[joyej]

I use a coffee filter to drain my cooking oil then I fry a little chunk of fresh ginger in the oil before I use it again and it seems to make the oil fresh. I read this in an ethnic cooking book as a "trick" but it really seems to work. Makes the oil last a bit longer, saving money.

[Mavourneen]

Huh. I wonder if this works for all oils? Peanut oil is so doggone expensive and that's what the deep fat fryer uses...

Thanks for posting this. I need to check into it.

[gltkar]

restaurants re-use frying oil all the time and they don't freshen it with gingeras a general rule. Some will strain it for debris but many do not. Storing the used oil is usually more the challenge at home.

[whoojaflikit]

I have ginger in my freezer!! Need to try this, but we do already strain the oil with a napkin or we could use a coffee filter.

[kylieteng]

I have a friend working in restaurant. He told me you won't believe how the restaurants are reusing oil. Pretty scary

[foggy]

I strain and reuse the deep fryer oil but no the oil I may put in a frying pan to fry something as I usually don't use that much in a frying pan.

[kansaslaura]

I owned a restaurant for a number of years and would only strain the oil twice at the most. It begins to breakdown after being heated and being held at high temps. I was going to put it into my own words, but found this at the culinary-yours website:

Signs of Deteriorated Oil

Oil darkens with use because the oil and food molecules burn when subjected to high/prolonged heat.

The more you use an oil, the more slowly it will pour. Its viscosity changes because of changes to the oil's molecular structure.

Loose absorbent particles accumulate as sediment at the bottom of the storage container or are suspended in the oil.

When smoke appears on the oils' surface before the temperature reaches 190 degrees C (375 degrees F), your oil will no longer deep-fry effectively.

If the oil has a rancid or "off" smell or if it smells like the foods you've cooked in it, it should be discarded.



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Prolonging Oil's Useful Life

The longer an oil is heated, the more quickly it will decompose. Avoid preheating the oil any longer than necessary. If you're cooking more than one batch of food, quickly add each new batch, unless time is needed to adjust the cooking temperature. Turn off the heat as soon as you've removed the last food batch from the oil. Cool.

Use a quality deep-fat frying thermometer, even if you're using an electric deep fryer.

Shake off loosely attached break crumbs from breaded food before adding the food to the oil. Loose crumbs and other particles scorch quickly and pollute your oil. Use a small strainer or slotted spoon to remove as many crumbs as possible.

When the oil has cooled enough that it is safe to handle, strain it through paper towels, coffee filters or cheesecloth into its original empty container or a clear glass jar. Do not mix it with unused oil.

Store the oil, tightly sealed, in a cool, dark place or in the refrigerator. The oil may cloud in the refrigerator, but it should become clear again at room temperature with no ill effects.

[wannasavemoney]

I worked at a fast food resturant that frys food for many years. they would filter the oil 2 then toss. you can really tell on the food and the color of the oil when its getting old. also at home I filter my frying oil between uses. I will usr it 3-5 times just depends on the color and smell of the oil.