Dear HGJ,
What is the healthiest cooking oil? I usually use olive oil, but I’m wondering if there are any other options.
You’re in luck - depending on the temperature you’re using to cook your food, there are plenty of other options.
The number 1 concern when choosing an oil or fat is temperature: are you going to use the oil to dress a cold salad? Sauté at low heat? Crank up the stovetop dial to 10 and whip out a hot-and-fast stir-fry? For the sake of flavor and health, you should choose an oil that’s suited to the job at hand. (And for safety’s sake as well - when oil reaches its smoke point, it bursts and spatters onto the unlucky cook. When it reaches its flash point, you have a grease fire.) Also, think about your wallet: assuming that you begin with a fresh oil, if you overheat it and turn it rancid, you’ve just wasted your culinary cash. What’s the point in splurging on a cold-pressed Tunisian estate olive oil if you’re going to burn it into oblivion?
Fortunately, the nutrition data labels on oils and fats make it very easy for educated cooks to choose their oils wisely. Look at the breakdown of the three main natural fats: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Oils and fats that are primarily saturated can handle high heat (coconut oil, palm oil, butter and ghee). Oils and fats that are primarily monounsaturated can handle low to medium heat (olive oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, and many others - most fall into this category). Oils and fats that are primarily polyunsaturated should never be heated (flaxseed oil, walnut oil, pecan oil, etc.).
Without getting too technical, an oil’s ability to handle heat stems from its molecular structure - saturated fats have much more stable conformations than unsaturated fats, and monounsaturated fats have more stable structures than polyunsaturated fats. They should therefore be used and stored accordingly to preserve their health benefits, flavor, and freshness.
Store polyunsaturated fats in the refrigerator to lengthen their life. Monounsaturated fats can also be stored in the fridge to make them last longer and taste better, but they will become semi-hard. If you’re going to use them within three months and you’d prefer the convenience of having liquid oils, put them in a cool, dark cupboard away from all heat sources. (Don’t store them over the stove!) Saturated fats
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can be kept refrigerated, too, but again, they’ll turn rock-hard. You can do a simple experiment by comparing refrigerated flaxseed oil, olive oil, and butter: the flaxseed will be a thin liquid, the olive oil will be mushy and cloudy, and the butter will need a knife to pierce it.
Oils that say “cold-pressed” or “expeller-pressed” are oils that have been processed using minimal pressing techniques - they’re made from raw materials that have simply been cleaned and pressed in cold darkness, thus minimizing their exposure to heat, light, and chemicals. These oils are typically sold in opaque or tinted containers to protect their freshness. (Although “extra-virgin” olive oil is by definition cold-pressed, the “extra-virgin” label is generally not used with any other type of oil.)
Oils that are not labeled as being cold - or expeller-pressed (or extra-virgin) have been heavily processed - along the way, they’re exposed to light, excessive pressure, chemical solvents like hexane, lengthy procedures like deodorizing and refining, and temperatures as high as 500 degrees F. These oils are probably rancid before they hit the grocery shelves, much less yours. (Word to the wise: olive oils euphemistically marked “pure,” “light” and “natural” are refined oils. Only extra-virgin olive oil has been cold-pressed.) If you’re looking for oil with the most health benefits and flavor, choose a cold- or expeller-pressed oil.
Just remember: choose unrefined oils whenever possible and then decide which one you’re going to use based on how you’re going to use it. (Also remember to store your oils properly once you’ve gotten them home.) Experiment with using different oils to compliment different dishes - sesame and peanut oils, for example, blend well with Asian dishes. Coconut oil is great with Caribbean dishes. African cookery uses palm. Mediterranean cuisine features olive oil. Salads can be greatly enhanced with delicate nut and seed oils - walnut, hazelnut, pumpkinseed - or with flaxseed oil.
If you’re cooking at a high heat but still want the signature taste of a more-delicate oil, cook with butter or ghee (which is clarified butter), remove the dish from the heat, and then drizzle on whatever oil you’d like. You’ll be amazed at how flavorful and fresh everything tastes!
Lisa Howard is a food and health writer based in Berkley, Michigan. She hosts www.theculturedcook.com, a culinary blog and marketplace dedicated to making all of us more knowledgeable nibblers. Stop by her e-kitchen for a byte or two! |
