25 Survival Uses For Leftover Bacon Grease

By April K.
March 14, 2019 07:13

If you eat bacon and sausage regularly, you will probably start accumulating leftover bacon grease. Bacon fat is a handy and versatile provision, and once you know the many ways in which you can use it, you will want to save every drop.
There are two ways in which you can collect bacon grease. The easiest way is to save the fat from your frying pan after cooking the meat. Simply pour it into a mason jar or metal bucket and let it cool down. The other method is rendering. When you slaughter a pig, there will be off-cuts of hard fat which turn rancid very soon if you don’t cook it. Chop the fat into small pieces or grate it, then heat it in a pan over low heat until it liquefies. Once you pour off the fluid grease, it will cool down and harden completely, leaving you with a source of clean fat which you can store for a long period.
Bacon Grease for Nutrition
Bacon fat is a highly beneficial food source which you can store for prolonged periods, and it’s easy to take along to eat when you’re away from home or your camp. Not only that, but bacon fat also has a strong flavor which makes it the perfect ingredient to enhance the taste of other food, both sweet and savory. If your diet has limited variety, there are many ways in which bacon grease can liven up your meals.
#1. Use Bacon Fat as a Preservative
Fat seals the air out, which prevents food from spoiling. Cover hot food in a crock or mason jar with a layer of melted bacon grease and let it stand until the fat has hardened. The seal will help to keep your food fresh longer.
#2. Stop a Pot from Boiling Over
Add a small dab of bacon fat to the water when you cook starchy foods such as pasta, and it will prevent the pot from boiling over.
#3. Make Chocolate
Combine bacon grease, raw cacao, and honey for a surprisingly good chocolate bar. It won’t only satisfy your sweet tooth but is also a nutritious energy snack when you are out in the wild.
#4. Crisp Your Baking
When butter is scarce, bacon fat is the ideal substitute. Bread and pie crusts baked with bacon grease have more flavor and turn out extra crispy.
#5. Make Pemmican
Animal fat is the basis of this survival food that’s been around for centuries. Combine bacon fat, lean dried meat, berries, and nuts and pound it into a paste. Flatten the mixture into patties and let it sit until it hardens. Pemmican is easy to carry when you are traveling, and it will last almost indefinitely. In terms of nutrition, it’s a superfood that will offer nourishment and energy to keep you going for long periods without the need to make a cooking fire.
Clean, Polish, and Lubricate with Bacon Grease
Bacon grease isn’t only good for eating, but you can also use it in several ways to clean and keep up clothing and equipment.
#6. Use Bacon Fat for Lubrication
Is the noise of a screeching hinge or wheel driving you insane? Drip a drop of bacon fat on it to silence the squeak.

#7. Make Soap
Combine bacon grease, lye, and water to make soap.
You can use any animal fat to make soap, and while it requires some effort, the result is amazingly good.
#8. Season Cast-iron Ustensils
If you use a skillet or other iron cookware, you will know that it rusts when cleaned and left to stand. To prevent corrosion and extend the lifetime of your cast-iron cookware, rub it with a generous amount of bacon grease and heat the utensils over a fire or in a very hot oven until all the grease has baked in. The bacon fat binds with the metal and covers it with a protective black patina.
Related: 10 Advantages Of Using Cast Iron Cookware When SHTF

