All deep fryers need oil to run, but how often should your oil be changed? Some restaurateurs insist on keeping their oil as long as possible. Others change it much too soon. It’s easy to tell if it needs to be changed if you know what to look for.
The key things to look for are:
- Foamy oil
- Dark oil
- Oil that doesn’t get to temperature as fast as it used to
These are all signs that your oil is breaking down. Old oil fries foods faster than new oil, but it also gives food a greasy, burnt taste and a darker appearance. Some restaurants will take some of their old oil and mix it with fresh oil to take advantage of these properties.
How can you tell when an oil is too dark? You can get test strips which are much like your standard pH test strips. Just dip the strip into the oil and compare the color to the chart. That will tell you whether your oil is starting to get on the old side. Oil can actually get quite dark before it is ready to be changed. Investing in a test kit will save your restaurant money.
To extend the life of your oil, it must be filtered at least once a day. Filtering oil removes bits of flour and food from the oil. If they stay in the oil, then they will become burnt and break the oil down faster. Other things to you can do to extend the life of your oil include keeping the oil at the right temperature and removing cracklings with a fryer basket.
