Bacon Grease
sammyliftsandeats
Posts: 2,421 Member
Hi guys!
So when I move into my new place, I will definitely have more cooking space and plan on keeping bacon grease on hand for my frying pan. What is the best way to store it?
Is a mason jar sufficient?
Do I need to skim off any of the little bits that may have broken off in my bacon cooking process? I usually bake mine in the oven at 400F for 13 minutes.
I usually would just dump the bacon grease into my pan and use it to cook whatever but sometimes I meal prep and make a big batch of bacon, and then I have loads of grease that I don't have a use for right away. But I really want to keep it.
Any tips/tricks would be appreciated. Thanks!
So when I move into my new place, I will definitely have more cooking space and plan on keeping bacon grease on hand for my frying pan. What is the best way to store it?
Is a mason jar sufficient?
Do I need to skim off any of the little bits that may have broken off in my bacon cooking process? I usually bake mine in the oven at 400F for 13 minutes.
I usually would just dump the bacon grease into my pan and use it to cook whatever but sometimes I meal prep and make a big batch of bacon, and then I have loads of grease that I don't have a use for right away. But I really want to keep it.
Any tips/tricks would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Replies
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If you're planning on keeping it for longer term, it's probably a good idea to strain it into your storage container (yes, a mason jar is fine). The other pieces risk allowing mold to grow. If you go through it as fast as you make it, though, I wouldn't worry too much about it and just go with whichever works best for you.
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Yummmm bacon grease! I have a big ole (recycled) spaghetti glass jar I have that I use to use up the drippings. I use it to cook up a lot of things, but mostly refried beans which I no longer eat (
) but my family does. I never have to store it for long lol so i keep the little bits too 2 -
I strain mine through a coffee filter and store in the fridge. A mason jar would be fine, I re-use other smaller glass jars too. Just make sure the jar is room temp or warmer when you fill it, or it might crack.4
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Yummmm bacon grease! I have a big ole (recycled) spaghetti glass jar I have that I use to use up the drippings. I use it to cook up a lot of things, but mostly refried beans which I no longer eat ( ) but my family does. I never have to store it for long lol so i keep the little bits too
haha, mine is in a recycled Salsa jar
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I don't strain, since I keep it in the fridge anyway. I pour it hot into a tempered glass jelly jar.3
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My mom used to keep a big grease can with a strainer lid (embossed with the word "Grease" on the side even) on top of the stove. Any thing she fried in, whether it was bacon grease or Crisco went back in and was recycled after every fried meal (unless it was fish, because that made the grease taste fishy). Ah, the South in the 70s. Anyone else remember those cans?7
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my grandma's old southern way of storing it was in a mason jar, no straining, and leaving it on the counter right next to her butter only at room temperature. I've never seen it mold, but then again she used it often. I don't think it would hurt to keep it in the fridge though if you feel more comfortable.2
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@redkitten25 my parents still have one of those tins on the back of the stove - and they're born and bred northwesterners lol.2
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That's wonderful. I haven't seen one anywhere in years. I actually wouldn't mind finding an old one and just using it for bacon fat.3
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I'm with the above posters, I keep mine in a glass jar in the fridge. I don't strain mine.0
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Yep I strain out whatever and store in the fridge in a mason jar. It's a thing of beauty!
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Mine is in a container in the fridge - no straining. I cook in cast iron and I use it to season my pans after each use and of course to cook with in general. I wait til it cools then scrape it into my container because mine is in plastic.2
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thelowcarblady wrote: »my grandma's old southern way of storing it was in a mason jar, no straining, and leaving it on the counter right next to her butter only at room temperature. I've never seen it mold, but then again she used it often. I don't think it would hurt to keep it in the fridge though if you feel more comfortable.
