Bacon grease and ?

Question

Is there anyone out there that can remember back to the days when your mom or grandma had a can of grease on the back of the stove? I can remember my grandma had such a can on the back of the wood burining stove that she used when she needed some oli to cook with. I just do not know what she was using, I am gussing some bacon grease, but what else was in there?

Answer 1

my mother saved grease/drippings from her cooking when I was a kid
She kept an empty coffee can on the stove for just that purpose

When she needed fat for cooking (like for frying eggs), she just used some out of that can
If the cans contents got stinky (we now know, that meant rancid) it got tossed in the trash and a new can was started

The can wasn't just for bacon grease, it was for any kind of excess grease that came from cooking....but it was primarily bacon and beef/hamburger drippings

Later on, when most people discovered how gross/unhealthy that practice was, she stopped using the leftover grease for cooking

Instead, she continued to collect the grease in a can just for ease of disposal, since pouring it down the sink drain only served to clog the pipes
Once the can was full (and cooled) it was then tossed in the trash and a new can started

I haven't seen a 'grease can' on the stove in at least a decade or more...
I'm guessing when fried foods were deemed unhealthy and became unpopular long ago, she no longer needed a can to collect drippings/grease

Answer 2

Lard, or beef fat possibly. The solid stuff you get after cooking a roast and the pan has gone cold. During the great depression people would use it like a spread on bread for lunch. My gran used to tell me about it. Also while making savory pie dough gran used to put it into the pastry instead of butter. She won many ribbons at the local show for her tasty pies!!!!! Its not used as much now as it is the worst type of cholesterol you can eat, but, when there wasnt anything else to eat it kept the belly full!!!!And was possibly the only other form of protein some people would have during the week.

Answer 3

I save bacon grease. I think one of my grandmas did too. But I just can't leave it sitting on the stove, so I put it in a little tupperware container and keep it in the fridge. If it's hamburger drippings, they go in a separate container.

Bacon fat makes the most *incredible* bacon gravy! I discovered that one by accident.

Answer 4

I think it was usually bacon grease. My Mom made cakes with bacon grease. She only put the bacon grease in her can.

It is no wonder we have clogged arteries and high cholesterol.
But it does make for great memories. Doesn't it? We must be in the same age group.

Answer 5

You probably don't want to use anything other than bacon grease. Grease from cooked meat like beef would go rancid quick.

I take the leftover grease and pour it over dry dog food and give it to the dogs.

Answer 6

.The majority of people use bacon grease ONLY. Other greases, oil or fat could turn the "grease" rancid,