What to Do With Bacon Grease After Cooking?

Bacon grease is a treasured resource for cooking enthusiasts, who believe that this "liquid gold" makes food taste much better, so they recommend not throwing it away once used as if it were common garbage.

So, what to do with bacon grease after cooking? Reusing the liquid for the next meal is an excellent option, but there are also other ways to use this liquid as a fire starter to light a campfire or barbecue.

But if after a while you want to get rid of the bacon fat for good, you must follow some basic rules to avoid inconveniences. We'll tell you all about them in this new All About Recycle article.

What can I do with leftover bacon grease?

If you haven't come up with a convincing answer on what to do with the bacon grease you've just cooked, here are some options that are sure to interest you.

1. Season your cast-iron skillet

If you want your cast-iron skillet to give off bacon flavor during its shelf life, coat the surface with a little bacon grease. Then, place the pan in the oven for two hours. It is advisable to repeat the process as many times as you consider necessary until the excess fat is removed from the pan. You will achieve great results and you will always get delicious meals.

2. Make candles with a bacon scent you'll love

Bacon-scented candles? Yes, it really is a worthwhile craft project and that's why we suggest it here. But the strong point of candles made with animal fat is not exactly the smell, but, like any other, they are used to illuminate spaces. That way, you will save money on buying some candles if you have problems with darkness.

3. Cook eggs and hash browns

You'll definitely make your eggs taste a lot better if you cook them with the bacon grease left over from previous meals. This is perhaps the easiest and most obvious use for the grease accumulated in the kitchen. But you can also use it to fry your fries.

Instead of vegetable oil, use what you've managed to accumulate from the bacon. And if the french fries are already delicious, cooked with the bacon grease they will be even better. Just let the oil boil for a few minutes, then add the eggs or potatoes and wait for them to be cooked before taking them out of the pan and eating them.

4. Popcorn is just as delicious with a touch of bacon

Substitute bacon for vegetable oil or butter when preparing your popcorn. Although your doctor may not recommend it to avoid problems with your arteries later on, it is a good option for preparing your popcorn to make it different. It is best to use ¼ cup of bacon oil so you can pop up to ¼ cup of the kernels.

5. Fire starters

If you have some jars at home filled with bacon grease and you need to start a campfire, you can use a few drops for combustion. But be very careful when starting a fire to avoid accidents.

6. Add some to your ice cream

Bacon fat as part of the ingredients for your ice cream will help pamper your palate. What should you do? Add a tablespoon or two of the processed and cooled fat to your ice cream. It will taste much better if you use a little cherry or raspberry syrup.

7. Make bird feeders

Bird feeders are a great alternative for reusing the grease from your bacon. You effectively recycle your oil while contributing to the environment. In this way, you will help birds improve the taste of their meals. The birdseed will taste like bacon and they will love it.

8. Have you ever heard of bacon soaps?

Since you have accumulated several jars of bacon oil, reuse it in soaps that will make you smell like bacon all the time. To make your soap, you'll need oil, water, and lye. Keep in mind that lye turns fat into soap through a process called saponification. You will have on hand a healthy, homemade product for your skin that you can use whenever you need it.

9. Salad dressing

Your salad will taste much better if you combine apple cider vinegar with bacon grease. It is, for many, one of the best salad dressings, especially for a salad made mainly with spinach. But make sure that your vinaigrette is warm when it is poured over the vegetables, otherwise, it will be a rather unpleasant food.

10. It is special for bourbon

Your cocktails can get a better flavor by using bacon fat leftovers. To achieve this, apply the following procedure: Mix in a bottle of bourbon 750 milliliters a little more than 1 ounce of hot, melted bacon fat.

After infusing for more than three hours, put the bottle in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, which will help solidify the fat. The next step is to strain the liquid using a piece of fat as a guide, then store the bourbon for 6 months.

How to store bacon grease correctly?

To be reused, bacon grease must be stored properly using the following procedure.

1. Get rid of food particles

The first thing you should do is strain the fat to prevent solid residues from the bacon from remaining in the liquid. This will prevent your fat from acquiring a rancid smell and taste, giving your dishes an exquisite flavor.

2. Store the fat in a clean container

If you have finished straining the fat, the next step is to put the liquid in a clean, airtight container. This procedure is useful so that your fat does not acquire a rancid flavor, much less oxidize. Glass containers are the most recommended option for storing the liquid.

3. Store the container in a cool place

It is important that the container where you have included the bacon fat is cool and dark. For the same reason, it is recommended to store it either in the refrigerator or in the cupboard. Hot or bright places will make the liquid rancid and unpalatable.

Should I throw away bacon grease?

Now, if you really need to get rid of the grease that comes from bacon after it has been cooked, here are some useful options to do it efficiently.

1. Throw it in the trash

This is one of the most efficient methods when it comes to getting rid of the grease. But before throwing it in the trash, it is important that you let it cool naturally to make it much safer, then pour it into a container. If you throw the grease in the garbage while it's still hot, you could help start a fire.

2. Grease composting

Another safe option for disposing of your bacon grease is to throw the grease in a compost bin. This is quite a useful alternative because once the grease is broken down, it can be reused as nutrients for soil revitalization. This is definitely a much greener and healthier way to remove bacon-derived grease from your home.

3. Send it to local processing plants

Bacon grease can be counterproductive if you flush it down the drain, as it makes it easier to clog pipes. This could lead to severe conflicts. A different option from the others mentioned is to take the bacon grease containers to bacon grease processing companies. There they will give it a proper use to avoid complications later on.

Bacon grease is a useful resource for cooking, although you can give it a more artisanal use. You can reuse it as you wish, but you can also dispose of it in an environmentally friendly way to avoid any complications.