# Let’s talk fry oil



## Lumberman (Sep 27, 2010)

Santa brought me a new professional grade 5qt fryer. 

It works awesome. I’ve always been a believer in high grade hot oil for frying. The hotter the better. It’s amazing the difference a big fryers makes. 

I fried 100’s of pounds of fish before I realized how important oil and temp actually are. 

What is the best oil? I prefer peanut oil but I’m open to suggestions. 

How long do you keep your oil or are they any tricks to reusing it? Obviously I can’t refill this thing every time I use it because it would cost a fortune.


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## Outdoor2daCore (Nov 8, 2010)

I really don’t know the secret to what kind of oil is best, I really can’t tell a difference between peanut, canola, vegetable etc, but you are definitely right about keeping temp hot around 375 is best I think and to do that you need high btus and oil volume. I keep my oil for around a month or better straining through paper towel.


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

I use whatever oil is in the cupboard, I can't tell the difference. I love using a bigass, electric skillet for fish now. End up using about "half" the oil, can do about a dozen perch at once, no sticking together and the temp stays spot on.


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

Watch the peanut oil if young guest are present ...some have allergies and may not question what food was cooked with .It could kill them .


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## upnorthEric (Feb 3, 2017)

I use either peanut or “frying oil” blends. The biggest thing, like you mentioned, is temp. Too cool and your fish will be soggy. Too hot and you’ll burn the oil which will make the food taste bad and cause the oil to not be reusable. When I get done frying, I cool the oil and I use a two ply paper towel, separate the plys to make a “funnel” out of a single piece of towel. Lay this in a strainer so it will hold its shape and strain the oil through it. Then put it in the fridge or freezer. As long as oil is not burnt and then strained you can get a lot of uses out of it. Once it begins to smell bad, stop reusing it. Also, if you fry fish in it, that flavor stays with the oil so if it’s reused you may get a slight fish taste. Doesn’t bother me but it may others. Get a decent fry thermometer and calibrate it accurately. 

This is how I make a filter and it works very well.


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## fishnpbr (Dec 2, 2007)

I use peanut oil and only once, then it's tossed. No filtering here.


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## nick 74 (Dec 4, 2008)

I think peanut oil has the highest burn range. By that I mean u can get away with higher temperatures without burning the oil. As far as taste goes I'm not sure I can tell the difference. The biggest thing ive learned is to not over fill the fryer and drop the temperature of the oil down too low. Smaller batches helps the fish comes out faster and crispy.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

upnorthEric said:


> I use either peanut or “frying oil” blends. The biggest thing, like you mentioned, is temp. Too cool and your fish will be soggy. Too hot and you’ll burn the oil which will make the food taste bad and cause the oil to not be reusable. When I get done frying, I cool the oil and I use a two ply paper towel, separate the plys to make a “funnel” out of a single piece of towel. Lay this in a strainer so it will hold its shape and strain the oil through it. Then put it in the fridge or freezer. As long as oil is not burnt and then strained you can get a lot of uses out of it. Once it begins to smell bad, stop reusing it. Also, if you fry fish in it, that flavor stays with the oil so if it’s reused you may get a slight fish taste. Doesn’t bother me but it may others. Get a decent fry thermometer and calibrate it accurately.
> 
> This is how I make a filter and it works very well.


You can deep fry potatos in the oil and it will remove most of the taste from the fish. We always used veg oil and did like you strain it and then into the ref or freezer. When we went to Canada we alway fryed potatos in the oil after the fish


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## Lumberman (Sep 27, 2010)

Thirty pointer said:


> Watch the peanut oil if young guest are present ...some have allergies and may not question what food was cooked with .It could kill them .


Lol don’t get me started on peanut allergies.


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

Lumberman said:


> Lol don’t get me started on peanut allergies.


My grand son nearly died .


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## Lumberman (Sep 27, 2010)

Thirty pointer said:


> My grand son nearly died .


From peanut oil? That’s actually super rare. 

The vast majority of people allergic to peanuts are allergic to the protein molecules. Which are all removed when then oil is processed. 

Peanut allergies are a fascinating problem our country is facing. 

But that’s for another thread.


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## jiggin is livin (Jan 7, 2011)

Air fryer!! I'm never going to smell my house with that terrible deep fried stench again!! 

I never could tell the difference, bought whatever was cheapest.


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## Duck-Hunter (Mar 31, 2005)

I use like to use canola. 

Watch your temp! I try to get it at 350, if it gets close to 370 I drop it. 375 or higher is going to scorch your fillets.


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## leadbelly (Dec 29, 2010)

I use the old school fry daddy deep fryer. Use any oil available but always add a little Crisco too it.


