Recently, I shared a hack to saving and storing bacon grease on Instagram. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been conflicted on what to do with the grease after cooking bacon.
I know you’re not supposed to pour it down the drain, (See London fatberg) and so I’d usually reach for a glass jar, pour it in there and then toss it.
It’s safe to say, I’ll be passing this trick on for generations to come.
Why save your bacon fat?
To those that realize its delicious value, bacon grease is a precious resource. But how to save it? That’s a whole thing. Why would someone save the greasy bi-product of animal fat?
Simply put, because it adds an unmatched depth of flavor. I’ll defer back to Ciao Samin’s “Salt, Acid, Fat, Heat,” to remind everyone of the four elements of a well-balanced dish.
This post from the Pioneer Woman shares 20 ways to use bacon grease. Honestly, I hadn’t thought of a lot of those.
How to store bacon grease
This idea came to me a few months ago when I had a need to pour bacon grease into a container. Glancing around, I had some silicone cupcake molds (like these) drying by the sink. I grabbed one and poured my grease into it.
Shortly after, I noticed it began to solidify. Eureka! In this moment, my genius bacon storage hack was born. Has someone else thought of this already and shared it with the world? Probably. If this is news to you, read on for supplies and instructions.
Easiest way to store bacon fat
- You’ll need a silicone mold or ice cube tray. Silicone can handle the higher temperature and makes it easy to remove. Personally, I have some silicone cupcake liners that are perfect for this.
- After cooking your bacon, allow it to cool slightly. And be super careful!
- If you prefer, strain your bacon first. I did a batch without straining and the bits sunk to the bottom and are easy to cut away.
- Pour the liquid grease into your mold.
- Pop in to the freezer.
- Pop out of the mold.
- Store in freezer.
The bacon grease solidifies and freezes very fast. It’s so convenient to keep in your freezer until you need it. My favorite uses are seasoning my cast iron pans and cooking my garden greens in. Yum!
What are your favorite uses for bacon grease?
