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My bacon grease mug holds a prominent position in my kitchen. It always gets a front row seat in the fridge. For many meals it gets scooped out of or filled. It is always in high demand. Let me share with you 9 ways to use bacon grease! 

Now you may be wondering why anyone would want to save their bacon grease, let alone use it! 

Well, I’m a traditional kinda gal who tries not to eat hydrogenated oils and fats. I mostly use saturated fats in my kitchen. The two exceptions are olive oil

(only when not being heated like in salad dressings) and avocado oil. I also investigate carefully before supporting a “new” oil [such as avocado] that has come on the market.

In general, if the fat wasn’t around when my grandma was a girl (about 100 years ago) I don’t use it. Naturally, I freely use bacon grease. 

I’m not a scientist or journalist so I’m not going to source a bunch of studies for you. But if you have any questions about good fats and bad fats, check out the Weston A Price Foundation. Also, Mary Enig has a very informative book, Know Your Fats. Another great read it Eat Fat, Lose Fat where Mary Enig talks specifically about coconut oil. 

                                              

How to Save Bacon Grease

The most important thing when it comes to saving bacon grease is having a heat-proof container. Ideally it will be glass or ceramic or insulated stainless steel.

Pouring hot grease into a plastic container or tin can may altar the flavor of it due to leaching from the container. Also, I try to avoid putting hot foods in plastic to limit my exposure to extra estrogen-mimicking chemicals leached out of plastic. Yes, even most tin cans have a plastic lining. 

May favorite is a coffee mug. It only gets used for bacon grease so my family knows not to wonder what’s in that mug in the fridge. Or you can get one of these adorable containers with a strainer!

Lard is very shelf stable. It keeps on the shelf at cooler temperatures without refrigeration.

Bacon grease, though, I prefer to keep in the fridge. My kitchen gets pretty hot sometimes and with it near the stove it can get reheated a lot. And with only two of us to use it up, sometimes it lasts a while. 

Growing up, my mom just kept the mug of bacon grease next to the stove because as a family of 6 we went through it and added fresh to it quite frequently. 

All the Toxins in the Fat

Yes, it’s true. If you aren’t eating clean (organic, grass fed) meat, the fat is where all the toxins will be. 

Choose the best source for your family without busting your budget. I personally can’t afford the best of the best bacon. 

I choose to limit serving it to twice a week. 

I also have found the Never Any! brand at Aldi. It is a step better than all the nitrates in regular bacon, but still not the best. By limiting our consumption, we still enjoy bacon without breaking the bank. 

9 Ways to Use Bacon Grease

1. Season cast iron skillets. Bacon grease is shelf stable and won’t go rancid easily. It also has a high smoke point. This means that it can be constantly heated and cooled in the skillet without going rancid. Very important for a skillet that never gets washed with soap!
2. Make the pie crust recipe for quiche. The seasoned bacon grease will add wonderful flavor to any quiche. Especially if you choose to skip putting bacon in the filling!
3. Grease pans. When I am making dinner, I use bacon grease for any pans that need greasing. Pizza pans, casserole dishes, meatloaf pan, etc. Just not for desserts! 
4. Make hash browns. Glorious, delicious hash browns!
5. Fry eggs…in a cast iron skillet, of course. Wonderful flavor!
6. Sautee veggies. Veggies sautéed in butter are great. Try to use bacon grease, too!
7. Add to dry or gamey meats (like venison or other wild game). If you have a hunter in the family you may not always enjoy the flavor of what is brought home. Add some bacon grease into your recipes to help with the gamey taste and add some moisture. 
8. On toast or bread. Growing up, mom always had lard around. A piece of butter bread was great. But so was a piece of bread with lard sprinkled with salt. Better yet, a piece of bread smeared with bacon grease
9. In gravies and soups. I make my own gravies and soups. Usually they start out with a roux as the base. Instead of butter, I use bacon grease for extra flavor. 

 

Bacon grease is just delicious besides! It already has all the wonderful flavors of bacon. It’s just waiting to spice up your next dish. So go ahead and use bacon grease any way you please. 

 

#10 Bonus!

Popcorn! Because bacon grease doesn’t burn you can make your stove top popcorn in bacon grease.