Prepping: A Few SHTF And/Or Everyday Uses For Bacon Grease

Nothing is better than having bacon for breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner.  Except maybe using up the leftover grease!  Here are a few SHTF and everyday uses for bacon grease that you may not have thought of!

If you’re a prepper, a homesteader, or just someone who is really frugal, you may wonder what you can do with versatile bacon grease other than just waste it.

1. Bait a Trap – you can catch a raccoon or other small animal by baiting your trap with leftover bacon grease. Pour it into a small container and allow it to cool first. Then simply place the container in the trap and the scent will help attract those unwanted pests.
2. Make a Candle – You don’t even have to strain out the bacon bits if you don’t want to! Simply pour the hot grease into a heat-tempered jar, such as an old mason jar or even an empty tin can. The grease will be very hot, so use caution to make sure you don’t get burned. Use some kind of a natural cotton or linen fiber for your wick such as a strip of T-shirt cotton string, or even a strand from a mophead. Tie one end to a pencil and lay the pencil over the top of your jar so the other end of the wick reaches down into the bottom of the hot bacon grease. As the grease cools, it will thicken and solidify. Once it’s solid, you can trim the wick so that it just sticks up over the top of the grease. This kind of candle works great for emergencies, but don’t forget: anytime you burn it, you’ll smell delicious bacon!
3. Firestarter – bacon grease works wonders as a firestarter. If you need some help lighting a campfire, pour some bacon grease on a paper towel and toss it in your firepit. Light it up and stand back! It’ll get your fire going in a hurry.  This is similar to the Vaseline trick (soaking cotton balls in Vaseline) to aid in starting a fire.
4.  Dog Treat – if you don’t need the bacon grease for anything else, let your dog have it!  I scoop some dog chow into the bowl then pour the hot bacon grease all over it.  Toss it around to coat all the kibble if you’d like.  Make sure you keep the dog’s bowl out of his reach until the bacon grease cools!  Once it’s cool enough, let your dog enjoy a tasty treat!
5. Save it for Flavor – use it to make other survival foods if the SHTF. It’ll give you a lot of fat and flavor when you cook with bacon grease. Try adding it to rice and beans, soups and stews, or cook your meat in it. Food won’t be as bland if you cook with bacon grease.

These are only a few ways you could use bacon grease when the SHTF, or before!  It’s surprisingly versatile!  Check out Urban Survival Site for a few more ways you could use bacon grease!

How do you use it, preppers and homesteaders?

This article has been contributed by SHTF Plan. Visit www.SHTFplan.com for alternative news, commentary and preparedness info.