My real butter sits on the counter too - people always look at me weird because they think it will spoil. I HATE butter I can't spread and no one has ever been sick from eating anything I make with it. Good to know I'm not alone.6 -
We're totally alike on this one @RowdysLady - I have a plastic container in the fridge, a really heavy duty thick one, and I don't strain bacon grease at all. I like when those tasty little bits help season a dish.
Same on the butter too - I can't STAND hard butter you have to scrape to use. No thanks! Mine stays in the cupboard, and no one has ever been sick from it. The only time it goes in the fridge is when the temperature gets up there and it starts to seem melty.1 -
RowdysLady wrote: »I HATE butter I can't spread and no one has ever been sick from eating anything I make with it. Good to know I'm not alone.Same on the butter too - I can't STAND hard butter you have to scrape to use. No thanks!/quote]
We're triplets!! There's nothing I hate worse than hard, cold, unspreadable butter just for sheer inconvenience!! lol I keep mine on the counter too. What's the point of having butter if you can't immediately spread it on something to make that food item even more delicious?!0 -
Yep, butter in the dish and on the counter! No hard butter for me! Bacon grease is not strained but kept refrigerated!
Love your picture @auntstephie321 !! It's beautiful!!1 -
Well, I wanted to comment on the butter. When I was a little girl, my mom use to put butter into a glass container specially made for butter also outside the fridge.
I recently rediscovered said glass container, and put my butter in it. For some reason, this gives me such a warm, emotional feeling of home and brings back many memories of making school sandwiches! (You know, when I still ate real bread, Lol).
My mom died the year I finished high school (5 years ago), and anything that brings back a memory of her and that time is just awesome.
I stopped eating butter 5 years ago, until now that is
Ahh how some household items become sentimental. Lol8 -
Shadowmf023 wrote: »Well, I wanted to comment on the butter. When I was a little girl, my mom use to put butter into a glass container specially made for butter also outside the fridge.
I recently rediscovered said glass container, and put my butter in it. For some reason, this gives me such a warm, emotional feeling of home and brings back many memories of making school sandwiches! (You know, when I still ate real bread, Lol).
My mom died the year I finished high school (5 years ago), and anything that brings back a memory of her and that time is just awesome. I stopped eating butter 5 years ago, until now that is
Ahh how some household items become sentimental. Lol
I searched high and low until I found a flour sifter just like my mom's. And a pastry fork. And I have a bunch of the old 70s yellow and orange tupperware too, the lunchbox size stuff, just like she sent in our lunches way back when (much longer than 5 years ago ). And my grandma's Pyrex custard cups that I use daily. I totally get it! 6 -
@Shadowmf023 Aw... I can so relate. My Mom passed away 9 years ago. My Dad 8 years ago. I have many things from their home but one I cherish most-the salt and pepper shakers that sat on their table and they used everyday. One could buy the same thing today @ Walmart for $1.49 but they would be my parent's.3
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RowdysLady wrote: »thelowcarblady wrote: »my grandma's old southern way of storing it was in a mason jar, no straining, and leaving it on the counter right next to her butter only at room temperature. I've never seen it mold, but then again she used it often. I don't think it would hurt to keep it in the fridge though if you feel more comfortable.
My real butter sits on the counter too - people always look at me weird because they think it will spoil. I HATE butter I can't spread and no one has ever been sick from eating anything I make with it. Good to know I'm not alone.
My butter always sits out on the counter...I also HATE cold/hard butter that doesn't spread. Granted, I don't make toast anymore, but still. 2 -
I do strain my bacon grease with one of those fine mesh strainers. After finding some recipes for things like this spinach salad, I don't really keep the bacon grease long enough for it to go bad.0
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I do keep my butter in the fridge, but that's because A: I really don't use it fast enough, B: this apartment complex has serious ant issues, and C: I don't spread butter, but when the need arises for softened butter, it usually needs to be completely liquid, so it will end up having to be popped in the microwave for a few seconds anyway.1
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Shadowmf023 wrote: »Well, I wanted to comment on the butter. When I was a little girl, my mom use to put butter into a glass container specially made for butter also outside the fridge.
