How to Save Your Bacon Grease

[@RCSVirginia]

Bacon grease in an old coffee can was found in all Southern kitchens back in the day.

[@Southernbite]

It definitely was!

[@SethCorbinMusic]

Amazing. I’m new to this bacon grease thing. I wish I had known sooner that it wasn’t gross to use. I always thought it was weird to save meat juice

[@RCSVirginia]

@@SethCorbinMusic Other than with an Asian stir fry, I cannot imagine green beans without bacon grease. My grandmother would, also, use it to fry some food items, perhaps mixed with a little butter or oil, usually potatoes, as well as her buckwheat pancakes and homemade scrapple.

[@fv1291]

California too!!!

[@brandonhoffman4712]

Most bacon grease ive seen in a can is ugly contaminated stuff that i would consider trash. I only ever added to them. After moving out on my own, I decided to try straining it with a very fine mesh skimmer i have. TOTAL GAME CHANGER!

[@joshuatremper5026]

My great grandma used to put bacon grease on toast and honestly it sounds fairly good

[@shawnsmith5028]

That does sound interesting.

[@chrissy5705]

Yummy! You have the best grandma ever! Despite popular belief and what we’re told bacon grease is actually good for us! It does not clog arteries like we’ve been told lol! It’s one of the things I use a lot on the carnivore diet along with butter! God bless you and your grandma! Hugs!

[@brandonhoffman4712]

I do my bacon grease hot into a mason jar. I recently moved and decided to re-do my bacon grease container. I started straining it with a fine mesh skimmer that i have, its much finer mesh than a fine mesh strainer. Its giving me beautiful bacon grease like ive never had before! Its gone from looking questionable to looking edible. I always used to just dump it without straining because thats what those before me did and taught me to do. Straining is a game changer! It even makes cooking bacon better as i can begin my cook in a nice layer of grease, expediting the process a bit. My 1st batch of bacon i started with butter, it seperated in the grease jar, I had to scoop out what good stuff i could and use a new jar. After seeing how good it was i wanted 0 contamination!

[@chicagomike4587]

Nice job My Mom kept it in a "Cool Whip" container in the fridge to fry potatoes, etc - of course, as kids, we'd try to sneak a spoonful of whip cream and get a mouthful of bacon grease instead...

[@Winnie-r-p]

We used to just keep it on the back of the stove. It's probably not the same though as everything is different now. A friend of mine uses it to make homemade buns and biscuits and thery are absolutely the greatess tasting rolls I have ever had.

[@laneedwards2992]

I prefer to carefully filter when grease is still HOT, less grease is lost to the "filter" material. I use a paper towel in a metal strainer - much finer than cheese cloth. The of course there is BACON UP!!!

[@Clydes.Shop78]

I do the same thing. It also lasts a lot longer than 3-4 months.

[@priscillapatten6229]

Informative video. I'm always out of cheesecloth so I use the strainer with coffee filters. I never cared much for the water method.

[@ericachristou5591]

Can I add more into the jar as I go ? Or a different jar each time ?

[@Southernbite]

If you keep it in the freezer, you can just add to it.

[@ScottyHunter]

Dumb question... if I keep it in a mason jar, and put it in the freezer, then bring it out and let it come to room temperature... can I then RE-freeze the grease I didn't use after it already came to room temperature? Does repeated room temp and re-freezing make it unsafe or does it not matter?

[@Southernbite]

I’ve not had any trouble using this method.

[@ThisIsMYStoryAS]

Not a dumb question because I had the same question haha.

[@laneedwards2992]

Does NOT need to be frozen. Also if you freeze you are clearly not using as often as god intended.

[@sport07-o2l]

@@laneedwards2992I like your answer

[@Gamma2Boys]

Bacon grease is culinary gold!

[@reidriflemaintanence8452]

Could a fella store the unstrained grease in the freezer, then reheat it and strain it once the jar is closer to full? Maybe reheat the jar but placing it in a hot water bath? Any thoughts would be appreciated

[@Southernbite]

If using the freezer for storage, I think that could certainly work.

[@bradtaylor1766]

Full disclosure, my Wife thinks the world of you and your culinary style (We watched you on Guy's grocery games - You coulda/shoulda won that one). Back to the the bacon grease thing, both of my (both born turn of the 1900's) Grandmother's used a cheese style cloth to strain grease. I didn't know what they were doing at the time, but they stored the excess in the "Root Cellar". So, I believe you are 100% correct to be cautious because they were also ... Great work Stacey!💪

[@Southernbite]

Thanks, Brad! I sure appreciate that!

