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5 Significant Facts About Using Olive Oil In Meals
It makes stuffed meals, vegetable dishes, salads and sauces more delicious. We love each type of olive oil and it is our topic title again.
When we go into the kitchen, olive oil comes first. However, as we have read a lot of news about fictions that it will become harmful to our health because of overheating, we keep distance with it when making some dishes. So we usually prefer sunflower oil when we fry and use corn oil when we make meals that takes long time to cook.
„The whole Mediterranean ... the wine, the ideas ... seems to ride in the sour pungent taste of those black olives ... A taste older than meat, older than wine. A taste as old as cold water.“
Cemre Özgüzel
What would you say if we claim that what you know about olive oil are mostly false or fictional? Come, let us examine and learn all the subtleties and try to correct the misinformation about olive oil.
Is it okay to use for high-heat cooking or not?
"Isn't Extra Virgin Olive Oils not recommended for high temperature frying?". Perhaps we heard this sentence hundreds of times when we wanted to cook with olive oil. We were concerned since olive oil will have a toxic structure at high temperature and the beneficial structures inside it will be damaged, so we preferred not to use it..
But there was something we missed. Did olive oil really have a structure that does not withstand high temperatures? Was it really bad for health or was this just bad science? Although there are many news and explanations on the subject, we can say that there is nothing scientifically proven. In fact, there are scientific researches that explain that olive oil is resistant to high temperature.
The results of the research conducted by the Food Science Department of the University of Bologna in Italy are quite remarkable. The research says that olive oil, especially extra virgin olive oil is resistant to high heat and has enough smoke point to use in cooking methods such as sautéing and frying. This research denies all the rumors about heat and olive oil relationship.
Is the high-temperature turns olive oil from good oil to bad oil?
The following sentence are usually used to emphasize the statement mentioned above: "Olive oil at high temperature loses all its values, becomes harmful."
Let's be more scientific and make the conclusion in this aspect. First of all we all know that extra virgin olive oil has a great benefit to our health. The main reason for this benefit is that olive oil contains phenols that act as antioxidants. When we list quality oils, we see the extra virgin olive oil at the top of this list because of its rich structure in terms of phenols..
It protects our body from free radicals and toxic structures thanks to phenols. Considering that olive oil is actually resistant to heat, we can see that there is no definite information about the fact that olive oil turns into a bad oil. It can be said that, there is no evidence that olive oil becomes a bad oil when heated.
But it's still your decision.
Should olive oil be used when frying?
It's one of the topics people are curious about. Is it ok to use olive oil when frying? We want to clarify that with the researches again. By this time, many of us have used corn oil, sunflower oil or different oils to fry.
But there are two very interesting researches on the subject. In the first research, it is said that olive oil is healthier than corn and sunflower oil when frying. This scientific statement on the subject by the ACS (American Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry) underlines that both extra virgin and riviera olive oils are much healthier than oils such as canola oil and are more suitable for frying.
Another study says that olive oil is appropriate for frying. In this study, International Olive Council says that olive oil is one of the most resistant oils with a boiling point of 220oC degrees and it is one of the rare oils that can maintain its structure even at this temperature.
We do not claim that frying is a healthy cooking method. However, if you want to use frying method, olive oil can also be used like other oils.
Important note: However, it is stated in these studies that the situation would be different for different types of olive oils. The smoking point of different types of olive oil can be different. If it is stated that olive oil is only produced for use in cold meals, do not use such an oil for high-temperature cooking.
Should the cooking pan be pre-heated while using olive oil?
Let's say you cook a dish with olive oil, one of the most important details is that if pre-heating the pan is needed or not.
In pre-heating process you wonder that the oil will not heat up enough or burn. You're worried that your dish won't be like the way you like. Then the following method can save you.
Heat the pan first. Then add the olive oil. Then add the vegetables. Let's say the oil is less than needed. Especially while cooking sautéed vegetables, keep olive oil in one corner and the vegetables in the other. As the pan and olive oil get warmer, slowly put the vegetables in olive oil and sauté them in this way. Thus you get both flavors and colors as you wish.
Is it convenient to re-use olive oil that is fried before?
As with all other oils, there are a few important things to consider when re-using a used oil for frying. One of the biggest problems we will encounter when we use an oil for the second time is that the structure has changed and may be harmful to our health.
These oils, which become rich in free radicals, affect both the taste of your food and your health. Even eating fried meals is not very healthy, frying in a oil used for the second time doubles the results. It's better not to use the oil for twice or more.
The same applies for olive oil. But if you still want to use it again, make sure that your olive oil does not exceed 190oC degrees. If you have fried and darkened ingredients in olive oil, make sure to drain them. After reaching room temperature, filter and put it into a clean container where you can close it tightly. Keep the frying oils in a cool, dry environment away from direct sunlight. Be sure to pay attention to these.
But as we say, it is wiser to use oil once.
In our kitchen, we have a lot of reasons to use these treasures that varies from natural to extra virgin. In the light of science, we hope that we have provided you some information and answer the questions in your mind. In the end, the decision belongs to our valuable readers.
Let the health and flavor always be with you.
References:
Olive Oil, Cooking Techniques, Fry, International Olive Council, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Preheating, High Temperature
