Clarified Bacon Fat

[AreBe]

A quick search for "bacon fat" showed these two digests. One of them suggests straining the bacon drippings through a coffee filter to save the fat.
http://www.chow.com/digest/4247
http://www.chow.com/digest/3840

Like many southern-US cooks I keep a jar beside the stove and pour the bacon fat & pan bits into the jar after frying (and rarely, baking) bacon. The pan bits form layers if I let the level build up in the jar. Sometimes I will put the jar in a pot of water and very gently heat it just until all the fat melts and the solids will settle to the bottom, leaving beautiful clarified bacon fat on top.

It drives my wife nuts for some reason, so I did it this past weekend while she was gone.

Does anyone else clarify their bacon grease? How? Why?

[FoodFuser]

RB, I do the same thing that you do for clarifying. I keep the jar in the fridge for rancidity avoidance. Baked bacon gives the best results, not just for better bacon, but for cleaner fat if decanted while still warm.

[sarah galvin]

I quit using bacon fat years ago. Too many additives, sulphites, etc. and it is all concentrated in the fat.

[alkapal]

if you strain it through a filter, the filter absorbs most of it.
when i pour the fat into the container, i just stop pouring when i see the bacon particles hastening to the grease-fall! that's my method.

better yet, just go ahead and put in the eggs to fry up, and slosh the sizzling fat and bacon bits over the egg to cook it. ooh, that's some good eatin'!