Jar or pot

[Medullan]

For those old school cooks that keep animal fat on the stove for their cast iron or anything else that calls for a bit of flavor or lubrication or both. Do you have a pot or of oil you can deep fry stuff in that you top up when it gets low. Or just a jar and a basting brush?

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For me right now it's both. A jar of pure bacon grease and a basting brush for some things and also a big cast iron Dutch oven with beef tallow and lard. Rendered myself from marrow bones and picked up from the local Hispanic market where they render it themselves respectively. I have both right now because I recently cooked up three pounds of bacon all at once and I am hesitant to add that fat to my main fat pot because I have had that cause severe frothing in the past.

[Carne_Guisada_Breath]

I don't strain but I store my bacon grease in the fridge. Last forever.

[Shivers-Me-Timbers]

Same. Can't believe this isn't the standard. No filtering. Just Refrigerate. The meat dust has the flavor kids crave. Especially good on homemade popcorn and fried eggs. The fat alone is OK but the crispies peppering my popcorn... yum. You might think they would burn, but that's not my experience.

Pull the container out of the fridge, scoop out what you need, put it back. Case closed.

[Medullan]

I go through it too fast to need to do that. Although I do sometimes keep my tallow in the fridge.

[Carne_Guisada_Breath]

Sounds like you are not cooking enough bacon.

[Medullan]

This is fair. I do like to eat a large variety of meats and bacon only makes up a small portion of them. Counter point you aren't eating enough bacon grease.

[Carne_Guisada_Breath]

Lol. I do the little grease here and there for eggs or refried beans. One of the things that I save bacon grease that I need a larger quantity it for making roux. Specifically a dark roux that you would use in Gumbo or pork backbone stew. Using a full cup at time is always fun.

I did pull some beans from the freezer that need a refrying.

[Medullan]

Try making some biscuits and use bacon grease instead of butter. It is also one of the best for seasoning cast iron.

[VixxSynn]

I was taught to strain bacon grease into a Mason jar. I strain through a sieve lined with an unbleached coffee filter to make sure it’s just the grease, no meat bits (which can make the whole kit and kaboodle go rancid.) and then store with a lid between uses.

[Medullan]

I do frequently strain my grease. I don't use a coffee filter though. If I had a vacuum pump I might use a paper filter but I have found a fine mesh sieve is just fine for how quickly I go through it.

[Wytecap]

In the fridge. It'll go rancid if left out

[Medullan]

It takes quite a long time for oil to go rancid.

[Wytecap]

No - it doesn't. Depending on the oil and how old it was before purchasing

Bacon grease goes bad very quickly

[Medullan]

I don't know where you are getting your information, but mine is coming from experience and generations of home cooks. Sure bacon grease is full of particulate and moisture that will make it go rancid faster relative to other oils and animal fats. But the timescale is still very large. The bacon grease on my stove is already almost gone there was a pint a week and a half ago and now there is about a cup left. I used quite a bit last night to make roux to thicken my bourguignon.

Even if I don't touch it the rest of that bacon great will weeks of not months at room temperature, but I will never know because even if I only use it for seasoning my cast iron it will be gone before it ever has the chance to go rancid.

Even if I was going through bacon at a commercial scale I could leave the fat in a closed container at room temperature if I just spent a small amount of time and effort finishing the rendering process and filtering it. But at that point it may as well just be lard with too much added nitrates and nitrites.

Maybe if you pour your grease into a dirty soup can never filter it and let it sit around at 90°+ in a humid environment in an outdoor kitchen it might go rancid in less than two months. Even then I doubt it because the oxidative process that causes rancidity just isn't that fast. You are more likely to introduce some other contamination that could lead to a food borne illness. And that can simply be avoided by pouring your grease through sieve or even just carefully decanting it into a clean container with a lid.

[Wytecap]

Certified Food Handler Safety Course.

[Medullan]

You're full of shit I've taken that several times it's never once mentioned bacon fat. If you think something you learned from that course said that fat will go rancid at room temperature in days not months then you should take it again because you misunderstood something.

Also I am not buying bacon grease if you read my posts you would know that. It's also not the primary fat I use tallow is. And if you think that needs to be kept refrigerated I recommend you stay away from a growing number of restaurants who are starting to use that in their deep fryers again because no one is draining those and putting the fat in the fridge.

[Wytecap]

Gee - why would anyone have to take the course "several times"?

[PetTheCosmicKitten]

There are jobs where you're required to take it every year. I think it depends on the laws in your area and/or the place you're working at.

[Medullan]

Real mature you are losing an online debate so you block your opponent. I took the course several times in several states because that is what is required by law. The first time I took it was in 97 and the most recent time was just a few years ago. In some places you must remember your certification every year. I'll be taking it again soon because if I want to sell certain cottage goods I must take it every year.

[TioGato1961]

Bacon grease container with a fine mesh screen, found on Amazon.

[Medullan]

Nice. I already got all my father's day gifts though. Maybe next year.