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## ebijack (Apr 20, 2009)

Lard is a real good oil to use. But can get expensive. I use clarified fry oil. Much cleaner taste than peanut, canola etc etc. IMHO. Same price as most other oils. Everyone can taste the walleye, perch etc much better. Per their comments over the years.
I reuse the oil till the color changes to a darker color. Usually happens after a few fry/strain.
I use paint strainers. ( Use 2) Cheap and works quite well.


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## jimbo (Dec 29, 2007)

canola oil only for me.
I deep fry mine outside or in the garage. 
We normally invite friends & family over whenever we do them, so I use new grease everytime.
plus I'll have an extra gallon just in case I scorch the batter that'll lay on the bottom of the pan.
nothing worse than using burnt grease on good fish


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## WillHunt4Food (Sep 25, 2007)

jiggin is livin said:


> Air fryer!! I'm never going to smell my house with that terrible deep fried stench again!!
> 
> I never could tell the difference, bought whatever was cheapest.


What batter/breading do you use in the air fryer?


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## Lumberman (Sep 27, 2010)

jiggin is livin said:


> Air fryer!! I'm never going to smell my house with that terrible deep fried stench again!!
> 
> I never could tell the difference, bought whatever was cheapest.


This whole air fryer movement is intriguing for sure.


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## upnorthEric (Feb 3, 2017)

For anyone who doesn’t think oil can or should be reused, realize if you ever order fried food in a restaurant it’s likely cooked in yesterday’s oil. I’ve worked at several. Closing procedures are usually the same. Shut fryer off. Let cool as much as possible. Drain fryer through steel funnel/strainer (no filter, just strain) and into a large pot. Scoop oil from pot and into fryer to rinse the sludge on the bottom of the fryer out to the strainer. Then dump used oil back into fryer. Set a cover on it for the night and use again tomorrow. Fish, chicken, fries, monte christos, etc. Not until it really has been used too much did we discard it. Key is temp control. Much easier on commercial equipment but can be done at home.

I’ll have to try the potato trick if I have those picky PITA guests who won’t touch fish. Not sure why I still even socialize with people like that.


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

Lumberman said:


> This whole air fryer movement is intriguing for sure.


I agree. I always use wet, beer batter though, I can't imagine how that would work out?


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## leadbelly (Dec 29, 2010)

ebijack said:


> Lard is a real good oil to use. But can get expensive. I use clarified fry oil. Much cleaner taste than peanut, canola etc etc. IMHO. Same price as most other oils. Everyone can taste the walleye, perch etc much better. Per their comments over the years.
> I reuse the oil till the color changes to a darker color. Usually happens after a few fry/strain.
> I use paint strainers. ( Use 2) Cheap and works quite well.


 where can I find some clarified oil


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Lumberman said:


> What is the best oil? I prefer peanut oil but I’m open to suggestions.
> 
> How long do you keep your oil or are they any tricks to reusing it? Obviously I can’t refill this thing every time I use it because it would cost a fortune


Rice Bran Oil is one of the best but it is pretty expensive.

From wikipedia: *Rice bran oil* is the oil extracted from the hard outer brown layer of rice after chaff (rice husk). It is known for its high smoke point of 232 °C (450 °F) and mild flavor, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such as stir frying and deep frying.

Also you can buy filters. Search '10" non-woven filters'. This is where I bought mine:

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/royal-paper-efc10-10-paper-grease-filter-cone-50-box/121100.html 

and the filter holder is here: 
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/10-fryer-oil-cone-filter-holder/682FCH101.html
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/10-fryer-oil-cone-filter-holder/682FCH101.html


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

leadbelly said:


> where can I find some clarified oil


leadbelly:

Do a search for 'ghee'. Again from wikipedia: Ghee is an ideal fat for deep frying because its smoke point (where its molecules begin to break down) is 250 °C (482 °F), which is well above typical cooking temperatures of around 200 °C (392 °F) and above that of most vegetable oils.

You can find it at your local Indian grocery store. Maybe even wally world or meijer.


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## salmon_slayer06 (Mar 19, 2006)

Gordon food service peanut oil. That's the best thing to use.


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## TK81 (Mar 28, 2009)

salmon_slayer06 said:


> Gordon food service peanut oil. That's the best thing to use.


I agree, but the MIL is allergic to nuts. I told her the peanut oil does not have the allergens, but she's not buying my line. So tonight, I drained my twice used peanut oil back into the jug and will be frying up 150 gills in vegetable oil. Oh well.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

TK81 said:


> ...and will be frying up 150 gills...


What time should I stop by then?


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## jiggin is livin (Jan 7, 2011)

To answer the air fryer questions, I only really like dry batter on my fish, I don't like all the extra of a wet batter. I've been told wet batter doesn't work that well, but I can't confirm this. I may actually try it next time, just to know for sure. When doing dry fish, spritzing them with a little oil does seem to help. 

I'm sure I won't completely give up on pan frying some fresh perch. I just never could really stand the deep fryer smell, but I would usually get a pot and put oil in it and cook on my grill burner if I was doing a large batch.


