Homemade Cooking Spray {#TinyTipTues}
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I’m starting a new series here on Nature’s Nurture. I’m calling it Tiny Tip Tuesday – where I’ll be sharing quick and easy tips for the kitchen and home every Tuesday! So, without further ado, this week’s Tiny Tip is how to make homemade cooking spray!
Every time I purchase a new can of cooking spray, I tell myself Ok, this is the last time. I must find a way to make this at home; it is just oil, after all! Well, I finally finished my last can just as I needed to spray my waffle pan for the whole-wheat banana chunk waffles I made last weekend, and leave it to desperation to push me into creative mode!
I figured hey, I’ll just put some olive oil in a spray bottle and see what happens. Well, it sprayed, but it wasn’t misting – it just shot out more in a jet stream. Not at all what I was looking for. So after experimenting a little, I found that adding water to the bottle gave it the right consistency to spray like a mist. And it works great!
Edit: In fine-tuning this recipe, I just kept adding more water to the oil until I got it to mist. My proportions were eyeballed, instead of actual measurements, so feel free to start off with a smaller ratio (2:1 or 3:1) and go from there. Also, I used olive oil, but if you’re using another type of oil, your results may differ, so please experiment to find what works for you!
UPDATE: Recently, I’ve been enlightened as to the effects of working with water when making homemade recipes such as this one. We need to be very careful when using water, since it of course harbors bacteria (both good and bad), and needs to be handled very carefully so as not to jeopardize the purity of our products. Here are some tips I got from Crunch Betty about working with water, that can be applied to this cooking spray, to keep it from going rancid or growing nasty bacteria:
- Always use distilled/filtered and boiled water
- Sterilize your spray bottle in boiling water to kill any lurking bacteria
- Only make a small batch at a time – enough to last maybe a week or so (I’ve kept mine longer than that, without issue)
- You may want to store the spray in the fridge to keep bacteria at bay (although I just keep mine in a cool, dark cupboard)
So here’s how to make your own homemade cooking spray. It’s non-toxic (no nasty propellants), it’s cheap (one less item to buy), it’s green (no more spray cans to throw away), and you can use whatever oil you wish (except maybe coconut oil because of its low melting point).
For a helpful list of the heating and smoking points of different oils, visit this link.
Read more about why you should stop using commercial cooking spray here.
| Homemade Cooking Spray |
- 1 part olive oil (or your choice of oil)
- 4-5 parts boiled distilled/filtered water (start with 3, and work your way up)
- 1 misting spray bottle
- Sterilize your spray bottle in boiling water.
- Place oil and water into spray bottle.
- Shake well before use.
- Store in the fridge for no longer than a week or so.
Do you use cooking spray in your kitchen? Try this homemade version and let me know what you think!
- As with all homemade alternatives, this will not work as well as the commercial products, so don’t expect it to. You may need to experiment to get it to work properly for you. If all else fails, some good ol’ straight oil or butter in a pan always works!
- I use this more for baking than I do for cooking on the stove. I make mostly cookies, muffins, and quick breads, and find that if I spray a good amount on the pans, it mostly works pretty well. I may have to help my muffins out of the tin a bit, and sometimes there are tiny muffin crumbs left in the tin, but I don’t really mind it. Again, if I’m really concerned with sticking issues (like in cake pans, for example), I just brush on some melted butter or straight oil.
- DO NOT spray this onto a HOT pan! The water will make it to splatter everywhere, and may cause burns! Instead, spray it onto a cold pan, and let it heat up gradually; in the process, the water will evaporate, leaving the oil to do its thing.
- The bottle in the pictures is NOT food-grade plastic, so I would recommend sourcing either a food-grade plastic spray bottle, or a glass spray bottle with a fine mist. Here’s a good site someone shared: http://www.bottles.us/
- Yes, oil and water do not mix, but giving the bottle a quick shake/swirl will allow them to combine just enough to be sprayed out of the bottle at the same time. The water is only used as a vehicle to propel the oil out of the bottle.
- I’ve read very mixed reviews on products such as the Misto or Pampered Chef sprayer; some love it, and some hate it. So you may want to try that out if you’re having trouble getting this homemade version to work for you.
This post was shared here: Frugal Tuesday Tip, Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays, Frugal Ways, Sustainable Ways, Simple Living Wednesdays, Works For Me Wednesday
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Oh I LIKE this!
So glad you’re doing all the hard yards on research and development, and I can just come along for the ride
Thanks!
Well, I’m glad to be of service!
By the way, I’ve tested this now both with cooking AND baking and it works perfectly for both!
Hi Sarah!
Found this via Pinterest and I just want to say THANK YOU so very much!!!
