Oils, Fats and Butters

 

There are a wide variety of oils, fats and butters available, some of them solely available for sales reasons and some that are really very useful.  Below, I have described a dozen or so of them.   

If I label an oil as having a “high smoke point”, you are safe to cook with it at 425 degrees at least, up to 450 degrees.  Most oils are only safe to around 300 degrees if they are unrefined; refining increases their smoke point.  Read the label of the bottle for an exact temperature since it will vary from product to product.  

“Vegetable” oil is something I don’t buy – it can be made of any source, usually soybean, sometimes corn.  It is a lower quality, generic oil made of leftover bits, subject to farm politics even more than most oils are.  It is likely to be overheated, extracted with hexane and other chemical solvents and bleaches, has no remaining vitamin E content, is sold a cheap plastic clear bottle and thus is exposed to BPAs and rancidity.  Feh.

Corn oil and Canola oil are only slightly better, but at least they are one ingredient oils and you know what you are getting!  They both have high smoke points and little or no flavor and are useful for deep fat frying.  Canola oil is often mixed with more expensive oils in salad dressings.  

Grapeseed oil is another high smoke point oil.  Sometimes you can find it in a fairly large bottle from a foreign supplier at a really good price (like at Big Lots! and other markdown stores) but in most grocery stores, it is only available from Spectrum, which is good quality, but fairly expensive.  However, it is another good alternative for mixing with even more expensive and highly flavored oils in salad dressings.

Olive oil comes in 5 general flavor and quality levels.  I always buy extra virgin, although restaurants often use both extra virgin (for recipes where the taste is more obvious) and the lower quality virgin(where the taste is less important).  Pure olive oil sounds nice, but it is inferior quality.  Olive pomice and light olive oil both have the same calories as higher quality oils but very little flavor.  Buy olive oil in colored bottles only to preserve its quality and freshness.  A good, inexpensive grocery store olive oil is DaVinci extra virgin.  A bitter tasting oil available on the west coast is Western Family.                       

Peanut oil that is refined is often used for deep fat frying because it has an especially high smoke point (485 degrees).  However, it doesn’t taste like peanuts and I prefer the unrefined for the flavor, which subtly enhances Cajun, African, Middle Eastern, Southern and Asian dishes.  Unless you live in the deep south, where you might find this at a reasonable price in a grocery store, buy this at an Asian store.  

Sesame oil comes in clear and dark (toasted).  The clear has a very mild flavor and can be used in most cooking, but in my opinion is not worth the money.  Peanut oil is much less expensive.  The toasted oil is irreplaceable.  You cannot cook with it alone because it burns easily, but a small amount added to Middle and Far Eastern dishes is stunning.  I also love a dash of it mixed with butter and spread on bread.  Go to an Asian or Middle Eastern store for sesame oil.  

Safflower and Sunflower oils have high smoke points if they have been refined.

Walnut and Hazelnut oils are very expensive and are best used in salad dressings and sauces and not for cooking in my opinion.  All oils should be bought in dark glass, but these especially, because they will be used slowly in small amounts and should be preserved.  Or you may purchase them in special cans.

Avocado and Almond oils are expensive and unless you are wealthy, are best saved for skincare.

Coconut oil is a multi-purpose wonder.  It can be mixed with butter and spread on bread.  It can be used to thicken fruit desserts that will be refrigerated.  Refined coconut oil can be mixed with butter to increase the smoke point or can be used alone.  If you want a really nice coconut taste, you will need an unrefined, extra virgin, cold expeller expressed oil that is very white.  Sometimes coconut oil bought in Asian stores has a smoky taste, even if it is labeled extra virgin – it is useful in some Asian dishes, of course, or for cooking a steak or fish, but is terrible in a fruit dish or on top of bread.  Refined coconut oil will be mild and in some cases, will hardly have a coconut taste at all.  Prices vary widely.  Make sure you really read the label for size and processing.  I’d probably skip the brands that specialize in vitamins and supplements.  We buy Aunt Patty’s the most, because it is packed here in Oregon, tastes good and is reasonably priced.  It is very similar in quality to several other brands.

Palm oil, which has a texture like its cousin coconut oil, was widely used in deep fat frying, especially for French fries until the anti-saturated fat craze.  It has a higher smoke point and does not go rancid easily as the vegetable oils that replaced it.  I think I’ve had fast food French fries exactly twice in my life, both times over 30 years ago, so I can’t tell you if the taste worsened, but my suspicion is that it probably did.  

Margarines and shortenings are not conducive to health and in my opinion, should not be used.  I wish they had never been introduced to market.  I have a tendency to go on for pages and pages so I will stop now.  

Butter has a smoke point of 300 degrees, which means it is safe for sautéing but not searing, pan frying or deep fat frying.  

Cooking at even low heats destroys the nutrition in the following oils:  flax, pumpkin, evening primrose and wheat germ.