what to do with turkey grease

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Creative and Practical Ways to Use Leftover Turkey Grease

The holidays often leave us with an abundance of delicious turkey grease. But instead of pouring it down the drain, there are many clever ways to repurpose and reuse turkey grease. This versatile byproduct can enhance flavors, nourish birds, lubricate tools, and more with just a little creativity.

Proper Handling for Safe Use

Before utilizing turkey grease, proper handling is essential:

  • Allow grease to cool completely before transferring to an airtight, heat-resistant container. Hot grease can cause severe burns.

  • Strain out any food particles by pouring through a mesh strainer. This prevents spoilage.

  • Store grease in the fridge up to 3 months or freezer up to a year Proper storage prevents bacterial growth,

  • Never pour grease down drains to avoid plumbing issues. Always dispose in the trash after solidifying.

Infusing Flavor Through Cooking

One of the best uses for turkey grease is cooking. The rich, savory flavor makes a tasty substitute for oils or butter. Ways to cook with turkey grease:

  • Gravies and Sauces – Use as a base for killer gravies and sauces.

  • Roasting Vegetables – Brings out incredible flavor when roasting potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts etc.

  • Sautéing Aromatics – Enhance flavor of onion, garlic, celery etc. when sautéing.

  • Eggs and Hash – Adds richness and depth when frying eggs or making potato hash.

  • Stir Fries – Use instead of oil to make turkey fried rice or veggie stir fries.

  • Baking – Replace oil or butter in baked goods like moist stuffing, savory pies and bread.

With so many uses, turkey grease is a flavored way to reduce waste.

Homemade Turkey Grease Soap

Feeling crafty? Make luxurious handmade soap with leftover turkey grease:

  • Melt and strain grease into a heat safe container.

  • Following a recipe, slowly add lye and water to the melted grease. Stir well.

  • Add essential oils or herbs for scent and color if desired.

  • Pour into soap molds and allow to fully harden before removing.

  • Cure the turkey grease soap bars 4-6 weeks before using.

You’ll be left with moisturizing soaps that leave hands clean and soft!

Lubricating Household Items

Turkey grease works great as a natural lubricant for household uses:

  • Lubricate Stuck Zippers – Rub grease on zipper teeth to help glide smoothly.

  • Oil Squeaky Hinges – Stop squeaks by greasing door hinges and cabinets.

  • Condition Wooden Tools – Rub a thin coat on cutting boards, utensils and butcher blocks.

  • Lubricate Garden Tools – Use to prevent rust and debris buildup on tools.

Turkey grease offers a cheap, natural lubricant alternative for around the home.

DIY Fire Starters

For your next bonfire or camping trip, whip up reusable fire starters from turkey grease:

  • Let grease solidify then cut or break into small pieces.

  • Add grease chunks to a muffin tin with dryer lint or wood shavings.

  • Optionally, insert a cotton wick into each muffin cup.

  • Allow grease fire starters to fully harden then store in an airtight container.

To use, just place one in your fire pit or campfire and light it with a match. The flammable grease will quickly ignite.

High-Calorie Treats for Birds

Leftover turkey grease can also be used to make energy-rich treats for your feathered friends:

  • Mix turkey grease with birdseed, oats, dried fruit or cornmeal.

  • Spread onto pinecones, recycled containers, or stuff into drilled wood pieces.

  • Roll into balls or logs and place in bird feeders.

The fat will help attract birds while providing them with beneficial nutrients.

Moisturizing Leather Goods

Revive dried leather goods by using turkey grease as an all-natural leather conditioner:

  • Apply a small amount of grease to a soft cloth.

  • Gently massage into leather and allow to soak 30+ minutes.

  • Buff off any excess grease with a clean cloth.

The oils will penetrate to moisturize leather while adding a protective conditioning layer.

Responsible Grease Disposal

Once you’ve exhausted grease uses, dispose of it properly:

  • Allow to fully solidify before tossing it in the trash. Never pour down drains.

  • Mix small amounts into your compost pile. Too much can overwhelm compost.

  • Check for local cooking oil recycling programs that accept grease.

  • Bring sealed grease to your local hazardous household waste disposal site.

With some creativity, you can get the most use out of turkey grease. Reduce waste, add flavor to cooking, care for your home and help wildlife by repurposing it. With proper handling and disposal, leftover turkey grease can become a handy and eco-friendly kitchen asset.

Tips for Reusing Turkey Grease

Here are some helpful tips for repurposing turkey grease after the holidays:

  • Strain grease through a mesh strainer to remove food particles. Proper straining prevents spoilage during storage.

  • Allow grease to fully cool before transferring it to an airtight, heat-resistant container. Hot grease can cause severe burns.

  • Store grease in the refrigerator up to 3 months or in the freezer up to a year. Freezing is best for long term storage.

  • Use grease for sautéing aromatics, roasting vegetables, frying eggs and more. It adds rich, savory flavor to foods.

  • Make luxurious handmade soaps by slowly adding lye and water to melted strained grease.

  • Lubricate hinges, wood cutting boards, tools and other household items. Grease makes a great natural lubricant.

  • Create fire starters by pouring grease into muffin tins with lint or wood shavings then letting harden.

  • Mix grease into birdseed or cornmeal to make high-calorie bird feeders and suet cakes for feathered friends.

  • Gently rub grease into leather goods as a conditioning treatment to moisturize and protect dried leather.

  • Always dispose of grease in the trash, never down the drain. Let it fully solidify first to avoid clogs.