Been looking for an alternative spray for baking especially but not much success so thanks again for your efforts in experimenting and sharing this tip. Healthier & green!
Hi Serene! Aww, you’re welcome
For baking, I have used the spray so far only for muffins, without a problem. Someone on Facebook mentioned that she used it for baking a cake and it didn’t work out quite well. For big jobs like a cake, I would probably just use good ol’ butter to grease the pans. You could also experiment with a stronger dilution, ie: 2:1 or 3:1 water to oil first, and see how it works out for you.
As I’ve stated to others, it’s not a solution to ALL spray oil needs, but it definitely helps for quick jobs
Hi this is a great tip, although I have been using it for some years now, but i don’t dillute it at all. But I wanted to pass along to you and any one else that may be interested, that you can buy a special spray bottle at William and Sonnoma for this very pourpose.. But I just use only a regular spray bottle like you did, but I know the one they sell is nice and does mist.. Also if you use a heat resistant silicon brush you can spread it around better if it does not go into all the nooks and crannies..I never buy can spray anymore. Also if you still use a little flour in your pan cakes should not be a problem. i do all my spraying of my pans this way and don’t have any problems..you may want to try a mixture of diff oils like canola,olive,flaxseed, can all be mixed and it gives a better spray..
Great, thanks for the tip, Pauline!
Pampered chef makes a spray bottle that’s great.
I’ve had problems keeping my pampered chef one unclogged. I was hoping to find some comments from someone if it’s an issue in this method.
I have had the same problem with the pampered chef bottle. In the end I just stopped using it. I’m excited to try these ideas.
I found that my Pampered Chef one clogged very quickly!
In regards to your Kitchen Spritzer by Pampered Chef, if you release the air each time after you use it (and then go ahead and tighten the ring again so it is ready to pump air next time) and only put in a smaller amount of oil (don’t fill it to the fill line), it will help decrease the clogging. If it is already clogged, there is no unclogging it, but you can purchase replacement parts if you want to give it another try.
I, too, had trouble with my Pampered Chef bottle. It clogged and leaked some so the bottle stayed slick and greasy. Not pleasant, at all.
if it clogs up – you can get a replacement but you can take it apart and rinse it in very hot water – sudsy helps – but not required. it the heat of the water that melt the sticky oil residue and it works like new again…having been doing it for years.
You’re being Leibstered from my blog tomorrow…. Come over in the morning and check it out
Will do! Thanks!
what a great tip! I would have never figured out to add water! Thanks I’m pinning it..
Glad you liked it! This was seriously one of those “why didn’t I think of this before” moments
Thanks for stopping by, and I’m definitely going to check out your blog too, as we’ve been trying to cut back on grains in our diet and could use some inspiration.
Yep, everytime I buy the spray oil I think I should be making it myself. Thanks for telling me how!
You’re very welcome Jennifer. Glad I could help
Great Idea!!!
I will have to use this now instead of the spray when mine runs out. It is expensive but so handy! Glad to have this version now to turn to! Thanks!!
You’re very welcome
Every time I use it, I can’t believe I ever bought the commercial stuff! Expensive and filled with propellants…this is just a no-brainier 
Oh I love this idea. I havent used cooking spray in years because of all the reasons you named not to do so, but I am really trying to cut my calories down so Ive been tempted to get some. Now I realize I dont need to- I just need to add a good spray bottle to my shopping list. thanks!
Haha, yep I was doing without it for a while too since “our grandmothers made do without it, so why can’t we?” but I finally just couldn’t live without it anymore and you’re right – a good spray bottle is all you need!
LOL- I just realized that the blog cuts my name off and it says I am the “Old fashioned HO” Oh no! Better change that!
OMG oh no! Haha, I’ll have to check why it’s doing that…but that’s too funny LOL
I’m “The Accidental Ho” on so many websites! I worry people come to my blog for all the wrong reasons! lol
That is too too funny!
I cant stop it just gets even better and better.lolololol
Thank you .. Old Fashioned HO… i laughed so hard i peed my pants.. i needed that laugh today…
Now to get a spray bottle! Great Tip ~ thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Donna! Glad I could help
Fabulous idea! I have now bought 2 of those Misto sprayers to do this – at $10 each! The first one broke. Sprayers are like $1. Genius!!!!
I know! I was sooo close to getting one of those Misto sprayers but decided not to at the last minute…it’s a good thing too because I read more about it afterwards and a lot of them do break!
I have been using two mistos almost everyday for bout 2.5 years and have not had any problems yet. They are really good for creating a finer mist.
I love this! I literally ran out of the spray the other day, and I was trying to figure out what to do. This is perfect!
Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Angela! Glad it helped
I’m interested in trying this, however I have a hard time believing that the 5 parts water doesn’t splatter when it hits a hot pan. Has anyone tried an olive oil water combo in a hot pan? Did or didn’t it splatter?
I actually was making scrambled eggs this morning and after sautéing the veggies for a bit, I realized the pan was a little too dry to add the eggs. So instead of pouring some oil, I just sprayed some of this spray and I didn’t get any spattering. Some sizzling? Yes. But no oil jumping out of the pan or anything. I was using a cast iron skillet. But in general, I would add the oil to a cold pan and let it warm up gradually with the pan; the water will evaporate, leaving the oil to do its thing.
Has anyone else had experience with this? Please share!
I have wanted to break my addiction to Pam for sooo long and now I can thanks to you, Sarah. Can you recommend a good spray bottle? I have had horrible luck .
Thanks,
Sarah
You’re welcome, Angie
I’m happy you found thus helpful! To be honest, I picked up my spray bottle (the one you see in the picture) from the dollar store, so that’s as close to a recommendation as I can give 
Maybe others can chime in if they have recommendations?
GREAT idea! I can’t wait to try this out! You just saved me a ton of money on those stupid aerosol cans of oil! Thank you!
Those stupid cans really are so expensive! Let me know how this works out for you
Hello! Found this via Pinterest and I’m anxious to try it. Out of curiosity, why five parts of water as opposed to one or even none? Is this an optimal ratio?
Thanks!
Daniel
Hi! Thanks for stopping by
The five parts water was really an eyeballed amount. It’s probably more like 4-5 parts. I initially tried straight oil in the bottle (with no water) and even though I was using a spray bottle with a mister, it was shooting out in a stream instead. I just kept adding more water until I got it just right. You can probably start out with 2 or 3 parts water and see how you like that, and just go from there. Let us know how it works out!
Hi Sarah! Thanks so much for linking up to Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways! I will for.sure. be sharing this on fb and pinning! This is brilliant!
Hi Andrea! I’m glad you liked it! I’m a huge fan of the community you’ve created at Frugally Sustainable and really appreciate you passing it on
Thanks!
omg thank you! i just moved to sweden, and have been cooking with straight oil because i haven’t found cooking spray yet. thanks so much for this!!!
Pampered Chef makes a sprayer that works great but I definitely love the more frugal option! Thanks for the tip!
Hi Traci! I have heard good things about the Pampered Chef sprayer, but I’m a lover of all things frugal so go figure
Thanks for stopping by!
I’ve tried the Pampered Chef one years ago and it broke fairly quickly. I recently bought the Misto, but wish I had seen this post sooner. Will definitely get a spray bottle and try this. A co-worker’s mom passed away several years ago after being very badly burned using the aerosol spray over a gas stove. Even though I have an electric stove, I’m still not happy with using the aerosol cans.
Yeah, I’ve heard mixed reviews about the Pampered Chef one, and many people rave about the Misto. But being the frugal, lover of anything homemade kind of gal that I am, I of course went with the homemade route
That is so terrible about your co-worker’s mom; I never even realized that could happen! Yet another reason to stay away from aerosol…
The can actually has a warning label. Now that my kids are starting to cook on the stove, I don’t want to take any chances.
Thanks for the tip! I definitely want to make a frugal grape seed oil sprayer
Have you determined how to make the spray with flour? I have to use that a lot for baking and I find the kind with the flour in it works so much better than regular oil sometimes. Wondering how to make that now! But I will be trying this! Thanks!
There is a tip for that one on Pinterest. it is proportions of Crisco and flour stored in a tub and you paint on with pastry brush.
Hi Nancy, yeah I remember coming across that not too long ago as well – thanks for sharing!
The best pan coat with flour I have used was equal parts shortening, liquid oil and flour. My mom used to be a cake decorator and this never failed her. She just stored it in a tub and painted it on with a brush.
I have a spray bottle I acquired fom Pampered Chef years ago that works pretty well. I has a pump action top that builds pressure before it sprays straight oil (no water). There is a problem with the streaming instead of misting. I think your recipe might solve that.
Hi Jeannie! Thanks for sharing! Yes, I’ve heard good things about the Pampered Chef pump but didn’t realize it also had misting issues. Let us know if this helps!
I love you for this!! I have spray bottle and olive oil on my list for the grocery store today because I want less oil and no SILICONE, etc. from the commercial kind!!! Unbelieveable what is in our food!! BUT, I was going to do the straight oil deal….you saved me a ton of time with this tip!
AND, so glad I found your blog!!