I recently rediscovered said glass container, and put my butter in it. For some reason, this gives me such a warm, emotional feeling of home and brings back many memories of making school sandwiches! (You know, when I still ate real bread, Lol).
My mom died the year I finished high school (5 years ago), and anything that brings back a memory of her and that time is just awesome. I stopped eating butter 5 years ago, until now that is
Ahh how some household items become sentimental. Lol
I searched high and low until I found a flour sifter just like my mom's. And a pastry fork. And I have a bunch of the old 70s yellow and orange tupperware too, the lunchbox size stuff, just like she sent in our lunches way back when (much longer than 5 years ago ). And my grandma's Pyrex custard cups that I use daily. I totally get it!
My mom had a Joy of Cooking cookbook - circa 1950ish with the old fabric green cover. She had all these little notes next to recipes - about making them better or that they were terrible or delicious. Hers is bound with duct tape down the spine because of age and use. When I got married she gave me my own Joy of Cooking cookbook. When she died and I went to visit my dad the first time after the only thing I asked for or wanted was her Joy of Cooking cookbook. It sits in my cupboard with my copy which is aged, covered in food stains, the binding is broken and of course, there are little notes all over my recipes too.6 -
I keep my butter in the cupboard. When left on the counter, the dear cat helps himself.
My bacon grease is strained and kept in the fridge in an old aluminum measuring cup.
@RowdysLady I have the old Joy of Cooking cookbook also. The last copyright date in mine is 1946 so I believe it to be the 3rd edition. It has no mention of wartime rationing, mention of streamline rationing. No mention of a blender. It has 1 hand written recipe that I recognize to be Grandma's handwriting. I so wish I had kept more of my Grandma's and Mom's cookbooks. They're so interesting to read.1 -
Shadowmf023 wrote: »Well, I wanted to comment on the butter. When I was a little girl, my mom use to put butter into a glass container specially made for butter also outside the fridge.
I recently rediscovered said glass container, and put my butter in it. For some reason, this gives me such a warm, emotional feeling of home and brings back many memories of making school sandwiches! (You know, when I still ate real bread, Lol).
My mom died the year I finished high school (5 years ago), and anything that brings back a memory of her and that time is just awesome. I stopped eating butter 5 years ago, until now that is
Ahh how some household items become sentimental. Lol
I have my mom's old metal colander and I think of her every time I use it. Love that thing, dents included!
As for the bacon grease... I bake my bacon on a pan too, pour it straight from the pan into a mason jar, then store in fridge. Can't be bothered to strain it, and there's not that much "bits" in it anyway...
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I store my bacon fat in a small bowl on top of the stove. I believe that rendered saturated fat is stable at theoomnn0
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RowdysLady wrote: »I HATE butter I can't spread and no one has ever been sick from eating anything I make with it. Good to know I'm not alone.Same on the butter too - I can't STAND hard butter you have to scrape to use. No thanks!/quote]
We're triplets!! There's nothing I hate worse than hard, cold, unspreadable butter just for sheer inconvenience!! lol I keep mine on the counter too. What's the point of having butter if you can't immediately spread it on something to make that food item even more delicious?!
Nay! QUADRUPLETS!!!!!!0 -
redkitten25 wrote: »My mom used to keep a big grease can with a strainer lid (embossed with the word "Grease" on the side even) on top of the stove. Any thing she fried in, whether it was bacon grease or Crisco went back in and was recycled after every fried meal (unless it was fish, because that made the grease taste fishy). Ah, the South in the 70s. Anyone else remember those cans?
There was an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond where Frank took Marie's grease can because he needed it for change. I remember her description of all the bacon and pancetta she cooked and strained so she could make meals for Frank.0 -
Stored next to stove, unfiltered. Bacon crumbs added bonus
or 
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Go to eBay and type in grease jar:) also butter bell. These are a few of my favorite things!1
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