Re-using cooking oil happens to be a common practice in Indian households since using fresh oil every time you cook is not quite economical. Though re-using leftover cooking oil contributes towards a sustainable future, certain points should be kept in mind considering leftover cooking oil can pose some serious health hazards if not used correctly. The most common point to be kept in mind while recycling cooking oil is that after re-using it several times for preparing meals, the oil becomes rancid or spoiled and even starts to have strange flavors and odors. So a benchmark has to be set, post which the cooking oil loses its re-usability.
Follow these points to re-use leftover cooking oil properly:
- Strain it thoroughly to eliminate any food particles before storing
- Be careful while dealing with hot oil and storing it, since you can easily get burned.
- Shake off excess batter from food before frying it if you want to re-use the oil.
- Try not to fry food items at a higher temperature (more than 190°C).
- Do not use the oil to fry food items for too long since prolonged heat accelerates rancidity.
- Never mix different types of cooking oils before storing.
- Store the leftover oil properly. Always use a tightly sealed container and store it in a cool, dark place.
- Keep the stored oil safe from humidity, light, and heat.
- Avoid certain utensils made of iron or copper for frying food items in oil that is to be reused. These metals accelerate the rancidity.
Keep these points in mind in order to safely re-use leftover cooking oil for a healthy meal and a sustainable future!
