Leftover bacon grease is liquid gold. Here's how to put it to good use.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Leftover bacon grease is liquid gold. Here’s how to put it to good use.

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[Mike Nelson]

1. I remember...

... my grandparents saved and used bacon fat. Grandmother put it in different stuff. Grandfather fried potatoes. I've always assumed it was, in hindsight, unhealthy - but it probably made foods more tasty!

[gab13by13]

2. Don't forget clogged arteries.

My mother used to save bacon grease and then cook with it but times were hard back then, no need for clogged arteries today.

[padfun]

5. That is a myth that has been perpetuated since 1959.

Clogged arteries actually came from the trans fats such as margarine and seed oils such as vegetable or canola oil.

I am on a high fat diet and use bacon fat all the time. My main cooking is done with coconut oil which is real high in fat. So my doctor had me do those tests to see how I was, arteries were just fine. In fact, diabetes is well under control with NO medication. I am 66 years old.

The food industry is lying to us about what is healthy and what isn't. The main culprit is Sugar. Sugar and grains are responsible to the current epidemic. And the most unhealthy of all foods. Morning cereals are like arsenic poison.

[Hortensis]

7. Debunked. It's not great for health either, but cooking with bacon grease

instead of discarding it can actually help prevent clogged drains.

[jimfields33]

14. That's what cholesterol pills are for. Unclog those arteries.

[brewens]

3. Most of mine goes into these refried beans. It only takes 4tbsp. It also needs salt. I put

in a half tsp. I also add a seven oz can of green chilis. I like those in about all Mex stuff, but it's a pain having too many things to add, so they're already in the beans.

These are really easy. I'll never buy another can of them again.

https://www.africanbites.com/refried-beans/#wprm-recipe-container-582922

[Hortensis]

6. That's about how I make them, Brewens. Good flavor.

Any left over that need to be finished off can be turned into soup for lunch by adding water. Some toppings even better but not necessary.

[Ziggysmom]

11. I'm a vegetarian and will try the recipe sans bacon grease. Found a great source of vegan bacon

seasonings from a company called Deliciou that appeared on Shark Tank in 2015. They are awesome and even my true bacon loving husband uses them in cooking.

https://www.deliciou.com/products/bacon-seasoning?

[zeusdogmom]

4. A little bit placed inside Zeus's kong toy makes him a very happy pup

Bacon grease beats peanut butter any day 😋

[tishaLA]

8. I watched a few videos about Appalachian cooking last week

one was a dinner (supper) that had friend corn, cornbread, and a few other things. The woman in the video said she needed a little bacon grease for the fried corn and she took out what looked like a half gallon canister of bacon grease and my first thought was HOW DO YOU ACCUMILATE ALL THAT BACON FAT? OMG.

I mean, sure, I grew up in a pork free home and never tasted it until I was about 20, but how do you even make enough bacon to end up with that much bacon grease?

[Buckeye_Democrat]

13. It will go rancid too, unless used fairly quickly.

My mother would save maybe a cup of it at a time, and it was often replaced with fresh grease before it was all used.

A cup of bacon grease is pretty easy to generate, but I agree with you... that's a LOT of bacon grease to accumulate!

[Arkansas Granny]

9. IMO, there is nothing better for oven roasted vegetables or pan fried potatoes than bacon fat.

I save bacon fat in glass jars in the refrigerator. I use it basically as a seasoning with other oil for frying certain foods. It doesn't take much.

When I was growing up we used to add a spoonful or two to the dog's food during cold weather (he was strictly an outside dog). My folks thought the extra fat and calories were good for him.

[niyad]

10. In addition to all the uses mentioned here, on the very rare occasions when I would

make a pot roast, I would first sear the meat in bacon fat. Also good for the gravy.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

12. My mother always saved it for green beans...

... and other stuff, which indeed made those foods extra-tasty.

Of course, both she and my father later had various arterial problems too.

It's a habit that I didn't adopt when I left their house, but there's no denying that her food tasted fantastic. It put places like "Cracker Barrel" to shame, although our dinner table was typically covered with the same types of food that's served there.

[dem in texas]

19. My Mother-in-Law also added them to her Green Beans

She made "Candied Green Beans' Main ingredients besides the beans: bacon fat, sugar, few dried tabbsco peppers, water, salt. Not sure how she put it all together, but it was so Tasty.

[yellowdogintexas]

20. also any kind of dried beans (Great Northern, Pinto, Navy etc)

turnip or mustard greens,fried potatoes, fried eggs, green beans,
cornbread (put the grease in the iron skillet and preheat in the oven before adding the cornbread batter. Puts a nice crunchy crust on the bottom of the bread)

My mom. grandmother etc saved coffee cans for the bacon grease.

For pie crust and biscuits,Granny used lard which is rendered from pig fat before curing. It is much cleaner and whiter. My mother said Granny never made a good biscuit or pie crust after she quit using lard.

Local farmers would put all the pig trimmings after butchering in a big cauldron over a fire (outdoors) and melt it down. Any skin bits were skimmed of the top and used in cornbread (cracklin' bread) Chicharrones are another version of the pork rinds Not sure how they turn out puffy but it is possible the freshly trimmed pork skin is cut up an deep fried raw. Cracklins OTOH are cooked slowly in the lard and are like little nuggets.

We have a large Hispanic population and the groceries which are popular always have lard, very finely ground cornmeal and flour for tortillas). And chicharrones

[mahatmakanejeeves]

22. You're hired. When can you start? NT

[Buckeye_Democrat]

23. Yep! My mother used it with other beans too.

And some kinds of greens as well, like spinach that was lightly cooked.

She didn't use bacon grease as broadly as your family, however. By the way... mmm, good!

[vercetti2021]

15. Goes into my green bean casserole every Thanksgiving

How you think its eaten so fast?!

[Bayard]

16. You can't cook Southern without it

Also makes your dogs' coats super shiny.

[GPV]

17. Makes the best pie crust

[Grey5]

18. I use bacon fat in my muffins.

Instead of shortening, I use bacon fat then I crumble some bacon bits into the batter and bake. Can't be beat for breakfast, or any time but best warm from the oven.

[yellowdogintexas]

21. my husband will occasionaly buy a pound of bacon, cook it all at once

and store the drippings in the refrigerator.

Cooked bacon keeps quite well for several days if refrigerated so we have BLT sandwiches for a few days. (I bow down to the person who first put tomato and bacon together on sliced bread)