Refined Oils

[Amateur1]

I've just found out that I should use refined oils for cooking. They have a higher smoke point, but their nutrients and flavour are greatly diminished.
In terms of flavour and nutrition, are refined olive, canola and sunflower oil pretty much identical?

 

[garlichead]

Personally I haven't used refined seed (vegetable) oils in years (20) and stick with unrefined natural oils and fats, but each to their own. Health wise natural oil and fat will still contain the nutrients found originally in these oils. Most refined oils will create from the deodorizing stage of the refining process trans fats, which should be avoided at all costs and most refined oils are high in polyunsaturated fats which in nature are protected from light, heat and oxygen and which when exposed to these elements in oil can effect their health status and negatively effect our omega balance. Cheers.

 

[Amateur1]

What's the difference between unrefined and Virgin (olive oil) or cold pressed (rapeseed oil)?

 

[garlichead]

What's the difference between unrefined and Virgin (olive oil) or cold pressed (rapeseed oil)?

Firstly cold pressed just means the oil was extracted without the aid of heat, nothing more and nothing less. Saying that when oil is extracted in this manner some heat is produced from the action of pressing. Basically cold pressed means nothing.

Refined oil are oils that are extracted using heat and solvents, mostly hexane. These seed oil go through a process which starts with a degumming then alkali refining, then bleaching, then dewaxing, then deodorizing but there's many other steps as well but these are the main ones.

Unrefined generally means that no heat or solvents were used to extract the oil. I'll add that in olive oil for example there is a distinguishing difference between Virgin and Extra Virgin. Olive oil after it's extracted is graded and if the oil is .08 or less in acidity it can be considered an Extra Virgin and more than .08 and up to 2.0 is graded Virgin. Generally the first press of the olives generates most Extra Virgin olive oil and subsequent pressings the acidity goes up, and sometimes you'll hear Extra Virgin being described as the first pressing.

Rape seed is canola oil and a cold pressed rape seed will have been extracted without heat or solvents and would be considered an unrefined oil.

 

[Amateur1]

If you're making pizza or baking at a temperature above the smoke point of the oil, does that not produce trans fat? I thought we should use refined oil for cooking as it has a higher smoke point ie refined oil is more stable at high temperatures. Is this mistaken or not relevant? Sorry for over thinking.

 

[garlichead]

If you're making pizza or baking at a temperature above the smoke point of the oil, does that not produce trans fat? I thought we should use refined oil for cooking as it has a higher smoke point ie refined oil is more stable at high temperatures. Is this mistaken or not relevant? Sorry for over thinking.

Let me first say that using a refined seed oil that is already comprised in it's health status and many which already have some trans fats in them be a an option if your looking for something that is healthier? A small amount of canola for a few days isn't problematic but if it's someone's go to oil on a daily basis for decades, that is what I'm talking about, people generally don't think in these parameters. If you want to use a refined oil for the odd time your scorching the oil in a frypan, then go for it, but even then I'd have to ask why it needs to be that hot because normally it doesn't.

Pizza or baking above the smoke point of oil is not going to happen, so don't worry about it.

Many unrefined oils and fats are relatively stable at higher temperatures to begin with and 95% of the cooking people will be doing in a home kitchen will not be at such high temperatures.

Unfortunately most people do not or will not allow themselves to believe that animal oils and fats are healthy, which is a generational thing that will take time to change because historically that is what's been used in every culture for thousands of years, without incident. Our omega balance was a 1:4 ratio or there about, something to think about, unfortunately most have no idea what that even means. Cheers

 

[garlichead]

If you're making pizza or baking at a temperature above the smoke point of the oil, does that not produce trans fat?

Ok, I'm addressing this one separately. Generally speaking for my research cooking refined seed oils in a home kitchen does not increase the trans fat content but I haven't researched lately and there may be more studies to draw conclusions from. Reusing seed oils (deep frying) like canola and soy can produce oxidized end products like aldehyde which can interfere with DNA and formaldehyde which is pretty toxic but not sure what the context and dosage would be, plus increase free radical formation within cell structures and the main reason I don't consume any deep fried fast foods anywhere.

Oxidative end products in heated oils happen when there is a break in the fatty acid chain where a double bond happens. For example a polyunsaturated fat has 2 or more double bonds where a monounsaturated fat has one (mono) and saturated fat have none. It's with more double bonds that oxidative stress happens so polyunsaturated fat will be effected the most and seed oils like sunflower, canola, corn have the most, with avocado oil and olive oils being a mono fat have less chance for oxidative stress and saturated fat to have the lowest opportunity to oxidize.

Polymers are another story, which can happen and is the basis for seasoning cast iron pans. I've seen some professional kitchens where the deep fryers are well coated in that deep yellow polymer coating that is almost impossible to remove and certainly don't want to be consuming them.

Sorry my responses have been over the top but you asked lol. and of course if there is only 1 person that actually gets anything out of this is a win as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Amateur1]

Thanks very much.