THANK YOU!
Yay! Glad I could help
thanks for stopping by, Juanita!
You can always invest in a misto so you dot have to add water to your oil
where do you store this homemade cooking spray?
it sounds great just need to know how to store?
thank you
Hi Pauline, I just store it with all my cooking oils, in the cabinet above the stove/microwave. As another reader pointed out (and I will edit the post to include this), you want to store it in a cool, dark place to prevent the oil from becoming rancid, etc.
Hope that helps!
Regarding where to store spray container of oil. I have used this idea for quite a while and when my daughter and my 3 year old grandson came for a visit….Daughter used the spray and sat on the counter ready to use again and along came 3 year old behind her …..grabbed the spray oil container. He sprayed Mommy on the back of her jeans, my walls and shoes before we realized what he was up to. I had it marked “oil”, but he can’t read yet and we really had a mess to clean up! Now I place it up on a shelf when grand kids are here.
Oh my, what a story, Carolyn! Yes, in addition to a cool, dark place – let’s add keep out of reach of children
Yeah!
We from Spain, the olive oil country and, and we do this with oil, but not mixed with water. is absolutely brilliant to control fat and Economical!!
You are invited to visit our Blog:
http://www.complementos-unicos.blogspot.com
xoxox
MEr
Thanks for sharing your blog, Mer! I wish I understood Spanish, but from the little bit that I picked up, it looks like you have an amazing site there! Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, great tip! I like the butter flavored spray on my popcorn. Would you happen to have a recipe for that? I’m definitely trying the regular one, those cans are so expensive!
Hi Maria, I actually haven’t thought of that! But I’ll keep it in mind and let you know f I come across anything
What about the commercial buttery popcorn oil, mixed much the same way as this, in another sprayer? I haven’t tried it, but why wouldn’t it work?
Don’t know how this would taste / work, but you can try butter flavored extract added to the oil.
Hi there – saw this on Pinterest – what a cool idea! I’m definitely going to have a look around the rest of your blog!
My only note is that it would be recommended to store this in a cool, dry, dark place – along with other oils to prevent it from oxidizing (going rancid – producing unwanted flavours/colours/odours) faster in the sunlight and under warmer temperatures. =)
Hi Tory! Yes, I actually store it in the cabinet above my stove/microwave, but thanks for reminding me that I should include that in the post!
Love your idea for Tuesdays. Thank you and God bless your work. Keep up the good stuff.
Hi Kathi! Thanks for the kind comments! Blessings back at you
and thanks for stopping by!
This is really great! I can’t wait to try it. Anything has got to be better than the spray can. Thanks for sharing!
No problem, Vanessa! Anything to get those nasty chemicals out of our homes!
great tip! i’m still a bit of a rookie to all this and was curious about two things!
when you say 1 part this, 3 parts that.. what exactly is a “part”? (this has always confused me… lol) second, what about baking? is there a way to make the baking spray homemade too?
Hi Morgan, welcome! Those are great questions
When I say 1 part oil, 4-5 parts water, etc. the parts are just the measurements. So for example, if you’re using cups to measure, it would be 1 cup oil and 4-5 cups water. Note, I didn’t use anywhere near this much for my spray, but this is just a general example. I hope that made sense and I didn’t just confuse you even more lol.
As for baking, I’ve used this both for cooking on the stove top AND baking in the oven with no problems at all, so it works for both!
Hope that helps!
i am so glad you came out with this…i use cooking spray like crazy even on the grill….this saves me so much money and actually works better than the canned stuff, not to mention no more aerosol cans to throw out…
Oooh, the grill!!! I hadn’t even thought of that! Can’t wait to try it on the grill this summer
Thanks!
I’ve been using the pump style spray bottles for years – usually get them at BBB for about $10. 1 for Canola, 1 for Olive. They’re fantastic and I can’t remember the last time I purchased commercial nonstick spray.
That’s great, Carmen! Anything to keep those nasty aerosol cans out of our homes
Just found your blog via Frugally Sustainable on Facebook. Thanks for tip! I will definitely be making this after I run out of the other! I am slowly in the process of switching over our lifestyle to a more natural one, food, cleaning supplies, hair and body care products, etc. I blog about it all over at http://www.beautifulsmhw.blogspot.com. Pinning this too
Hi Lorissa, thanks so much for stopping by! I will definitely be checking out your blog – always looking for new bloggy friends
With the water being mixed with water, how do you think this will last? will it go bad?!?
oil being mixed with water lol not water being mixed with water
Hi Erika,
I only mixed up a little at a time so that I wouldn’t be too worried about that, and I also make sure to keep it stored in a cool, dark place to help slow down/prevent the oil from oxidizing and going rancid. As you know, with anything natural or homemade, the shelf-life isn’t as long as commercial/processed products, so it just requires a little more diligence on our part.