[@JRJones333]

Can you take it out of the refrigerator and add to it and then put it back in the fridge? I would think that would cause it to liguidfy and then become solid over and over again. And if it is only good for 3 to 4 months, there is no way of separating the old grease from the new grease. So I assume constantly adding to it might not be a good idea??

[@Southernbite]

I do this exact thing, but keep mine in the freezer since it sort of keeps indefinitely when frozen.

[@JRJones333]

@@Southernbite ...Thank you for the quick response.

[@OfftoShambala]

That is a good question. I think if you add to it three times in a week or two… you’d be fine. Then it’s no big deal to use the three month expiration date. But that’s why we all love the ice cube tray solution! No ‘cross contamination’! But there are smaller mason jars that are akin to shot glasses or are short and squat and half the size of the one pictured, so you don’t have to blend each batch. That’s what I would do, as I only make bacon about once a month. Until I get one of those ice cube trays.

[@The_Practical_Daydreamer]

Does this work for beef, like when you brown hamburger? Can you combine the two into one container?

[@Southernbite]

Yes, the same method should work for beef tallow, but I would not recommend combining the two difference fats. I don’t find they have similar uses.

[@The_Practical_Daydreamer]

@@Southernbite Thanks. Always good to save some cash, and this will help.

[@jasonallan3074]

Ok, what is the sealable ice cube tray that you used?

[@Southernbite]

That one came from Home Goods or TJMaxx, but I also really like this one from Amazon: amzn.to/3I4mT0U

[@polycarp1334]

This was really helpful. Thank you. Question: if I use the bacon grease to fry up more bacon. Can I keep restraining the bacon grease over and over again? Or is there a limit to how many times you can use it and add to it?

[@Southernbite]

@@polycarp1334 If you strain it very well, you can reuse it 2 or 3 times. Eventually the heat will cause it to begin to break down.

[@polycarp1334]

@@Southernbite Again, thank you so much.

[@lazaruslong6737]

I never strained it. Ever. Never went rancid and have it in the ref for years

[@Southernbite]

That's great to hear! Science tells us the bacon pieces do increase the chance that it will go rancid. It's a precaution against that.www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/09/10/bacon-grease-fat-tips/

[@RCSVirginia]

It may be better to strain it to be on the safe side. Having said that, my grandparents and all their kith-n-kin kept it unstrained in a coffee can all the time, and it never, ever went bad.

[@Southernbite]

@@RCSVirginia Trust me. I totally understand. My grandmother did the same thing. I’m just trying to stick to food safety guidelines and share the most accurate, safest info.

[@lazaruslong6737]

@@RCSVirginia I totally agree. I didn't mean to imply that you shouldn't strain it. I honestly never thought about it and see merit in doing so. Cheers

[@AldoSchmedack]

​@@Southernbite Better to be safe than super sorry. I strain!

[@enchantedrockview]

Do you need to sterilize the container or just wash it?

[@mkohanek]

Using the mesh strainer or cheese cloth leaves teeny tiny little specs in it, guessing that is fine? The one time I tried straining it through a paper towel instead, it came out perfectly clean from even the tiniest spec, but it was more of a hassle

[@Southernbite]

A paper towel or coffee filter do an amazing job, but do take a long time.

[@AMcDub0708]

I would say strain with the mesh and cheesecloth and then do a second strain with the coffee filter. That way there are less bits that clog up the coffee filter that make it take forever. You’d just be straining the fine stuff.

[@mkohanek]

@@AMcDub0708 I have been using paper towelrs ever since this comment, and they work perfectly to be honest. The grease strains out nice and clean every time, no issues

[@AMcDub0708]

@@mkohanek Perfect!! Good to know!

[@luissanchezpalacios7698]

Imma use mines to replace butter to flavor my eggs haha. And to replace butter on popcorn to flavor my pop corn 😂

[@SonGoku-yp1uj]

I never thought if that! Thanks!

[@tempo1889]

What do you do if you want the jar back but the bacon grease isn't all used up how do you get it out?

[@LaCroixCreative]

You could warm it gently in a hot water bath on the stove top until it's liquified, and then just pour it out.

