Professional opinions on how often you should change fryer oil vary. You might have heard contradicting things from your kitchen employees or other experts in your industry.

When it comes to the frequency of changing fryer oil, the answer depends on many factors, including the type of oil and how often it is used. There are also ways to extend the useful life of your oil to make the most of it and reduce unnecessary expenses.

How Long Can Deep Fryer Oil Last?

Generally, once you’ve opened the oil, you should keep it for no more than three months. Always allow the oil to cool for approximately two hours before pouring it into a container, preferably through a cheesecloth. It’s also recommended to refrigerate the stored oil to maximize its longevity.

You may need to change your deep fryer oil much sooner depending on how often you’re using it, what foods you’re frying and the kind of oil you’re using. While it may be best to simply look out for signs of oil spoilage, this may not always be feasible in the kitchen of a busy restaurant or cafeteria with many employees working various shifts throughout the day.

At a high-volume fast-food restaurant, it might be necessary to change oil every week or two, but this varies based on the size of the vats, the quality of the filters and the frequency of oil filtration. In those types of establishments where fryers are constantly in use, the filter should be changed daily.

You can streamline the use of fryer oil in your kitchen by familiarizing yourself with the following guidelines:

• Oil in a deep fryer generally lasts longer than in a skillet
• Use oils that have a high smoke point; they are more stable when cooking foods in high heat
• Best high smoke point oils for deep frying include canola oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil and avocado oil
• When cooking French fries or other non-breaded foods like vegetables, change or filter the oil after six to eight uses
• If you’re frying non-breaded meat or poultry, change or filter the oil after three to four uses
• When frying breaded fish, change or filter the oil every two to three uses
• For best results, have at least two friers, one dedicated to meat and fish and one strictly for frying vegetables
• Deep clean your fryers every three months to get rid of old oil

How to Tell Your Fryer Oil Has Gone Bad

Cooking foods in bad oil may result in less-than mediocre meals and unhappy customers. But how can you tell your fryer oil is no longer good for use? Oil that has gone bad will be darker than usual. It will also smell bad and foam on the surface when hot.

If the oil has a soapy or chemical smell to it, it’s likely turned rancid. Rancidity happens when oil gets oxidized due to age (it’s expired) or prolonged exposure to heat or light.

How To Extend the Lifespan of Your Oil

Like every other food, fryer oil has a certain shelf life, which typically doesn’t exceed two years. However, improper use and storage of your oil can significantly decrease its lifespan. To make sure your oil is fresh and safe for cooking for as long as possible, it’s important to follow these general rules:

• Keep your deep fryer clean
• Store unopened oil in a cool and dark place
• Filter any used oil and store it in a closed container
• Avoid cooking foods at temperatures above 375 degrees Fahrenheit
• Salt foods only after deep frying

What Are the Best Ways to Dispose of Old Oil?

Depending on the size of your business and the amount of food you cook, you may choose different ways of disposing of old fryer oil. Any food service business that uses a fryer should really be working with a reputable fryer oil recycling company to responsibly dispose of their oil. In addition to doing the right thing for the environment, you also get paid for your used fryer oil.

At Southern Green Industries, we strive to make fryer oil recycling a worry-free process that requires minimal effort on the restaurant owner’s part. We can provide a free oil collection container for your business that we empty cleanly and automatically on a regular schedule.

We can even install an integrated oil management system (iOMS) to automatically transfer oil from your fryer into our sealed oil storage tanks, reducing the risk of spills, burns or messes.

Our clients also have access to an easy-to-use dashboard so they can see exactly how much oil we’re collecting and how much they’re being paid back for their recycled oil. You can compare our dashboard to your business’s oil consumption records for maximum transparency in your fryer oil recycling in Atlanta.

Recycle Your Fryer Oil with Southern Green Industries

Our Atlanta-owned company will make the oil recycling process as easy and effortless as possible. To schedule your fryer oil pickup and recycling, call (404) 419-6887 or send us a message.