MISTO makes a pump style that I have used for years, one for canola oil and one for EVOO.
Saw this through Pinterest and will give this a shot. I already use a Misto but it doesn’t do quite the trick that Pam does. Thanks for the tip!
I love the butter flavored sprays and butter flavored Crisco—I think I will try
this using Butter Flavoring…..think that would work???
Hmmm, can’t say, but I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try with a little test amount!
I love this idea, and have used it for years. I never added the water, so am going to try that. I never use olive oil, because it should not be heated over 300 degrees. My suggestion is grape seed oil, has a higher heating point.
You’re right, Ida, and I will edit the post to reflect this
I’ve actually been looking into grape sees oil lately, after learning about its higher smoke point. Thanks!
You’re right, Ida, and I’ll edit the post to reflect this. I’ve actually been looking into grape seed oil lately, after learning about its higher smoke point. Thanks!
What a great idea! I found you through Pinterest. I intend to try this…I hate the canned stuff too! Don’t even like the way it tastes! Can’t wait to give this a try! Thanks!
Why do you think coconut oil won’t work? Generally coconut oil is a better choice for cooking since it tolerates heat better than olive oil. I want to try it, the coconut oil in an aerosol can is REALLY expensive.
Hi Kate, of course, coconut oil is a much better option for cooking (grape seed oil has a good high-heat tolerance as well!), but I only mention that coconut oil may not work only because of its high melting point – room temperature. If you can somehow keep it in its melted state (above room temperature), then by all means, go ahead and try it!
Because you’ve added water, once the pan gets hot does the water not cause the pan to splatter all over?
Hey Sarah, someone else asked the same question. I did try this and it didn’t really spatter; it just kind of sizzled a little and then I added the food I was cooking and it was fine. But in general, I would add the oil to a cold pan and let it warm up gradually with the pan; the water will evaporate, leaving the oil to do its thing. You can try to start with a lower ratio of maybe 3:1 oil to water, and then go from there to see what works for you.
Great Idea…. I am wondering about the calories…. Often we use Pam cooking spray to cut back on calories (Ex: If you use a small amount of Pam, there are minimal calories). Do you know how this would compare? I am thinking that because its so diluted that it would be the same? Would like to try this but calories are a huge issue for me. Thanks!
Hi Serena, you bring up a good point. Although I’m not really a calorie counter, so I couldn’t say for sure, but I would think since it’s so diluted, it may end up being comparable to Pam spray.
http://www.clovegarden.com/ingred/oilchart.html
Here is a great site to help with the heating or smoking points of OILs. most oils that you would fry with would splatter, but olive, coconut, flaxseed, rapseed,sunflower seed, would not be as apt to do that. and some of these oils are healtyier for you than Pam as they actually aid in breaking down fat like coconut oil.
cold pressed, Virgin, and Unrefined of: Sesame, Olive, Peanut, Soybean,
Corn, Walnut, flaxseed, oils loose their flavors at high temps during baking and are good for using in this method.
Oooh, thanks for the link, Pauline! I’m going to add it to the post later today.
NEVER store olive oil in the fridge
You might want to recheck that. EVOO becomes rancid quickly when exposed to heat and light, oxidizing and creating free radicals that actually make it UNhealthy. According to this article http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/how-olive-oil-works3.htm at TLC: The only type of olive oil that shouldn’t be refrigerated is the expensive, extra premium kind because as it warms, condensation could get into it and cause a change in taste. Here is a quote from the article – the whole thing is well worth reading:
“Temperature is also important in preventing degradation of olive oil. Experts recommend storing the oil at 57 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of a wine cellar. Aren’t lucky enough to have a wine cellar? A room temperature of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit will be fine. If your kitchen is routinely warmer than that, you can refrigerate the oil.
In fact, refrigeration is best for long-term storage of all olive oils except premium extra-virgin ones. Consider keeping small amounts of olive oil in a sealed container at room temperature — perhaps in a small, capped porcelain jug that keeps out air and light. This way, your olive oil is instantly ready to use. Keep the rest in the refrigerator, but remember that refrigerated olive oil will solidify and turn cloudy, making it difficult to use. Returning it to room temperature restores its fluidity and color.
Another option is to store olive oil in a wide-mouth glass jar in the refrigerator. Even though it solidifies, you can easily spoon out any amount you need. A clear jar is fine because it’s dark inside the refrigerator most of the time.
