Here’s why you shouldn’t throw the oils from your canned fish down the drain!

According to a study dating from 2022 and published by the CSA Institute for the French Union of Fish Conserveries, 69% of French people believe that canned fish are essential. Moreover, 84% of those questioned say they consume it. Easy and quick to use, these ready-made fish are a real asset. In no time, they can enhance any dish. For sunny days, nothing better than adding them to a salad or serving them on toast as an aperitif, for example.

But be careful, although these foods are simple to prepare, there are a few missteps to avoid. Here are the ones.

Most of the time, after opening your can of sardines, the first instinct you may have is to get rid of the excess oil in the sink. Big mistake. In fact, you should not throw it in the sink so as not to damage your pipes. In fact, this has even been prohibited since 2012 according to the Environmental Code. Throwing your used cooking oils in the trash or down the sink is not an option. Indeed, when it becomes cold, this oil solidifies and thus creates a greasy layer which slows down the flow of water and can even clog the pipes.

It is also a bad gesture for the environment since edible oils “reduce the effectiveness of water treatment in wastewater treatment plants by forming a greasy film in the water. This fat also prevents the bacteria used in water treatment from accomplishing their mission” specify our colleagues from TF1.

Several options are then available to you: keep them in a large empty bottle before dropping them off at collection points in your municipality which collect these oils. Otherwise you can use them for recipes.

Indeed, there are a thousand and one ways to give a second life to this oil, such as in a good vinaigrette or to cook your meat, fish or vegetables. It can also be used for certain dough preparations such as foccacia, which will add flavor. You can also incorporate it into a pasta dish before adding some tomatoes and olives and voila.

It’s up to you to put your creativity to work, but we assure you, there is nothing simpler!