Kitchen Q&A: Is It Ok To Reuse Cooking Oil? (And More)

This week’s Kitchen Q & A tackles questions on reusing cooking oil, if there’s a difference between white and brown eggs, testing the temperature in your oven (and refrigerator), how to darken gravy and more!

Kitchen Q&A: Is It Ok To Reuse Cooking Oil? (And More)

Keep Your Refrigerator Temperature Cooler Than 40° F. For Food Safety

1. Is it ok to reuse cooking oil after deep frying? Deep frying foods takes a lot of cooking oil and it’s such a waste to throw out the oil after one use. You can reuse cooking oil but you need to be aware that the smoke-point lowers after each use. Once you’ve cooked with the oil, allow it to cool down then strain it (through cheesecloth) to remove any food bits. Store the oil in an airtight container in a cool dark place (I like to save an empty cooking oil container for this), or store in the refrigerator if you will go weeks before using again. Cooking oil can also be stored in the freezer. If the oil smells off it’s likely rancid so don’t reuse it. For best results, don’t mix different types of oil together (i.e.: canola oil and peanut oil). Tip: When using the old oil, add some new oil to the batch when heating–this will help give good results.
2. What temperature should my refrigerator be set at? Refrigerator temperature should be cool enough to slow bacterial growth on food, but not so low that it freezes food. An optimal temperature is below 40° F. (see USDA Refrigeration & Food Safety). If your refrigerator doesn’t have a digital temperature display, you can buy a thermometer to hang inside.
3. I don’t think my oven temperature is accurate, how can I test this? One year my Thanksgiving turkey didn’t cook properly (ummm, it was raw in places) and that’s when I discovered that my oven temperature must be off. Here’s how you can test it: buy an oven thermometer and place it on the center rack of your oven. Preheat the oven to a high temperature like 425°. Once the oven indicates that the temperature has been reached, open the door and read the thermometer. If the thermometer shows a different reading, you know the oven temperature is off. You can either adjust your oven’s settings (see the owner’s manual on how to do this or bring in a repairman) or account for the difference in temperature each time you use the oven (for example: if you know your oven is 10° lower than what the dial is set at, set it 10° higher when you bake).
4. How long are boiled eggs good for? Keep them refrigerated and they’ll be good for the week. If they’ve gone bad, the smell will be off. Have you seen this neat tip: How To Cook Lots Of Hard Boiled Eggs At Once.
5. What’s a substitute for eggs? Or cake flour? Or buttermilk? You’ll find lots of options for egg substitutes here. For cake flour and buttermilk substitutes (and other ingredients too), see my growing list here: Handy Substitute Recipes For Baking.
6. How do you scald milk? Some recipes require you to scald milk before adding it to the rest of the ingredients (I find this a lot in my older household notes and recipes). To scald milk, you just need to heat it to the point that the milk starts to steam and bubbles appear around the outer edges, you do not let it reach the boiling point. Take your time heating the milk, low to medium heat is sufficient. Stir milk frequently while its heating.
7. What’s the difference between light and dark brown sugar and can they be used interchangeably in recipes? Light brown sugar has less molasses in it than dark brown sugar. If a recipe calls for dark brown sugar, you can use light brown sugar but you may notice a slight difference in flavor.
8. I like having freshly squeezed orange juice on hand, is it possible to make a few days worth at once and store it in the refrigerator? You can keep fresh orange juice (and other citrus juices) in the refrigerator for about 3 days. If you have too much left over, freeze the juice in cubes or in freezer bags (with as much of the air removed), thaw as needed.
9. What is drawn butter and how do I make it? Drawn butter is clarified butter and is usually served with seafood (like lobster).
10. I love a nice dark gravy but it doesn’t always work out that way, any ideas? Pale gravy unappealing? Try these easy fixes: Darken Gravy Tricks & Gravy Enhancer Recipes.
11. What’s the difference between white and brown eggs? There are no differences between the two eggs (nutritional value and taste are the same). The breed of hen is what determines the color of the egg shell.
12. How do I know if my flour is good or bad? Does it go rancid? Yes flour can go bad, you’ll smell an “off” odor if it’s rancid. You can check for bugs by putting a bit of flour in a glass and covering it with warm water. See if any bugs float to the surface. If you’re not sure how old your flour is and it’s possible that it’s at least a year old–I’d throw it out and buy a fresh bag. Keep it in an airtight container for best results. If you’re not a baker and don’t typically use up flour quickly, mark the bag/container with the date on some masking tape.

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