If you don’t want to refrigerate your olive oil, keep it in a dark, cool cupboard away from the stove or other heat-producing appliances. Olive oil connoisseurs recommend storing premium extra-virgin olive oils at room temperature. If refrigerated, condensation could develop and adversely affect their flavor. Refrigeration does not affect the quality or flavor of other olive oils.”
Just wondering if anyone has tried using this on the grill.
I use pam for baking and cooking and my other half uses the grilling pam on the grill. I’m not sure what the difference is between the two, but I’ve always bought both. As soon as my can is gone I will be making my own, and I’m hoping I can do the same with his can!
Thanks for the great idea!
So far, the only mention of grilling was one person who said she couldn’t wait to try it on the grill, since she uses so much Pam on the grill. I guess we’ll have to experiment to find out!
I an so excited! I only bought the spray can once and never again because I got a coughing fit when I used it. Have always just pored some oil in the pan and wiped it around. I always ended up either having an oily mess or in the case of a cake I wasted quite a bit!
Wonderful tip, thank you! I never had spray on cooking oil in England, but the one time I did have it and used it (my husband had a can when I moved in) it was very useful. I never bought it again after reading the ingredients list, but it had it’s uses and I kinda missed it. Now I get to have the convenience and the health! Thanks again!
I have been weaning myself from oil spray. I find putting a bit of oil on a paper towel and wiping the pan usually works good.
What a great idea! I would however, caution against the use of plastic. Try and find a ceramic, or glass, or stainless steel squirt bottle. Oil in plastic is not good for you. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for the info, Lisa! I’m slowly trying to phase out plastic from my kitchen, but will now make this a priority for my oil storage. It’s funny, because you usually find most oils sold in plastic bottles at the store, but the good quality ones are almost always sold in glass! Never really thought about it before! Thanks
When you buy oil it comes in a plastic jug!
True! But ever notice, the higher quality oils usually come in a glass bottle?
A caution about glass bottles: Glass also needs to be food safe. Non-food safe bottles may contain lead.
does it need to be refrigerated?
I just keep it in a cool, dark place with my other oils, but you could try it in the fridge if you like and let us know how it works.
A solution to the plastic bottles could be as simple as adding the spraying mechanism from a plastic spray bottle to an empty glass vinegar bottle or olive oil bottle. I’ve done this with a few different ones and sometimes you get lucky and they fit!
Yesss! Excellent tip, Cindy! I’m going to try that on my olive oil bottle
I have no idea why but this absolutely does NOT work for me, I mixed half water and half oil and the donuts still stuck to the donut pan, super disappointed! I wasted a bunch of oil LOL, I will either try it with no water or continue to use a baggie and butter and hand wipe them!
Oh no! I use a 4:1 ratio and my muffins usually come out nicely. I just give them a little nudge and a twist and they pop right out of the pan. Maybe you didn’t spray enough? I usually do like 2 sprays into each muffin cup and make sure I saturate the bottoms and sides very well. I’m so sorry it didn’t work for you
Awesome tip! The only thing is, a lot of cheap plastic spray bottles are not food safe. Not all plastics are created equal.
Thanks Wendy, yeah I’m still on a search for a good glass spray bottle with a trigger sprayer, instead of a pump sprayer. I don’t know how well this would work with a pump sprayer but I guess it’s worth a shot!
I was searching for glass bottles with sprayers to fit, and found them on http://www.bottles.us
You just have to make sure the the width of the sprayers fit the width of the bottle (obviously, but it requires you to flip back and forth between the lids and the bottles, just a little bit of a pain).
I got the bottles in a little over a week and they sprayers fit great! It’s a pretty clear glass bottle and fits nicely in my hand. Highly recommended!
This is great, Jess! Thanks so much for sharing! I’ll add this info to the post so others can find it easily
Restaurant supply stores are underutilized when looking for things like this. My husband is a travel nurse, and where ever he is working a contract I make it my business to scope out a a restaurant supply store. It stands to reason that they would be a good source of food grade plastics or specialty items. A little tip: I get excellent prices on DaVinci or Torani flavored syrups at restaurant supply stores – in the $5 a bottle range for the wine bottle size. Sugar-free mango syrup in sweet iced tea is a summer treat like no other!
Cool, thanks for the tips! I’ll definitely have to check out one of these stores around me! When I was younger, my family owned a convenience store/gas station, so we spent a lot of time at stores like this, and you’re right, they really are underutilized!
Hey there! Just wanted to let you know we featured you in our Favorite Find Fridays post over at Whimsically Homemade. We used one of your pictures. If that’s a problem let us know and we’ll remove it immediately. Thanks for your great inspiration!
