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Among the many varieties of oils used in cooking, one of the most popular is olive oil. It is a beneficial plant product that benefits the human body. However, the debate about whether it is possible to fry in olive oil does not subside.
Many people believe that this product is suitable only for consumption in raw form, for example, for salad dressing. And during heat treatment, it loses many properties.
Beneficial properties
Olive oil consists of:
- 72% monounsaturated fatty acids, mainly Omega-9
- 14% saturated fatty acids, mainly palmitic
- 10% polyunsaturated Omega-6 fatty acids
- 8% polyunsaturated Omega-3 fatty acids
- vitamins A, E, K, D
- antioxidants
Improves the condition of the skin, nails, hair, rejuvenates the body.
Promotes the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, reducing the risks of heart attacks, strokes, stabilizing blood pressure.
Beneficial for pregnant women-promotes proper intrauterine development and formation of bones, brain, nervous system of the fetus.
Lowers cholesterol cleanses blood vessels.
Does olive oil become toxic when heated?
All cooks use vegetable oils in the kitchen. They are perfect for dressing salads, and you can also use oil for frying. And here you need to pay special attention to this point because, under certain conditions, products fried in oil become dangerous.
The oil begins to emit harmful carcinogenic substances:
- If you heat it to the smoking temperature and above
- If you store it in contact with oxygen in the air (in an open or leaky package) or the light — in this case, oxidative damage to the oil occurs
The “smoking temperature” is the temperature at which the vegetable oil begins to smoke. From this moment on, harmful substances begin to form intensively in the product:
- Acrolein is an aldehyde of acrylic acid, has a tearing effect. It can irritate the mucous membranes of the eyes and respiratory tract. The process of acrolein formation begins immediately when the oil reaches its smoking temperature.
- Acrylamide is an amide of acrylic acid. It affects the nervous system, liver, irritates the mucous membranes.
As for rancidity, harmful substances forming during this process:
- Aldehydes — they are toxic and can be accumulated in the body. They may have an irritating effect as well.
- Ketones enter the body through the skin and have an irritating effect.
- Low-molecular-weight fatty acids-most of them do not pose a health hazard, but they, like aldehydes and ketones, are responsible for the characteristic smell of rancid oil.
Olive Oil is a Healthy Frying Option
Despite all the restrictions, some types of olive oil are safe when frying. Refined olive oil is the most suitable product. When you use such oil, it reduces the harmful effect of fried foods.
Unrefined olive oil is only suitable for frying products at a lower temperature. If the temperature is more than 185 degrees, then the products will burn and the beneficial qualities will lose their nutritional value.
It increases the content of aldehydes in food, which negatively affects the nervous system.
You need to follow some rules when frying with olive oil:
- do not use too much oil
- when frying, the oil should not smoke, but keep the temperature high
Is it OK to fry eggs in olive oil?
One of the properties of olive oil is its smoking temperature. It is significantly higher than that of other vegetable oils and animal fats. It follows that at a time when other vegetable oils begin to burn out while releasing carcinogens dangerous to health, olive oil will continue to “work”.
There is an opinion that when frying in any oil (not only olive oil), the caloric content of food increases. The oil is partially absorbed into the products, partially covering them from the top. However, frying it in olive oil eliminates these concerns.
Olive oil has a very high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids. They are well absorbed by the body, while not being deposited in the form of a fat layer, but actively participate in the metabolism. For example, removing excess cholesterol from the body.
Olive oil burning temperature is higher than that of other olive oils. It means that you can use it in smaller quantities. In addition, cooking at a higher temperature (within reasonable limits, of course) allows you to optimize the process, making it faster.
Both refined sunflower and refined olive oil are suitable for cooking at high temperatures (up to 120 °C). During the refining process, about 40% of tocopherols from their content in unrefined oil remain in olive and sunflower oil. As a result of this treatment, the resistance of vegetable oil to oxidation increases.
At the same time, refining does not affect the energy value of the product in any way.
For deep-frying, it is recommended to use refined olive oil, because it has a high content of oleic acid (omega-9). Due to this, olive oil has high stability to oxidation under the influence of higher temperatures (the deep-frying temperature is usually 180-190 °C).
Best olive oil for frying
The benefits of olive oil are an indisputable fact. However, due to the popularity of this product, there are many low-quality fakes. Olive oil belongs to superfoods. High-quality oil is beneficial for the body. It contains Omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids( oleic acid), phytosterols, and other substances.
Olive oil participates in the regulation of” bad “and” good ” cholesterol in favor of good and has a positive effect on the hormonal sphere. We can divide all olive into two types.
- Extra Virgin. It is a product of the first pressing of olives, carried out coldly. The spin is carried out immediately after collection. Due to its rich taste and aroma, this olive oil is suitable for salads.
