Saving Bacon Grease

In the south it is called "yellow gold".  I had never saved bacon grease until this year.  In fact, I believed that bacon was horrible for me.  While I'm not going to debate whether bacon is healthy or not, I'm leaning towards the healthier option.  

In my a quest to regain my health, one of the things I have learned is that low-fat diets can do a lot of damage.  One of the problems with low-fat diets is that the body stops absorbing certain vitamins efficiently.  Fat-soluble vitamins need FAT to be effectively absorbed into the intestines.  I have given myself permission to eat all the yummy foods that I avoided or chose the low-fat varieties for years...meats.  This includes (one of my favorites) BACON!

The occasional times I would eat real bacon, I would usually microwave it.  Occasionally I would fry it.  Then I would toss the grease in the garbage.  While I was doing my research into vitamin absorption I stumbled upon people who talked about saving their bacon grease.

I had never heard of this (total northern girl).  I didn't remember my grandmother saving her grease, but I'm told she did years ago.  Then she was told that it was unhealthy, so she stopped and switched to Crisco.  How sad, since Crisco is really a very unhealthy oil.

I dug out a jar and began saving my grease.  I've been doing so now for a few months.  I love it!

Bacon grease adds such incredible flavor to my foods!  I add a little to my veggies, fry my potatoes in it, and even add it to my meats.  Throw a little in the pan or the crock pot and the flavor enhances my dinners in ways simple seasonings don't.

I still use coconut oil and olive oil, but the bacon grease is much cheaper.  It costs me the price of my bacon.

Saving bacon grease is simple to do.  I simply fry my bacon as usual.  The bacon grease comes from the fat in the bacon.  As the fat heats up, it melts.

After I cook my bacon, I drain my grease from the pan into a heat-safe bowl to cool a little.  I don't like putting hot grease into a cold jar.  Sometimes I have to drain the grease a few times if I'm cooking a lot of bacon or if the bacon is extremely fatty.  I try to use bacon from farm pigs instead of store-bought bacon.  I feel the pork is a higher quality and more nutritious.

After my bacon cools a little (usually be the time I finish my breakfast) I get out my jar from the refrigerator that I use to store my grease.  Some people keep the grease in a jar or canister right on the stove.  I use the fridge so the grease doesn't go bad.  I hear the grease can sit out for LONG periods of time and be fine, but I would rather be safe.  Plus, the last thing my counters need is more clutter.

I then pour the grease into the jar, using a metal screen to catch and bacon bits.  Some just keep the bits in the grease.  Again, this is your preference.  If the grease goes bad, the bits are the first thing to go rancid.

After that, put a lid on the jar and store.  It's so easy !