The Southern Cooking Staple You Can Grab At Buc-Ee's By The Bucket

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The South is known for its unbeatable comfort food, and if there’s one cooking staple that people in the area have always relied on, it’s bacon grease. While home cooks typically whip it up in their own kitchen, you can take a more convenient route and grab it at Buc-ee’s by the bucket. Bacon Up Bacon Grease buckets weigh in at more than 7 pounds. The grease can be used multiple times in the kitchen anytime you need a flavor boost, and judging from the amount, it could last you for a long time.

Plus, it has a pretty stable shelf life. You don’t even have to put it in the fridge (even after it’s opened), but keeping it in a storage space that’s below 80 degrees Fahrenheit is best for its longevity. If a whopping 7-pound container still sounds like a bit too much, though, Amazon sells a smaller 14-ounce tub of Bacon Up Bacon Grease for $13.50.

Whatever size you choose, you’ll get triple-filtered grease, which you can use for frying and even baking. Southern kitchens have utilized the versatile ingredient on dishes like cornbread for added crispiness, and on vegetables for flavorful seasoning. The grease might even help you create a great dish you can bring to Southern-style potlucks, making you the talk of the town. But like every purchase, it begs the question: is it worth it or is your kitchen fine without it?

Should you buy the bacon grease at Buc-ee’s?

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One of the best things about bacon grease is that as long as you have bacon stored in your freezer, you can render the fat for free, and it only takes about 15 minutes tops. (That’s why throwing out bacon grease is a huge mistake.) So, if you appreciate a kitchen DIY or are always looking to save money, maybe buying bacon grease at Buc-ee’s isn’t for you. But here’s something to consider: the bacon grease at the chain does come in a giant bucket, and making that much on your own would be tedious. So, if you don’t have enough time and patience, you’ll want to grab one of these the next time you swing by.

Folks who’ve purchased the Bacon Up Bacon Grease have also generally enjoyed the product, noting in reviews that it smells really pure rather than smoke-heavy. It might even be better and fresher than the bacon grease you can make at home, although that’s arguably subjective. Overall, the only disadvantage we could think of is that it can be a bit pricey for something you can make for free. But of course, nothing beats its convenience. There are plenty of underrated ways to reuse bacon grease, and if you have a tub of it, it looks like you can easily try them all.