Did You Know – Bacon Grease

Your mother or grandmother…especially if they happened to be southern…may have kept a can for collecting bacon grease on the back of the stove.  You may have wondered where the tradition came from.  Here’s your answer:)

The tradition of using bacon grease, or bacon butter as it is sometimes referred to, in cooking, goes back for generations… particularly in southern cooking.  Southern cooks knew the value of the “liquid gold” that came off that lovely smoky bacon that they were frying up for other purposes.

In my family as possibly in yours,we always referred to what was left in the pan after cooking bacon as “bacon grease” and never thought anything about it.  But now, we have become very sensitive to “fat”…bacon grease or otherwise, and concerned about how it may effect our health.  My grandparents and their extended family all ate bacon and used the bacon grease in cooking every day of their lives and all lived to be well into their 90’s and 100’s!!!   So though it doesn’t change anything, I understand that referring to bacon fat as “drippings” makes it easier to consider for some people who are put off by the word “grease”.

I have kept my bacon drippings on the back of my stove for all my married life, not in a can but in a ceramic crock I picked up just after I got married.  I use it all the time, especially when frying eggs…I have all those wonderful fresh eggs you may remember from my darling chickens, so we eat a lot of eggs at my house.

I began to wonder why so many people keep their bacon drippings in an old soup or coffee can as my grandmother did, so I did a little research on the subject. What I learned was that collecting the residual drippings in a can became popular during WWII when American cooks were asked to collect the left over fat from meat to be used in making ammunition.    Walt Disney made a short film to encourage cooks to do just that.  And this is where I got the answer as to why people collect their drippings in a can.  Have a look at this vintage Disney short film made during WWII:

I spoke to someone the other day who said she has always collected bacon drippings in a can but she wasn’t sure why she did this other than it was something her mother did.  But when the can was full she tossed it out….this would be a sacrilege to any southern cook!  Southern women know the value of drippings.  I found a list of uses for bacon drippings on a site called Southern Plate and have modified it a bit to help you understand (if you don’t already know) how you can use these drippings in your kitchen as well.

Interesting facts about Bacon Drippings

*Bacon drippings are one of the most flavorful oils.
*Bacon drippings are used as an all purpose flavoring as well as a base for many recipes.
*One teaspoon has 38 calories.
*It’s Green! By reusing Bacon Drippings, you save money, avoid waste by not using store bought oil when you don’t need it, and have more flavorful results than by using other cooking oils.

How To Use Bacon Drippings

Substitution For Oils In Recipes And In Frying – Bacon fat can be used in place of oils in recipes and in frying or sauteing.

Greasing Muffin Tins or Cast Iron Skillets for breads – Before you put your cornbread or hoe cake batter in that skillet, grease it with a little solidified bacon fat. To make this mess free, fold a paper towel in fourths and cover your index and middle finger with it. Dip your covered fingers into the bacon drippings and wipe the inside of your skillet. Toss paper towel away when done.

Make Milk Gravy – Milk gravy begins with a base of two tablespoons bacon drippings. Heat them in a large skillet, add two or three tablespoons of flour and cook until flour is browned. Slowly add milk while stirring constantly and continue cooking until gravy is thickened over medium heat.

Cornbread – Many cornbread recipes call for a tablespoon or so of melted bacon fat added to the batter for extra flavor. This makes such a big difference that it’s worth it to save your bacon fat for cornbread alone!

Seasoning Dried Beans – Traditional beans are seasoned with a ham bone or bits of ham to add flavor. If you find yourself without any of these, just add two or three tablespoons of bacon fat to the cooking water and they’ll taste just as good.

Fried Corn- Fried corn is often called Creamed Corn. No matter what you call it, adding a tablespoon of bacon drippings makes it better than ever!

Green Beans – Whether they’re from the can, garden, or freezer, green beans taste just like Grandma’s when you add a tablespoon of bacon drippings!

Any Other Vegetable You Can Think Of! –  Just about any type of vegetable can be made better with 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of bacon fat added while cooking. Try it with cabbage, greens, I’ve even seen folks fry green tomatoes in it!

Wilted Greens – Fry up some bacon and set it aside. Pour a little bit of the hot drippings over fresh dark greens and then top with crumbled bacon for a wilted lettuce salad like we had in the old days.

Frying Eggs – I really and truly will not make fried eggs without bacon fat. I place a tablespoon or so in my skillet and let it melt, then fry my eggs in it.

Delicious oven fries – Spread some bacon fat into the bottom of a jelly roll pan. Cut potatoes into long wedges with the skin still on them and sprinkle with kosher salt. Place on top of the bacon drippings and put in a 400 degree oven until browned, about 45 minutes to an hour. Turn every fifteen minutes to get evenly browned and allow the bottoms to oven fry in that delicious fat.

So now you know:)  You may have some ways of your own to use all those tasty bacon drippings.  We would love to hear them and in turn share them with our other “chums”.  Sharing good ideas makes everyone’s life just that much more abundant and you know that is what your Two Chums are here for…to spread love, joy and abundant living!