- This product is a mixture of oils. It contains 85-95% refined oil, which has no taste and smell, and 5-15% cold-pressed oil to give the dish a light aroma of olives. This olive oil is better for frying.
To choose a high-quality Extra Virgin oil, pay attention to several points:
- The container for storing oil should be made of dark glass or generally opaque (for example, a tin can). Under the influence of light, olive oil changes the taste and smell.
- The shelf life of the first-pressed oil is up to 2 years. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the label for the date of production. It is optimal to buy oil “no older than” six months. After opening the bottle, the shelf life of the product is one month.
- The acidity index should ideally not exceed 0.5-0.8%.
- The package may be marked PDO, DOP, IGP, BIO. All of them speak about the highest quality control of ingredients and the production process. It is the best olive oil.
- The color of the oil varies depending on the combination of ripe and green fruits and can be yellow-green, yellow or mustard, even brown. The main thing is that there is no sediment in it.
Myths VS Facts On Frying With Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of the oldest products, around which many legends and myths have arisen. Let’s start with the most common myths:
- High-quality olive oil can not be bitter and cause burning. Bitterness and burning are two important positive characteristics of Extra Virgin olive oil.
- The intense green color indicates the high quality of olive oil. The color does not affect the taste or the beneficial properties of the oil. It depends on the time of harvest and the variety of olives.
- You can not fry in Extra Virgin olive oil. All the beneficial properties of the oil disappear during the healing process. So if you want to use Extra Virgin oil for frying, then do it for dishes that are cooked no more than 3-5 minutes: scrambled eggs, toast, meat tenderloin with blood.
- For children, you need to use special olive oil. There is no olive oil specially made for children. It is a banal marketing move.
- Olive oil is better than other vegetable oils. Numerous studies confirmed its beneficial properties, both in the countries producing olive oil and in the consumer countries.
Now let’s move on to the facts about olive oil:
- Olive oil is considered a symbol of success.
- Due to the complexity of the processing process, olive oil is more expensive than sunflower oil.
- You can give it to children from 6 months.
- The olive tree lives for about 500 years.
- Olive oil slows down the aging process.
- Olive oil helps prevent cancer.
Is extra virgin olive oil good for frying?
Natural first-pressed oil contains almost all the beneficial substances that are present in vegetables. However, it is not suitable for frying.
More often, chefs take it for salads, adding it to ready-made dishes. In the “Extra virgin” oil, you can lightly fry products that contain a lot of water, or those whose time to readiness is minimal (eggs, potatoes, various semi-finished products).
Can you use olive oil to deep fry?
In the list of the first and most popular oils is sunflower oil. Everyone uses it for cooking various dishes, dressing salads, vinaigrettes, frying meat, fish, vegetables, etc.
The most beneficial thing for a person is olive oil. It is absorbed in the body better than all vegetable oils. Like sunflower oil, olive oil can be refined and unrefined.
You can use cottonseed oil only refined and for cooking dishes during hot processing, so using this oil in a deep fryer is the most suitable way.
What Are Polyphenols in Olive Oil?
Polyphenols are powerful natural antioxidants. Premium olive oil is a natural fruit juice containing polyphenols and valuable antioxidants.
Many believe that the polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil are responsible for the low incidence of heart disease associated with people who regularly eat a Mediterranean diet.
The concentration of phenol in olive oil depends on several variables:
- grade/grade
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the stage of maturation (the content of oleuropein decreases as the olives mature)
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environmental factors (altitude, cultivation methods, irrigation)
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extraction conditions (heat, added water, malaxation)
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extraction systems used to separate oil from olive pastes (pressure systems, centrifugation)
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storage conditions
The polyphenols in olive oil include:
- «Оleuropein». Affecting the bitterness in extra virgin olive oil, this compound helps to stimulate autophagy, the process of destroying damaged cells and regenerating new healthy cells in the human body.
- «Оleacein». This compound is beneficial for fighting cardiovascular diseases. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects.
- «Оleocanthal». Responsible for the sharpness of extra virgin oil because it is a compound as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, similar to ibuprofen. It is fatal for cancer cells.
At what temperature does olive oil become toxic?
If we are talking about Virgin olive oil, then the recommendations here are almost the same as for the previous type. For both variants, the smoking temperature will be 155-216°C. Refined olive oil is considered optimal for frying.
The temperature at which it begins to burn, releasing harmful substances, is already 240°C. Pomace is also a good product for frying since it can safely withstand a temperature of 235-245°C without starting to smoke.
However, its use is considered very doubtful. It is better to sacrifice these factors so that the food does not become harmful.
Closing
For frying, the best option is olive oil. It is expensive, but at the smoking temperature, it does not emit carcinogens. With other types of it, you need to be extremely careful, especially with palm oil.