#9. Leather Polish
Shoes and belts made of leather lose their suppleness when exposed to the elements.
Dab a bit of bacon grease on a rag and rub it into your shoes, belts, and equipment straps to condition and nourish the leather.
#10. Waterproofing
You can use bacon fat as a water-repellent on boots, tents, waders, rain gear and most other types of leather and canvass equipment.
Medicinal Uses of Bacon Grease
Most people don’t recommend applying bacon fat to your body or your clothing. The obvious reason is that the reek of bacon is off-putting to other humans, but when you are out in the open, your smell might also attract predators such as bears, coyotes, and fire ants. While you should use caution when applying bacon grease to your person, there are times when the cure justifies the means.
#11. Get Rid of Burrowing Larvae
Some insects lay their eggs on human and animal skin, and when larvae hatch, they burrow into the host. This condition’s name is myiasis, and it causes painful boils. When you rub bacon grease over the affected area, it acts in two ways; the strong scent attracts the larva and at the same time cuts off its air supply, causing it to come to the surface of the skin where you can pluck it out with tweezers.
#12. Stop a Nose Bleed
Persistent nose bleeds, and bleeding from small wounds stop when you apply bacon fat. For nose bleeds, make a plug of cotton wool or tissue dabbed with bacon grease. The salt and fat works to stop bleeding by causing small arteries to swell and close.
#13. Cure Scabies
Scabies is microscopic mites in the outer layer of your skin. Symptoms include incessant itching and a rash. A liniment made of sulfur and bacon grease is a remarkably successful way to get rid of the parasites.
#14. Smooth and Soothe Your Skin
When you spend extended periods outdoors, you expose your skin to the elements, and you’re bound to suffer everything from bug bites to grazes and wind burn. At night, rub bacon grease on the affected areas and cover it with clothing. Wash it off in the morning, and your skin will feel amazingly good. Bacon fat is also an excellent remedy for cracked heels.
#15. Remove a Splinter
If you picked up a splinter that’s hard to remove, spread some bacon grease over it and cover the area with a band-aid or cloth for a few hours. The fat will soften up your skin and make it easy to remove the splinter.
Bacon Grease for Fuel and Light
#16. Homemade Firelighters
Drip used bacon grease on old rags or corn cobs and use it to light a fire.
#17. Make Your Own Candle

Tie a strip of cotton rag or a string to a stick and suspend it in a mason jar. Add bacon fat and let it cool. When the fat has hardened, snip off the twig and use the fat as a candle. If you regularly have small quantities of bacon grease left over from cooking, you can keep replenishing the candle with it.
#18. Power a Generator
You can add filtered bacon grease to diesel to extend the running time of your generator.
#19. Fuel Your Vehicle
You can turn bacon grease into biofuel by filtering it and adding methanol. Most car engines can run on biofuel as an alternative to diesel.
Use Bacon Grease to Lure Fish, Animals, and Bugs
The strong smell of bacon grease makes it an ideal addition to bait when fishing and hunting, and a good insect trap too.
#20. Fishing Lures
Anglers make bait with a mixture of bacon fat and decaying fish and call it ‘putrid pudding’. The strong smell is especially attractive to catfish, but you can also use it for other freshwater fishing.
#21. Bait for a Trap
You can use bacon grease in traps if you are hunting bobcats, coyotes and raccoons. Burning bacon fat will also lure bears closer to your hide when you are hunting.
#22. Bug Trap

Mix solid grease with a bit of vegetable oil to liquefy it and pour it into a shallow dish.
Let it stand out in the open in your camp or close to a window in your home.
Insects will land in the grease, and the sticky weight will prevent them from flying or crawling off again.
Bacon Grease as Animal Feed
#23. Dog Treats
Feeding neat bacon grease to your dog is not a good idea. The high sodium content can lead to vomiting and diarrhea. However, dogs love the flavor of bacon and mixed with other food; it makes a healthy snack. Use dog treats impregnated with bacon fat as a reward for good behavior when training your dog.
#24. Bird Food
You can add small quantities of bacon fat to chicken and turkey feed, especially in winter and if you have extra, you can use it in a bird feeder to attract wild birds.
Use Rancid Bacon Grease as Fertilizer
#25. If You Have Bacon Fat That’s Gone Rancid, You Can Still Use It As Fertilizer
Don’t add too much to the compost or one area of your garden at once since it takes a long time to degrade and might start growing unwanted bacteria. However, earthworms love a small quantity of grease and will soon turn it into fertilizer for your garden.