THREE EASY TIPS FOR USING FAT AND GREASE

We love crispy bacon, juicy hamburgers, roasted turkey.  Problem though...these foods when fried or roasted have nasty by-products called FAT or grease.  And when you have leftover fat or grease, what do you do with it?  This stuff cannot be recycled with your average composter.  Most of us simply toss it in the trash, or worse try to get rid of it down the drain - bad idea for the environment and for your drain pipes!  So what do you do with it?

Try these handy ideas for repurposing or recycling leftover grease and fat:

Leftover beef or hamburger fat can be used to make beneficial suet for the birds!  When it's cold, birds wintering in northern climates will look for suet to get the energy they need to survive.  We refrigerate leftover fat until we have enough to make a suet ball and the birds just love it!  To make this treat, microwave or heat the fat on the range until it is just melted and add in any combination of the following:  peanut butter, cornmeal, oatmeal and mixed bird seed.  Make sure it is thoroughly mixed and when cool, form into a round ball.  Use a leftover lemon or apple bag to hang the suet ball near feeders for the birds, sit back and enjoy.

Did you know that leftover vegetable oil can now be recycled?  Yep.  Leftover cooking oil is popular for manufacturing biodiesel fuels.  In fact, there are even reports that cooking grease theft from restaurants is on the rise.  Want an easy way to know where you can recycle your vegetable oil?  Visit www.VegOilRecycle.com - they have the most comprehensive list of places to recycle your oil by state that we could find.  Any organizations (schools, businesses,
individuals, etc.) that collect or will collect vegetable oil for biodiesel or straight vegetable oil fuel can contact this site to get listed.   Something else? Check out their video for making a vegetable oil candle while you're at their site!

Got a dog and getting tired of pricey store bought gourmet dog treats?  Dogs love the taste of table scraps, and we love spoiling our pets with treats (in moderation, of course!) But why not make use of leftover fat or grease to make special treats for your best friends and save money at the same time? Try your hand at making homemade dog treats using ingredients already in your kitchen and any leftover bacon, turkey or chicken fat you may have! 

Here's the recipe.  Mix:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 egg
• 2 or 3 tablespoons melted beef, pork, chicken or turkey fat
• 1/4 cup milk 

Knead until the ingredients are mixed, roll 1/4 inch thick and cut into shapes with either a knife or cookie cutter.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, then turn the oven off.  Let the cookies cool in the oven to get crisp.  Store in airtight containers.

Useful tips:

• Avoid pouring grease or fat directly into the trash - not only can this increase garbage odors, it also attracts vermin.
• If you don't purchase manufactured grease containers, repurpose coffee cans or other old containers with lids to store fat or grease and label them, especially if you are collecting or sorting grease for a specific purpose such as bird suet.  
• Store your grease containers in convenient locations.  You are more apt to use them if they are handy.
• Keep any fat for suet or dog treats refrigerated or frozen until needed.

Any other suggestions you'd like to contribute?  We'd love to hear from you!