Kitchen Basics, Lesson 5, Cooking Oils

randy mayor

Have you noticed how the cooking oil aisle in the grocery store has seemingly multiplied in size in the past few years? What was once an exclusive soiree of corn, canola and olive has turned into a full-fledged party. Newbies include avocado, safflower, sesame, walnut and more. Pretty cool, huh? Now, only if we knew what to do with all of em'...


To start, all oils have something called a "smoke point." This is the temperature at which the oil will break down and lose its ability to be effective. A high smoke point allows for more heat than a lower smoke point would. This (and flavor) are essentially what makes oils differ from each other. 


Here is a quick guide of oils and their respective smoke points to help navigate you through all the many choices:


Avocado Oil, 520 F
Butter, 302 F
Clarified Butter, 374-482 F
Canola Oil, 468 F
Coconut Oil, 351 F
Corn Oil, 457 F
Grape Seed Oil, 399 F
Lard, 280-394 F
Mustard Oil, 489 F
E.V. Olive Oil, 374 F
Palm Oil, 446 F
Peanut Oil, 448 F
Safflower Oil, 509 F
Sesame Oil (Unrefined), 351 F
Soybean Oil, 466 F
Sunflower Oil, 475 F
Walnut Oil, 399 F


Remember, when deep-frying or pan-frying it is important to use a cooking oil with a high smoke point such as Canola. Flavorful oils such as walnut and olive oil, which have a slightly lower smoke point, are best used in dressings, very low-heat cooking and even as substitute for the fat in baked goods. 


Good Luck, and Happy Cooking!

Comments

[Jazzy E (hivenn)]

Thanks for these! Brilliant. http://www.hivenn.com/" rel="nofollow">x hivenn

[jacquelynnicole]

I like to think of myself as a pretty good cook (self proclaimed, naturally!) but I never knew this. Thanks for the tips!