Need an easy way to dispose of leftover grease from frying? Empty your kitchen sink, and put a piece of wide tin foil in the sink. Push the foil into the drain to make a little cup. Do not put any holes in the foil, then place 2 pieces of paper towel in on top.
Place a colander over the paper towel. Drain whatever you are cooking. It will collect on top of tin foil or paper towel. Gather and close up the foil so that grease does not spill. Instead of throwing it into the garbage, I put it at the bottom of the freezer to harden. Then I throw it away on garbage day.
By Liz Erickson from Branchville, NJ
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I pour off unwanted fat into clean coffee jars, and use it to make bird cakes for the bird table.
Some nice bacon fat I save for cooking with, and I plan to make firelighters (honestly!) with the rest. My idea is to soak pieces of newspaper in the fat, and channel them into toilet roll centres for easy handling, and so use them in our woodburner to get the fire started.
I had twin problems: accumulation of non-recyclable glass jars, and disposal of drippings. I now keep a non-reusable jar (can't get the smell out of the lid) in the fridge, and pour hamburger grease into it; when it's full, it will go into the trash on trash day. Bacon drippings now go into those tiny gift jam jars we keep getting; when one is full, we start using it for flavoring, and begin a new one (labeled with the date, of course).
I like the idea of making bird feeders from the drippings, though - the birds are really hungry this winter, we'll have to try it.
I just use an empty soup can or any small can and pour grease into it and put in the trash on trash day.
I have an easier way. I allow the grease to cool in the pan, then I insert a plastic ziplock bag into a container and scrape the grease (or oil) into the bag. Zip the bag shut and into the trash it goes! No muss, no fuss!
I use bacon drippings for flavoring so I put them in a jar in the refrigerator. For most other drippings i mix them with bird seed, shape in my hands into cakes or balls. The cakes I place on a stand outside and the balls I hang in trees for the birds. They love them.
I save those fats that will harden at or below room temperature. Using a plastic lunchbox sandwich container, I line it with plastic wrap fill it with birdseed and pour in melted fat. Place in the fridge to set then remove and bag and place in the freezer. I bring it out for winter bird food.
Much cheaper than the suet balls and the birds seem to be happy with it.
In my city, we are requested to put fat, bones, wet or greasy paper towels, dryer lint, kitty litter & pet waste, etc. in the green bin for composting by the city. It is all picked up every garbage day. In the summer when I can get to the garden compost bin, the vegetable & other non-animal waste goes there but the items listed above still go to the city compost to avoid wildlife visiting the garden compost.
Dispose of bacon grease. It's good for you! I pour mine into a glass jar with about a inch of water in the bottom and as the grease floats on top, the bits sink to the bottom. After it's been solidified in the fridge it's used for biscuits, corn bread, etc., even to replace some of the butter or marg. with Kraft Dinner.
I really like your idea about disposal. We no longer consume animal fats, so we won't conserve any. Your idea is very smart; we may not have a can available on the rare occasion that we ever have bacon.
(Submitted via email)
Save the fat to go with bird seeds for "Home Made" bird seed balls for the garden.
Penny from Cornwall, England
If you're a bird lover mix the bacon grease with a dollop of peanut butter, then mix with enough corn meal to make a dough. The birds absolutely love this suet. Helps get them through the winter.
We save our empty shortening cans and pour warm, not hot, melted grease in it. It hardens on its own and we put it in the trash on trash day. No running out in the can and nothing down the drain. And we kill two birds at the same time, so to speak.
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