This Plant-Based Powder Is the Key to Safely (and Sustainably) Disposing of Cooking Oil

I love fried food, and I firmly believe that fried food tastes better at home when you can enjoy extra-crispy goodies straight out of the fryer. I'm perfectly comfortable deep-frying everything from doughnuts to chicken to chips right in my own home, but there's one aspect of cooking fried foods that always makes me hesitate—the clean-up is a complete hassle. Dealing with the disposal of the cooking oil is a hurdle that stops me before I even get started. Luckily, I was recently introduced to a solution, and my frying endeavors have never been so easy to manage.

When I first heard about FryAway—the plant based powder that solidifies cooking oil, I knew I needed to get my hands on some before breaking out my frying pan again. I was thrilled when FryAway sent me a few packs to test out, and I took it as an invitation to whip up all of my favorite fried goodies, without the stress of clean-up looming in the back of my mind. Now a pantry staple, this all-natural powder that makes it easy to scoop cooking oil and toss it in the garbage has earned a spot in my kitchen. I won't be frying anything without it.

FryAway Cooking Oil Solidifier

To buy: $10 at amazon.com

Although cleaning up frying oil can be a drag, it's important to dispose of it properly. Pouring it down the drain can cause plumbing clogs over time, and dumping it outside can be harmful to wildlife. Transferring it to a separate container and letting it cool in the freezer can be time consuming and even dangerous, and takes up unnecessary space. That's why FryAway's solution is so helpful—it's a fast and sustainable solution that happens directly in the pan you cooked in.

FryAway's cooking oil solidifier is incredibly simple to use—just turn off your heat source, sprinkle the powder into used oil and stir. In the time it takes the oil to cool the powder works its magic, solidifying the oil and turning it into completely organic waste, so you can easily scoop it into the garbage. Thanks to FryAway's non-toxic ingredients, the solidified oil will later decompose in a landfill, making it a sustainable solution to one of the messiest parts of cooking. FryAway pre-measured packs in three sizes, "pan fry" for 2 cups of oil "deep fry" for up to 8 cups, and "super fry" for setting up to 20 cups of oil. The only downside? Depending what type of pan you use—I used a Dutch oven—some solid oil could get stuck in the corners of the pan, and it might take a little elbow grease to scrub it out. Either way, this is a sustainable solution to one of many home cooks' biggest culinary pet peeves.