Bacon Grease | Bacon Grease Crock | How to store and use bacon grease
Even in modern healthy living times, in moderation bacon grease can be used for flavorings in all types of dishes.
You may have remembered grandma with her bacon grease on the counter guarding it as if it was a money jar.
Many a husband, a child, or a guest in the house made the mistake of throwing out that icky can of grease when cleaning off the counters only to find themselves front and center with one hostile mad lady.
A mistake they never made again and something that took some time before all the feathers settled.
And with good reason, bacon grease can be used as a seasoning or to fry eggs in adding that touch of smoke cured taste in so many dishes.
With so many who used bacon grease being impacted by the Great Depression, they saw this as a precious commodity that could be used for so many future meals.
In many dishes bacon grease stretched the budget when the family couldn't afford actual bacon to add to their dishes.
Bacon grease can be added to beans, corn bread and even white gravy mixes. Just a little goes a long ways so start with a ½ of a teaspoon and work up from there to season foods to taste.
Surprisingly one teaspoon of bacon grease only fetches 37.6 calories, while Olive Oil produces 40 and Canola Oil produces 46 calories.
One of our favorites is wilted lettuce salad. With just a couple strips of bacon and a little bacon grease added over the top of the fresh lettuce a wonderful taste burst just adds to the salad.
We also enjoy the Southern style greens which also include bacon grease as part of the seasoning.
A good bacon grease container should have an easy open and pour top with some type of strainer to remove the burnt crust left over in the skillet.
Keeping bacon grease in this manner is much better than throwing it into the trash or worse pouring it down the kitchen sink.
Bacon grease will keep at room temperature right on the counter, but only bacon grease can be kept this way. Grease from fresh sausage or hamburger will quickly turn rancid ruining the bacon grease.
If you plan to only use bacon grease occasionally it may be best for you to refrigerate as it will also turn rancid.
That was probably not a problem for grandma as her generation used it in almost every meal.
At one time a bacon grease container would be standard with a canister set, or be sole in most kitchen wares stores.
Today finding these containers is a bit difficult. Using an open can without a lid might be a short term try, but do cover with tinfoil to keep, well anything out that might fly by and be attracted to it.
This stoneware ceramic baking grease crock is available at Cottage Craft Works .com
It is USA made and dishwasher safe.
