What’s The Right Oil For Kitchen Use?
From Jeff Cox
It’s not only important that your cooking oils are organic and free of agricultural adulterants and chemicals, but that they are the right oils for the type of cooking you’re doing. A lack of understanding can be detrimental to your health.
When oil used for frying or sautéing gives off smoke, it not only emits an acrid smell, but healthy fats in the oil can be transformed into unhealthy trans fats. In addition, free radicals are formed that can oxidize cholesterol in your bloodstream to create artery-clogging plaque.
Discard any oil that has reached its smoke point. Use this table to determine which oil is the best to use for your purposes.
| Uses | Oil Type | Smoke Point |
| High Heat Oils | ||
| These are the oils to use | Avocado | 510°F. |
| for high heat applications | Almond | 495°F. |
| like frying and sautéing. | Apricot Kernel | 495°F. |
| Sesame | 445°F. | |
| Medium High Heat Oils | ||
| Good for lower heat | Canola | 425°F. |
| sautéing and baking. | Grapeseed | 425°F. |
| Walnut | 400°F. | |
| Coconut | 365°F. | |
| Soy | 360°F. | |
| Peanut | 355°F. | |
| Medium Heat Oils | ||
| Full flavored, unrefined | Sesame, unrefined | 350°F. |
| oils good for sauces and | Toasted sesame | 350°F. |
| salad dressings, and for | Olive, extra virgin | 325°F. |
| medium heat sautéing | Corn, unrefined | 320°F. |
| where the oil’s flavor | Coconut, unrefined | 280°F. |
| is integral to the dish. | ||
| No Heat Oils | ||
| These unrefined oils have | Borage | 225°F. |
| a robust flavor and such a | Flaxseed | 225°F. |
| fragile structure that they’re | Wheat germ | 225°F. |
| best used on a finished dish | Evening primrose | 225°F. |
| or blended into a dressing | ||
| or sauce without heating. |
Of all these oils, the one with the most health benefits is olive oil. Unfortunately, most of the olive oil sold in the United States is rancid or inferior, especially those oils imported from Europe or the Middle East. Just in the last five years, California organic olive oils have achieved quality levels that make them as good as any in the world. You can see the names and contact information of suppliers by visiting California Olive Oil Council.
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Jeff Cox is author of The Organic Cook’s Bible and lives in Sonoma County, California.
Image Credit: California Olive Oil Council
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Wednesday, November 21st, 2007 at 10:42 am
