There is no official rule as to how many times frying oil should be used especially since they’re different types but even with that said try to consider changing it after usage of four times. When frying oil becomes black and smoked it can increase your levels of bad cholesterol when used to fry foods one to many times. Also one thing you must know is that the more you use frying oil, the more the quality of the oil diminishes and if you have oil that has been in the house for over 1 or 2 months, then try changing it also. But basically I’m here to share with you rules for reusing oil from an article by this is from an article by Tommy Werner published on the 2nd of June 2015.
CHOOSE YOUR OIL WISELY
Before we even start talking about reusing it, we need to talk about frying oil in the first place.You need to know that Oil choice is crucial to making a deep fry work. Every oil has a specific smoking point, the temperature where the oil starts breaking down and starts smoking. Because frying occurs at high temperatures, so it’s safe to use oils with a high smoking point that won’t easily break down like canola, peanut, or vegetable oils. I don’t recommend using olive oil—its high cost, low smoking point, and dominant flavor make it a bad choice for deep-frying in the first place.
FRY RIGHT
Temperature control may just be the cause of most deep frying disasters. Carefully maintaining the temperature prevents the food from getting too soggy or oiled on the outside and raw on the inside but it also preserves the longevity of your oil. One thing you should know is, If the oil gets too hot, it’ll start breaking down. A “broken” oil is unstable and will turn your food greasy and nasty long before even cooking it.
DON’T REUSE FRYING OIL TOO MANY TIMES
Each time you reuse an oil, it gets more and more destabilized until it decomposes. The way the oil starts looking when it starts to decompose is very distinct. If your recycled oil is looking cloudy or has foam formed on top, it’s time for it to go. Bad frying oil might be tricky to gauge with your eyes, but it doesn’t have a subtle smell. Open your oil container and smell the oil you’re keeping periodically. If there is even a hint of rancidity or anything “off,” it’s time to toss it out. Regardless of the amount of care you’re putting in here, you shouldn’t use oil that’s more than 1-2 months old.
TALKING TRASH
Okay, so you’ve used and reused your oil like a boss, with no decomposition or rancid smells. But what do you do when it’s time to say goodbye? As tempting as it seems, do not dump grease down the drain with hot water. It’ll get stuck in pipes and cause plumbing problems later on. When it’s time to trash, place the oil in a closed vessel, let it solidify and then discard the solidified frying oil.