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

TK81 said:


> I agree, but the MIL is allergic to nuts. I told her the peanut oil does not have the allergens, but she's not buying my line. So tonight, I drained my twice used peanut oil back into the jug and will be frying up 150 gills in vegetable oil. Oh well.


Smart mil .Nothing like seeing a relatives face swelled up twice its size to make you be somewhat careful .


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

jiggin is livin said:


> To answer the air fryer questions, I only really like dry batter on my fish, I don't like all the extra of a wet batter. I've been told wet batter doesn't work that well, but I can't confirm this. I may actually try it next time, just to know for sure. When doing dry fish, spritzing them with a little oil does seem to help.
> 
> I'm sure I won't completely give up on pan frying some fresh perch. I just never could really stand the deep fryer smell, but I would usually get a pot and put oil in it and cook on my grill burner if I was doing a large batch.


When I deep fried fish I always used my turkey cooker tripod with a smaller pan on the deck or in the grage. We have used the fry daddy a few times but I like the tri pod better as it gets hot faster and you can control the heat better


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## TK81 (Mar 28, 2009)

PunyTrout said:


> What time should I stop by then?


There are about 20 fillets left. I must admit that I overstated the fry. I had 75 fish, not 150. Had 7 friends over, but two of them had chicken, as they "don't eat fish". Poor souls.

Vegie oil worked fine, but I will be throwing it out, and going back to the peanut oil.


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## perchyanker (Jan 26, 2011)

I've read that most businesses never completely throw out and replace the oil. They replace half and keep half old. I worked at Wendy's for 2 years 20+ years ago and fish always had its own fryer. Our club does a fish fry every Friday and fish is always cooked in 1 fryer and fries are in the other.


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## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

I've always had good results with Crisco veg oil. I've tried canola, peanut, sesame, and I like the Crisco the best. Dry batter the filets in 'Fryin'Magic', deep cast iron pan. Been doing it that way for a lot of years.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

perchyanker said:


> I've read that most businesses never completely throw out and replace the oil. They replace half and keep half old. I worked at Wendy's for 2 years 20+ years ago and fish always had its own fryer. Our club does a fish fry every Friday and fish is always cooked in 1 fryer and fries are in the other.


A couple years ago I was given 10 5gal pails of oil from Dairy Queen for bear bait and that stuff stunk. The bears loved it. I will never eat anything from Dairy Queen again after that that


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## jiggin is livin (Jan 7, 2011)

Scout 2 said:


> A couple years ago I was given 10 5gal pails of oil from Dairy Queen for bear bait and that stuff stunk. The bears loved it. I will never eat anything from Dairy Queen again after that that


Any oil will stink after a while. I worked at a restaurant from the time I was 13 until I moved away for Tech school. Cleaning the fryers wasn't the bad part, taking out the oil was. They only emptied it when we called and it wasn't cheap if I remember right. My boss loved bear season, the oil went for free. I had to clean that bin one time.....


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## Eco (Mar 16, 2006)

Have fish frys 1-2 times a week during good fishing and entertain lots of friends. Some of the things I’ve stuck with after trying it all .
1. Got away from peanut oil and don’t think it is necessary. It would be ok in good controlled temp electric fryer, but expensive. With gas fryer stands and large pots it was always a real fire hazard because of how fast it can reach high temps. Tended to burn crud in bottom if not careful leaving tainted burnt grease.
2. Use mostly cheap vegetable oil or more healthy conscience Conola when on sale. Use 3-4 times after straining each use and adding a little new each time.
3. Really like my T-fall 8000 that strains oil after each use and stores in a container.
4. Only oil that really doesn’t leave a smell for long in the house is corn oil.


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## ebijack (Apr 20, 2009)

leadbelly said:


> where can I find some clarified oil


I buy the 35lb jugs at Sams club. Alot more expensive in smaller quantities at other stores.


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## 7mmsendero (Dec 2, 2010)

Lumberman said:


> This whole air fryer movement is intriguing for sure.


I haven’t had a lot of luck with Fish. Many other foods are great though, so overall a good purchase.


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## JAA (Oct 6, 2004)

Funny that people won't fry fish in the house, Spend a few buck and get a real Vent Fan over your stove! One that Vents to the outside!! Best Investment I made when I remodeled my Kitchen I use a big old cast iron pan and monitor my temps with a digital probe, Clean-up is quick and easy I dump the oil and crumbs it in a metal coffee can and in the trash it goes. Zero odor in the House.


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## Lumberman (Sep 27, 2010)

Yeah there’s no frying fish in my house with or without a fan. The misses would be after with a frying pan for sure. 

I’m on probation and might lose my cleaning fish in the House privileges after a mishap with some scales and still alive bluegill.


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## dallas10x (Feb 28, 2015)

Fry max is the best, that what we used in restaurant back in the day, specially made for deep frying


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