Originally Posted by
JBord
You made me curious so I did a little research. The USDA recommends:
"If you are planning to reuse the oil, strain it through a cheese cloth or sieve. Store the used oil in a sealed and light-proof container for up to 3 months. For best quality, refrigerate used frying oil that you want to use again."
Which is only partially helpful...my guess is that 3 months doesn't assume multiple uses during that time, and that reusing probably does cause it to turn rancid more rapidly. For the average home fry-chef, your 3 use guideline seems smart. Since I don't deep fry that often, I'd guess that's roughly about the average number of uses for me.
Wow--3 months seems longer than I would have thought although refrigerating it is the key I suppose. I can't imagine devoting that much refrigerator space to oil that I would rarely use but maybe for someone who fries a lot it isn't an issue. I think exposure to heat and light is what causes the rancidity...almost any oil will turn rancid if not refrigerated or kept in a cool dark place or used in a timely fashion.
I haven't tried them but I am sure that there are some decent frozen fries out there that you can just pop in the oven. The idea of hot oil and the smell and splattering and then the straining etc is just not worth it to me. I would rather go to McDonalds and get fries.