Hey, thanks! Of course, you can use my picture – I’m all about sharing is caring
I’ll go add your button to the post right now. Thanks again!
Hi,
The idea sounds great – especially the glass bottle. Are you concerned at all about the bacteria count in the water? Should water be stored for days at room temp? Has anyone tried distilled water?
Hmm, that’s a good point Danette! I never thought of that. I’d love to hear someone’s experience with distilled water too.
EDIT: Crunchy Betty recently posted about working with water in homemade products, so I’ve updated the post with info from her site.
Hi, you all! Found you on facebook. Terrific Tip with that oil-spray. I’ll try it out, too.
I’m from Germany and we still do it the old fashioned way with melted margaine or butter and crumbles or flour over it, so nothing sticks. It’s surely easier to spray–if it works–so I’ll be trying it out soon…
i know this sounds like a good frugal idea, but water will make the oil go rancid very quickly.
I have an aluminum misto sprayer than i have used for 2 years with no issues of clogging or streaming. After each use (pump, spray), I release the pressure before I put it back in the cupboard. This was recommended by the ‘most helpful’ review on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Misto-Gourmet-Sprayer-Brushed-Aluminum/dp/B00004SPZV/
$10 for this sprayer is well worth the money, considering it’s metal (not plastic) and it’s only oil (no water contributing to rancidity).
I like the Idea of having tips and bless your heart for being grammatically correct and spelling every single word correctly. However, I don’t know about this water and oil thing?? I thought they don’t mix and that when water touches oil in a hot pan you get splattered good. :/
Hi Charlene! Umm, I’m not sure what correct grammar or spelling have to do with the rest of your comment, but I’ll just take it as a compliment
That being said, this post has really taken off, more than I ever would have imagined! And I’m glad it did because it allowed so many readers to come together and share their experiences with this and other solutions for cooking spray. I’m in the process of editing this post to include some of the most helpful and important tips and tweaks that I’ve learned in the past couple months since publishing this post, so I don’t want to go into too much detail here in the comments box. But, short answer: yes, oil and water don’t mix, but when shaken before each use, the water blends with the oil just enough to act as a vehicle for the oil to spray out of the bottle. The water in a hot pan problem is solved by spraying your pan before it’s heated up.
Thanks for your comment!
Please be very careful and use only food safe pumps and bottles. Particularly if you’re going to sterilize them…All sorts of nasty chemicals are released when some plastics are heated (or frozen). It would be awesome to get a food grade pump with a glass jar.
Water and oil do not mix….. but commercial products contain Lecithin
Lecithin is an emulsifier.
Buy granulated lecithin at the bulk store (not the liquid…it won’t work)
Mix the granules with the water then mix with the oil.
Use the best quality olive oil and keep it in the dark.
THANK YOU!!!! I absolutely despised spending $3 or more on one can of cooking spray that only lasts me two weeks. I thought “Why am I buying oil when I already have a gallon of it sitting in my pantry??” So, like you, I poured what I had into a bottle. I just couldn’t figure out how to get that dang mist… And now you’ve shown us the secret!! I’m going to go add water to my spray bottle right now!
Hello,
I totally love this idea and tried it, but it didn’t work as a non-stick. By the time I got around to using it, it was about 8 days after I had made it. Would that have made a big difference? I really want to use this, so any tips would be helpful!
Something that I’ve been doing for years to replace the spraying idea entirely is brushing on oil. This is ideal for the jobs that do require a bit more oil, but pouring oil is just too much or just not doable.
For example, I use this method with coating my George Foreman grill. I pour just a little into the cap of the oil bottle, dip the silicone brush in, and brush the surface I’ll be using as lightly or as heavily as I need. As long as I’m brushing a clean surface, I can re-dip as needed, and when I’m done, I can pour whatever may be left back in the bottle and seal for another time. It’s pretty easy, can be done with any type of oil, and any type of surface.
Hope this tip can help someone out there looking for another alternative to spraying.
Thanks for sharing, Adriana! I’ve actually started doing this recently. Mostly because I’ve switched almost completely to using coconut oil for all cooking and baking, and since it solidifies at room temperature, I figured it would just clog up the sprayer. It just dawned on me one day that I could just brush the oil on with my pastry brush LOL. I swear, the simplest things seem to take us the longest to figure out sometimes, eh?
What a great tip! I found it on Pinterest, and am sharing it on my blog today. Hope that’s okay!
Megan
Of course that’s ok! Thanks! By the way, I LOVE the name of your blog!
Using a brush with oil does a great job too! Just brush onto the surface you want greased
Hi Sarah. Feel free to add my Pinterest Tested logo to your post and featured page. I think that’s a great idea! And I’ll change the link to your site. Thanks for an awesome post!
