There are two types of cooking oil, e.g., plant-based cooking oil and animal-based cooking oil and fat. They are used for cooking and frying food. Vegetable oil, olive oil, canola oil, sesame oil, corn oil are different cooking oils that are commonly used. Other cooking oils give a unique flavor to our dishes. But it becomes a mess when I think about how to dispose of cooking oil? And what should we do with the used cooking oil? So it is essential to know what to do with used oil.
The easy and most straightforward way to discard grease and cooking oil
Remember that you should not dispose of the cooking oil in the trash bin and down the drain. First of all, let the oil cool down after this, pour it into a non-leachable container, and when your container fills up, put it into a plastic bag to prevent any leakage and then dispose of it in a trash bin.
Reusing cooking oil
You can reuse your cooking oil if it is clean and does not contain any flamed food particles, and was not heated past smoke point. You can reuse it for frying and baking purposes, and after a few uses, you can dispose of it as instructed above. Follow the steps below to reuse it.
- Allow cooking oil to cool down and then strain it well with the help of a strainer like a chinois, tea strainer, or mesh to pull the small pieces or crumbs of food.
- Store it in a waterproof or sealed jar and keep it in the refrigerator or dark place.
- Check out the cooking oil before using it by sniffing it and confirm that it is not stale and foul.
You can also recycle used cooking oil to the sites that store used oils for some productive purposes. Strain the oil to filter food crumbs, then store it in a waterproof jar or container and deliver it to the oil recycling places near you.
You can also use it as a non-toxic pesticide. If pests and insects attack your plant, you can spray used cooking oil because it can work as a pesticide and prevent the insects from coming back.
Precautions
- Do not pour oil down the drain because it can clog your plumbing system in your homes and other municipal pipes. When oil is heated, it is liquid, but it becomes thicker and solidifies when it cools down. That’s why it can stick into the pipes and prevents water from flowing through and back up into your kitchen and bathroom again.
- Try not to pour used cooking oil outside; it can harm the wildlife and destroy the sewer system by clogging in pipelines.
- Do not pour used oil directly into the garbage. Because it causes problems like attracting pests and may cause difficulties for garbage trucks. It also creates a very unpleasant odor.
Conclusion
Suppose the cooking oil you use does not solidify even after cooling down but remains in a liquid state. Then it would help if you mixed it with flour. And after this, you can dispose of it in a jar or container and throw it in the garbage.
Also read: How to cook quinoa
