The Proper Care and Disposal of Grease

I’m not referring to the movie, I am referring meat drippings. The other night as I was making dinner for my family, I was browning the ground beef I got out my trusty empty soup can and started spooning the grease into it. I started wondering if I was doing the right thing, or if there ever was a “right” way to dispose of the fat. So I googled “How to dispose of meat fat” and read several articles, forums and question/answer threads. Here is my conclusion (because I’m sure you are all on the edge of your seat to know because it is just so dang important!!)

I usually put my grease in an empty soup can if I have one laying around, if not then I will use a Styrofoam cup (I’m an earth killer, I know it!) I then either let it solidify by sitting on my counter or by putting it into the fridge, and then toss it in the trash. From my research I found that the majority of people put their excess fat into an empty coffee can or glass jar. They then can seal it up with the lid and put it in the fridge or freezer and toss it when it is solid. This is smart because it is spill proof. I haven’t spilled my grease yet, or you bet I would have it in a sealed container. I think I will switch to a jar with a lid before I have a big FAT accident! (I’ll give you a minute to recover from your laughing!)

I also found in my research that some people save their bacon grease to use at later time. They will add it to gravy, or eggs or whatever cooking they want to add a little bacony flavor too. I cook my bacon on a paper towel in the microwave, so I don’t worry about this.

If you are interested, there is a darling bacon grease container that will help you save the fat for later use.

What NOT to do

Here are some tips on what NOT to do with your grease! (I may or may not be guilty of some of these things), NEVER pour the grease down your sink. It has the potential to harden and then cause an enormous clog! Some may think that running hot water for a few minutes afterward solves that problem, and perhaps you won’t get a clog but there could be problems further down the water line. NEVER pour your excess grease down the toilet. This may also cause clogs, and toilet water isn’t hot so it isn’t like you are even trying to prevent a problem in your own pipes let alone farther down the line. NEVER use your excess grease in your compost. Not only will you eventually get a NASTY smell but you may also be inviting little creatures and rodents to enjoy your compost heap! Which I’m sure is less than ideal.

Now that you all are so enlightened you can go cook some fatty food with confidence!

How do you dispose of your grease?