Thanks, Jennifer! Done and done!
I’m your newest follower too!
You are being plagiarized (along with myself and dozens of other bloggers).
Here is where your photo is up without attribution:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=422741661102467&set=a.422628484447118.96305.313496135360354&type=1&relevant_count=1
Here is where you can report it:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=422741661102467&set=a.422628484447118.96305.313496135360354&type=1&relevant_count=1
Oh wow, Rachel! At least my photos are watermarked, but so many others aren’t! It seems like such a great page filled with lots of great tips and ideas; it’s a shame the readers aren’t redirected to the actual posts for more info. I think I’ll kindly ask why there is no attribution before reporting it. Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention!
I am glad that you are going to ask her first. It was probably innocent. I am always pinning things and assume that the credit would go to the original pinner because the pins always say via whoever.
Is the spray bottle foodsafe and BPA free?
Hey John, the bottle in the picture is not, but I do mention in the notes at the end of the post that glass bottles or food grade plastic is best
I have always felt the same way and started doing some research… this is what I found. There is no messing with water or measuring. Just fill with any oil and use.
http://www.amazon.com/Misto-Gourmet-Sprayer-Brushed-Aluminum/dp/B00004SPZV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345605914&sr=8-1&keywords=misto
Coconut oil works if you store it in a wide mouth mason & use a silicone or other type of brush to use. Works well for skillets, muffin pans, etc. AND its healthy for you to boot! Make sure to get Organic so you know it hasnt been expressed with chemicals!
I was excited about this idea, but was not pleased with the results. I didn’t feel like it was successful at preventing a lot of foods from sticking. Dang! I will search for other options.
may i know is there any requirement for the spray bottle?
if i simply choose one, would the bottle react with the bottle, causing the release of the chemical from the bottle?
Hi Evan! Yes, as stated in the post, I recommend using a glass bottle to protect the oil.
Most EVOO is already rancid by the time it reaches North America through shipping! Always only purchase the kind that comes in a dark glass bottle, or go to a local Italian food store that makes it there from the olives and allows you to fill your own bottles if available. Finding a food safe sprayer is next near impossible that would not require your tip about water. Either way the only reason I wanted to spray in the first place was to glaze my cast iron pots and pans easier and cheaper, which also would be counter intuitive with water in the mix in the first place; the rust issue. I don’t eat consume canned food or drink from aluminum either so even the Misto which does not advertise BPA free plastic is out for two reasons. I think this post and all its so called helpful responses have left me unsatisfied. I won’t used paper towel for the job as it is expensive and leaves fiber that will eventually get into my recipes. The one silver lining here is that a really good quality, no light penetration, possibly thermos style for leaving it near the stove, food safe olive oil sprayer is desperately in need of invention. Rancids are not worth the cost when you use as much EVOO as I do. I have shopped this idea for a while now and my conclusion is that my hand is still the best option.. excess can go in my hair before I wash my hands. So far after reading all these posts I am not helped one bit and dismayed that anyone would give this post without any of the updates suggested but not made any kind of award. This is liking watching the blind lead the blind right into traffic, horrifying!
I do not see reason why to mix oil and water in spray bottle. You can use only 100% oil in spray bottle and use that also to hot pans. I have studied and worked as chef and we did use always 100% oil in spray bottle. Also spray bottles can handle pure oil and there is cooking spray bottles if you don’t want to use cheap ones. Oil can dissolve from plastic nasty stuff, so better keep using cooking plastic which can handle this dissolving.
Thank you for this great info, I make popcorns regularly and I like to spray my popped corn with cooking spray before adding any flavour as this helps the flavor stick to the popcorn. My worry is, would the water in the oil not make the popcorn become soggy? Thanks
I have returned 4 Mr. Misto bottles because they stop working after a short while. They are great until then. I wonder if anyone has a source for food grade misting bottles.
Try homebrewing supplies.
I was thinking that boiling the spray bottle would melt it and break down the plastic so I’m taking advice from my homebrewer spouse and using a drop or two of bleach to sterilize the bottle. Rinse well. Thanks for all the tips.
I’d just like to point out that for this instance, mixing oil and water might not be so scary. The botulism toxin is destroyed by heating to 190 degrees F for 5 minutes. So if you use this for greasing things that will go into a hot oven, I wouldn’t worry too much about it going bad. It’s still probably a good idea to keep it in the fridge, but even if botulism bacteria manage to grow, baking should destroy the toxin.
Your suggesting we try something that you didn’t? Such as store in a refrigerator, but you stored in a pantry. Finish your research before sharing and it’ll be nice.