Deep Fat Fryer Cleaning
A deep fat fryer can make otherwise ordinary food taste delicious. Deep frying adds a texture and flavor to foods that can’t be obtained in any other way. A good deep fat fryer is a great addition to any kitchen and will provide many years of service if properly cleaned and maintained. Deep fat fryer maintenance is often considered a lot of work, and is one of the main reasons many homes do not have one. Another reason is that many people mistakenly believe that the cooking oil must be replaced with every use, making it very expensive to use. Today I will show you that deep fat fryer maintenance isn’t as daunting a task as it might seem and, in this article, I will even show you how to save money on cooking oil.
First, you must start with high quality cooking oil that is suitable for the high temperatures used in deep fat frying. You need oil with a relatively high smoke point. The smoke point is the temperature at which you will see tiny puffs of smoke appear over the oil and you begin to smell a slightly burnt odor. When oil is heated, there is a chemical change that begins to deteriorate the oil. Here is a list of a few common oils and their smoke points.
- Safflower – 509 degrees F – 265 degrees C
- Sunflower – 474 degrees F – 246 degrees C
- Soybean – 465 degrees F – 241 degrees C
- Canola – 460 degrees F – 238 degrees C
- Corn – 456 degrees F – 236 degrees C
- Peanut – 447 degrees F – 231 degrees C
- Sesame – 419 degrees F – 215 degrees C
- Olive – 374 degrees F – 190 degrees C
- Animal fats (tallow/lard) – 361 to 401 degrees F – 183 to 205 degrees C
Peanut and corn oils are very good for use in a deep fat fryer. I have also used a liquid shortening that is sold in larger quantities in some membership discount stores. Liquid shortening is very good for use in your deep fat fryer. It is also delicious and relatively inexpensive.
The smoke point of these oils is lowered each time the oil is heated or used. After the oil begins to taste or smell bad you will have to change it. There are steps you can take to make your fryer oil last longer.
The first step, and the simplest, is to never heat your oil to too high a temperature. As a general rule you should be able to deep fat fry almost anything at 350 degrees. In any case, you should never heat your oil over 375 degrees. Another way to make your deep fat fryer oil last longer is to strain the oil each time you use your deep fat fryer. All you need to do this is a strainer with a very fine screen. These can be found in most discount, department, or grocery stores. You will need one that is designed to lie across the top of a pan or bowl. If you can’t find one with a very fine screen, you can use a strainer that has a coarser screen and is commonly used for sifting flour. If you use a coarse strainer you should line it with cheesecloth. You may want to put a rubber band around the outside to hold the cheesecloth in place.
After cooking in your deep fat fryer, wait for the oil to cool to about 150 degrees. Place your strainer on top of a large stock pot or a bucket. Pour the cooled oil through the strainer into the stock pot or bucket. When you are finished, wash out the deep fryer with hot water. It isn’t really necessary, but you can use soap if you like, just be sure to rinse thoroughly. If you do use soap to clean the basin of your deep fat fryer, I suggest you use a water and vinegar mixture to rinse it. A good ratio is 9 parts water to 1 part vinegar.
Most deep fat fryers come with a basin that holds the oil and some sort of outside container. You can wipe off the outside part with a wet cloth. If you want to be more thorough, you can a apply a degreaser to the outside of the fryer, or use a paste made from baking soda and water. Let the degreaser stand for about 15 minutes then rinse with a damp cloth and dry thoroughly. Be careful not to immerse electrical parts. Dry the oil basin thoroughly and pour the oil back into the deep fat fryer basin. Cover the fryer and keep it in a cool place. You can refrigerate your cooking oil if you prefer, but it isn’t necessary.
It really is very easy to maintain a home deep fat fryer. All it takes is a little preparation. If you follow the steps above, you should be able to use the same oil six to eight times, depending on the type of food you cook.