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deep frying question

post #1 of 5
6/1/09 at 7:29am
Thread Starter 
I would like to know how oil works. when can it be re used.

can it be freshened up by frying a chunk of raw potato?

I deep fried batches of green plantains the other day.

now I would like to use up the remaining oil.

I was thinking about making an indian desert like gulab jamun or a middle eastern deep fried desert.

how can I tell if the oil is still ok, it has been sitting aobut 48 hours at room temperature...
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post #2 of 5
6/1/09 at 7:48am
i usually check my oil by the old fashioned methods of smell and color. look at it does it look burned? or just a little colored? smell it, do you smell clean oil? or rancid? do you smell what you cooked in it? does that still smell good? then you are probably ok.

so long as the oil has been sealed and stored in a cool place it should be fine. This question has come up with friends after frying a thanksgiving turkey. they didn't want to waste 40 dollars of peanut oil for one frying. they found that they could just let it cool, poured it into mason jars and stored them in the garage in a cabinet near the floor. smelled fine next thanksgiving, tasted fine too once the turkey was done.
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post #3 of 5
6/1/09 at 7:59am

There are oils and there are oils. The ones purchased from a wholesale purveyor in 35 pound tubs are specifically made for deep fat frying. Some of them have silicone added which stops foaming of the product, others have other chemicals added.
. The best way to check is color, second is smell and then taste.
Some purveyors will give you a color test kit., which is simply by color. I strain my oil as many times as I can.
Home I let it cool and put in fridge, unless I am going to use within a few days. Wholesale our oil cost approx 65 to 85 cents per pound, so I try to make it last.:D
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post #4 of 5
6/1/09 at 8:23am
Oils you can buy at retail (which are not the same as what Ed refers to) can be reused three to five times, depending on what was fried in them and how you store it.

After each time I use the oil I let it cool, then strain it through a cheesecloth-lined strainer to assure any solids are out of it. Then it gets stored in a cool place (during the winter) or in the fridge (during the summer).

As others have said, smell and color are the best indicators.

Your oil should be fine after a one-time use frying plantains.
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post #5 of 5
6/1/09 at 8:44am
In my experience, shortening lasts longer than oil in terms of number of uses. The exception is if you're cooking fish. Fish seems to flavor the oil on the first or second fry and it breaks down faster. For this reason, I keep my fish frying oil/shortening separate. Generally, you can store used oil and shortening for 1-2 months at room temperature if it's been strained and covered after use.
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