According to many recipes, cooking oil is an important part of the list of ingredients. Not only does it add a certain flavor, but some oils can also prove to be good for your health. However, no matter what you may be creating in your kitchen, chances are high that you will end up with leftover oil in your pan or other cooking instrument. When this happens, a number of people wonder about what they should do with it. The first thing to keep in mind is that it should never simply be poured down the garbage disposal or drain; this will cause damage to your plumbing system. However, there are alternatives.
Bag It Up
1. Plastic zip lock bags are more than storage for your vegetables or school lunches; you can also put your oil in them, too. The process is easy. All you need to do is pour the oil from the pan into the bag; using as many bags as you need to before the oil runs out. Take care, however, that the oil is completely cool before attempting this. Otherwise, you are sure to create holes in the bags, leaving a mess everywhere. Seal them and toss them into the trash can to finalize the project.
Reuse It
2. There is no law that states that the cooking oil you have can never be used again, so this is something to consider. The next time you create a tasty dish that is unlikely to pollute the oil with its leftover flavor, put the liquid in some kind of container to refer to later. After all, you do not want your spaghetti to taste like the fried chicken you had last week, right? If you do not want to use it for cooking, you can also utilize it to coat your snow shovels in the winter; doing this helps prevent rusting or a snow buildup.
Recycle It
3. If neither of the above appeal to you, there is yet another alternative open for your consideration. Again, making sure that the oil has lost its heat, place it in something with a tight lid and deliver it to a recycling center that will accept it. Certain oils such as vegetable can be used to create food for farm animals, cosmetics, and so on. If you want to help the environment however you can, this should be something to mull over for the future.