[@DoctorMandible]

2:35 No reason to bring the whole container to room temp. Just spoon some out and keep the rest cold to help it last longer

[@fishingbob8374]

My bacon grease stays good indefinitely for some reason. 😂

[@JMontesDeOca]

Can you restock with new oil a container with grease completely solidified? Or its a new container every time?

[@Southernbite]

If you keep it in the freezer, you can add more to it. Otherwise, you run the risk of the oldest grease going rancid and ruining the entire container.

[@tiffanyvaughan]

Could a coffee filter work instead of the cheesecloth? And is it okay to add more freshly strained bacon grease to an existing container? At what point should I start a new container? So many questions from a newbie with bacon grease ;)

[@Southernbite]

Yep! A coffee filter will work. It might just be a little slow to drain through. If you keep your grease in the freezer, I think it's perfectly fine to add more to the container. Many folks add to theirs regardless of the storage location, but being that the freezer is the most stable place for long-term storage, I think that's the best option. The problem with it is that if the older grease does go rancid, you'll probably have to toss the entire thing. A quick smell should tell you if it's bad or not.

[@tiffanyvaughan]

@@Southernbitethanks for the insight! Very helpful :)

[@kevinqpublic8082]

If you dont have cheese cloth, can you use a paper towel?

[@Southernbite]

You can. It will take a little longer for it to drain through, but it works!

[@kevinqpublic8082]

Thank you.

[@mkohanek]

I even prefer paper towel over cheese cloth. Cheese cloth still left teeny tiny specs in the grease jar, but a paper towel made very visually appealing transparent grease. The OCD in me prefers it much more

[@CheezeTank]

Hmmm. I stored my bacon grease in the freezer BUT I never strained it. I wonder if it’s still good after 2 years…

[@Southernbite]

My guess would be yes, but you should be able to smell it and know for sure. It’s got a pretty strong smell when it’s gone rancid.

[@brucehearn2621]

My palate must be quite undeveloped. I don’t strain bacon grease, not even when returning it to the jar after cooking chicken or beef. I do refrigerate it; maybe that’s my saving grace?

[@42O-q3p]

Use water to strain also take the grease put in mason jar fill with water and shake flip up side down put in fridge the next day drain water and boom cleanest bacon grease

[@zz-.-]

1:30 why even strain it? Why would we not want addl fat and bacon pieces in the grease? I realize you don’t want a golf ball size piece of bacon, but tiny burnt bits, why not?

[@Southernbite]

Because the prices of meat will cause the grease to go rancid faster.

[@zz-.-]

@ really, they go rancid even sitting in a solid state of fat? haven’t thought of that. So if you find it lasts 3 or 4 months without the pieces in there, how long do you experience it lasting with the pieces?

[@Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh62]

Coffee filter is better do it twice and its almost clear

[@lihsuehcheng]

Why do you have to do it twice with coffee filter?

[@Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh62]

@@lihsuehcheng You don’t have to I like too

[@pdxbohica]

Crickey, I've had an aluminum grease strainer and canister with lid for at least 45 years. I leave it out on the counter by the stove, never has gone rancid, pour it in hot, cost about 10 bucks. My Mother and Grandmother had the same. This is just a waste of time and effort.

[@MichaelAlanMonigold]

I dont strain i use for my refried beans

[@lf2334]

I wish grocery stores sold bacon grease. I'm not real keen on buying and consuming bacon on a regular basis for health reasons. It would be nice just to buy a 4 or 8 ounce jar and use it sparingly. That way I don't have to be obligated to eat it regularly no matter how delicious it is.

[@Southernbite]

Many do now! It’s called Bacon Up.

[@lf2334]

​@@Southernbite holy... I had no idea! I'll be looking for it. Thanks!

[@LaCroixCreative]

They do! And if you can find a Polish deli (or look online), they sell a wonderful creation called "smalec" (pronounced sma-lets), which is lard flavored with garlic, onion, and spices, and usually topped with pork cracklings! Poles use it in place of butter as a spread for bread and toast. There are recipes online to make that from scratch as well.

[@viralvideostrending5782]

🙌💯💯💯

[@Nutter_NZ]

Why's it so black!! 😬😵

[@Southernbite]

Why is what so black?

[@shadowhenge7118]

Your bacon is dark...

[@JMontesDeOca]

Can you restock with new oil a container with grease completely solidified? Or its a new container every time?

[@Southernbite]

If you keep it in the freezer, you can add more to it. Otherwise, you run the risk of the oldest grease going rancid and ruining the entire container.