle ahead,"
I mean that I have a bottle of fresh unused oil in use, a bottle
of used oil, and a third for completely unusable-for-cooking oil.

After deep-frying anything, I "clean" the oil by frying a sliced
potato until crispy - this is an old trick passed down by my
grandmother; it cleans off-odors and food tastes out of the
oil.  Then I allow it to cool completely, and pour the clear
oil carefully off into the used oil bottle.  Sludge at the bottom
of the pot goes into a cup.  I pour the sludge into paper pulp
egg cartons, which absorb the oil and which I later break up into
little cups and use as fire starter "candles" for my charcoal
chimney.

Keeping the oil in a tightly closed bottle instead of in the
fry-o-later keeps it from oxidizing and going rancid for a
surprisingly long time.  I add a bit of fresh oil as necessary
to replace cooking loss, but after a while any oil starts to
get undesirable flavors or odors despite "spud cleansing."
That's when it finally goes into the unusable bottle.  Also,
if I fry chicken (which contaminates the cooking oil with
chicken fat) or most fish (which makes the oil smell and taste
like fish forever no matter what) the oil goes into the
unusable bottle.  

No matter what, though, it ends up that I'm always cooking
with either new or slightly used oil, but either way it's always
good oil and nothing that would make a diner wrinkle their nose
as one sometimes does in a restaurant that hasn't flushed the
fryers in awhile.

As for the used oil:  there are several "greasemobiles" around 
here that have diesel engines adapted for running on old cooking
oil.  When I have a few gallons accumulated, I run an ad on
craigslist offering my oil free for use in a greasemobile, and
someone invariably shows up to take it off my hands.

---
http://davescupboard.blogspot.com/ - Dave's Cupboard - Food and 
Restaurant Reviews; If I post it here in NCE, you'll find it 
blogged with photos at Dave's Cupboard.

http://bacon-labels.blogspot.com/ - A gallery of bacon package labels.
(The extra shelf in Dave's Cupboard.
 * Origin: Doc's Place BBS Fido Since 1991 docsplace.tzo.com (1:123/140)