With a bit of creativity, turkey grease can be repurposed into a handy kitchen and household asset. Reduce waste by finding ways to reuse it!

Grease Disposal Tips to Avoid Plumbing Issues

Leftover turkey grease should never be poured down the drain. Follow these tips for safe, eco-friendly disposal:

  • Allow grease to fully cool and solidify in the container before throwing it away. Liquid grease can cause sewer clogs.

  • Mix small amounts of solidified grease into your compost pile. Too much grease can overwhelm home compost systems.

  • Some municipalities offer cooking oil recycling programs. Check with your local waste management if they accept household fats and grease.

  • Bring sealed containers of cooled grease to your local hazardous household waste disposal site. Call ahead to confirm they accept it.

  • Scrape grease into an absorbent material like coffee grounds or cat litter before throwing it away. This prevents leaks.

  • Wipe out grease containers with paper towels before recycling or discarding them.

  • Never attempt to wash grease down the drain with hot water, as this can cause liquid grease to re-congeal further down in pipes.

With proper disposal habits, we can all do our part to avoid plumbing issues and keep sewage systems running smoothly. No turkey grease is worth a home backup disaster!

Creative Uses for Turkey Grease Beyond Cooking

While using turkey grease for cooking is popular, there are also creative ways to use it beyond the kitchen:

  • Make homemade soaps by slowly combining strained, melted grease with lye and essential oils. Allow bars to cure before use.

  • Lubricate hinges, tools, outdoor equipment and anything that squeaks! Grease makes a handy natural lubricant.

  • Create reusable fire starters by pouring grease into muffin tins with dryer lint or wood shavings and letting harden.

  • Hand condition leather goods by gently massaging grease into dried bags, shoes, belts and more. Let it soak in before buffing.

  • Mix with birdseed or cornmeal to make high-calorie bird feeders and suet cakes for winter birds.

  • Incorporate into homemade dog treats as an irresistible flavor enhancer and fat source.

  • Make candles by melting down grease and adding essential oils and wicks. Always burn on a heat-safe surface.

With some creative thinking outside the kitchen, turkey grease can gain new

what to do with turkey grease

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WASHINGTON — The Verify team is sorting fact from fiction, including claims about the holiday season.

While we cant verify the best way to cook a turkey this Thanksgiving, we can fact-check one claim thats going around social media about the grease the turkey leaves behind.

Some users claim youll clog your kitchen pipes if you dump cooking grease down your drain.

User @DaddyWisdom3 tweeted, “Dont dispose of cooking grease down the sink, unless you want a fatberger-blocked drain in your future.”

@The_Myvia wrote, “Ive always known to never pour grease or oil down the drain, so my family always kept jars to store it and eventually toss in the trash.”

Ask Arlington: What to Do with Turkey Fryer Grease

FAQ

What do I do with turkey grease?

Also, instead of rinsing greasy dishes with hot water, first wipe off the excess oil or grease with a paper towel and throw in the trash or compost. Some cities collect used turkey grease and other cooking oils and recycle it into biodegradable renewable fuel.

What can I do with leftover turkey fat?

Freeze it and use it to make turkey gravies later, add a little of it to green beans for some extra flavor (I prefer pork fat for this but sometimes you gotta make do), if you have any turkey left over and you wanna reheat it, sometimes I add it to the turkey so that it doesn’t dry out when reheating.

What can I do with turkey drippings?

As the bird cooks, the combination collects in the bottom of the roasting pan to form your pooled drippings. It’s a great idea to save some of that liquid—drippings are super flavorful and make a great base for homemade turkey gravy.

How to dispose of leftover turkey grease?

Throw it in the trash – The overarching rule of thumb when it comes to grease and oil disposal is don’t pour it down a drain.Feb 25, 2022

Can You pour Turkey grease down the drain?

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Whether you are frying or roasting, cooking a turkey comes with a lot of grease and drippings. But what are you supposed to do with it? Never pour it down the drain, or you could end up with clogged pipes or worse. That’s advice from Aqua Water.

What can I do with leftover turkey carcass?

Don’t throw out your leftover turkey carcass! Repurpose those bones by enriching store-bought chicken broth for this Thanksgiving-flavored soup. If you haven’t already used the giblets and neck for a giblet gravy, throw them in with the bones for additional, mineral-rich flavor and to thicken the broth.

Is there a better way to deal with kitchen grease?

There’s a better way to deal with kitchen grease. You might already be doing this, but if not, there’s no time like the present to get started. Consider if it can be used again. There are a number of fats, like bacon and duck fat, as well as cooking oil used for deep frying, like vegetable, canola, and peanut oil, that can all be used again.

Should cooking grease be poured down the sink?

In the moment, it probably feels like the easiest thing to do is take that pan over to the sink and pour that grease down the drain. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it (or done it). Here’s the thing: Under no circumstance should cooking grease or oil be poured down the kitchen sink.

What can I do with leftover turkey bones?

You can even incorporate leftover Thanksgiving sides into the next day’s dishes. The turkey carcass gets some love, too—repurpose the bones to enrich broth or make a homemade turkey stock. Pack this hearty, cheesy, saucy casserole with extra mushrooms by using both cream of mushroom soup and jarred sliced mushrooms.

What can I make with leftover turkey cutlets?

We use fresh mushrooms, make a creamy, cheesy mornay sauce from scratch and top off the hearty casserole with buttery bread crumbs. “This classic casserole is so easy to make and works well with either leftover turkey or fresh turkey cutlets.

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