Olive oil for frying and cooking - why not?

 

At farmers' markets, you often ask us if you can also use our olive oil for cooking and frying. And we say: why not?

Olive oil is used in Mediterranean cuisine for everything from fresh salads to pasta and meat and vegetables. In fact, the Spaniards do not even consider using any other oil to cook food. Olive oil is far healthier than any other fat, so there is no reason not to replace it with butter or sunflower oil during cooking. Also, you will need it less than butter: one tablespoon of butter will be replaced by two and a quarter teaspoons of olive oil.

Also, olive oil has one big advantage: you can reuse it up to five times in a row. For example, if you fry shrimp on it, do not be afraid to use the rest of the oil in salads or to fry another meal. Also, the taste of the olives blends beautifully with the taste of the fried food and gives it a touch.

 

It is true that extra virgin olive oil is used more for cold dishes. It is a pity for many gourmets to fry it. But if you have good meat, why not make it in good oil? You can even fry in it, the food will then get a golden brown color. Extra virgin olive oil is also suitable for desserts.

If you want to enrich your cuisine with a unique taste, add herbs to olive oil. Just a few sprigs of rosemary, basil, lavender, or garlic. Just be careful: olive oil with loaded herbs spoils faster.

You can also spread everything you bake with olive oil. Try the frying chicken and turkey meat when roasting - you will see that it will be softer. Extra virgin olive oil is also suitable for roasting nuts. A small amount is enough, thanks to which they get a more pronounced taste.

However, care must be taken not to smoke out of the oil during cooking or frying. As soon as the first smoke appears, something is wrong - once the oil crosses the so-called smoke point, you have to replace it, because harmful free radicals can be released. The smoke point of extra virgin olive oil is usually around 210 to 215 degrees Celsius, which is more than many other oils - such as unrefined sunflower oil, butter, and some rapeseed oils. In addition, you often do not even reach such high cooking temperatures. In addition, olive oil does not contain as much fat as other oils, so the food you prepare on it is healthier. But it should definitely not be mixed with other types of oils.

Extra virgin olive oil is, therefore, a completely equivalent raw material, which is often forgotten during heat treatment, despite its undeniable advantages. The International Olive Oil Council points out that the structure of olive oil does not undergo a significant change during heat treatment, as does other oils, and it also retains its nutritional value and healthy substances - such as antioxidants.

 

 However, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil must be handled with care. It contains microscopic parts of olives, so it is not suitable to use it at high temperatures - pieces of olives could burn. However, it is great for the final seasoning of dishes and for all cold cuisine. So if you are a lover of olive oil, get both filtered and unfiltered.

 

And finally, a small tip: if you want to be sure that you will not waste oil unnecessarily and it will be evenly spread on the food, get a handy sprayer.

Source: International Olive Oil Council, Cal Orey - The Miraculous Power of Olive Oil

 Thanks for reading this blog please share or like and comments.