The smoke point of an oil refers to the temperature at which it begins to smoke and degrade. At this point, harmful compounds form in the oil. When it reaches its smoke point, an oil also loses much of its nutrients and antioxidant properties. Pan frying is a technique that uses about ⅓ of an inch of oil or more in the pan, but the food is not entirely submerged in the oil (that’s deep frying). It's also not the same thing as sautéing or stir frying, as these methods have different oil and heat requirements. Most peo­ple know that olive oil has many health ben­e­fits and that using it in low-heat cook­ing and for fin­ish­ing enhances the fla­vors in foods, but what about high-heat cook­ing like fry­ing?

I put together this simple guide to help answer the most frequently asked questions and share what I know to the best of my ability. Harvest date: Although an unopened bottle of EVOO has a shelf life of nearly 2 years, it’s best to buy from a place with good turn over so that you have access to the freshest oils from the latest harvest. If you head to our online shop and tap on any of the olive oils, you’ll see the harvest date and bottling date listed at the top for each bottle. As the flavor of olive oil degrades when heated for long periods of time, we only recommend using your salvaged olive oil for cooking. As the olive oil does retain some flavor from the food you cooked, be mindful of where you used it! Don’t use oil from onion rings for making something sweet, like churros.Navigating the murky waters of buying quality olive oil can be a bit complicated. As a Mediterranean home chef whose favorite and most-used ingredient is EVOO, I get a lot of questions about it. What should I look for? What’s a good olive oil? Can I cook with it? And on and on.

I always have some of this in the cupboard, it's perfect for calorie control. It's very handy that it comes in a pump spray, as this makes it much easier in controlling the amount that you use. I like to use it on my sweet potato oven chips, and I also like to add paprika to the mix. This is also nice lightly sprayed on to a salad for extra flavour. Name: Ensure that the label clearly states that the product is cold-pressed “extra virgin olive oil.” Light olive oil, pure olive oil, refined olive oil, etc. are further processed and are typically blends of different olive oils. All oils and cooking fats (butter included) have a “smoke point.” An oil's smoke point is the high temperature at which an oil starts to break down and form free radicals, which are unhealthy compounds. Not only are they unhealthy, they also impart a bitter or even rancid taste to your fried foods. You’ll know when you’ve hit the smoke point – you’ll smell smoke. Hopefully your fire alarm isn’t too sensitive! When pan frying, the key is getting the oil to the right temperature. You’ll want the oil to be hot enough that it sizzles, but not too hot, otherwise the food becomes brown before the interior can finish cooking. The sweet spot is about 375° F. As the smoke point of olive oil ranges from 350° to 410° F, some olive oils can do the job. Regular Olive Oil For Pan Frying

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Not only do olive oils have different flavors, they also have different smoke points depending on the extraction process, which affects how high you can crank up the heat. Here’s your guide to frying with olive oil. Why Is Frying Oil Important? You may have heard rumors that olive oil is not good for frying, especially if you're using high heat. It’s time to bust that myth. Olive oil can be a great choice for frying – it’s about choosing the right olive oil for the job. (They’ve been doing it in the Mediterranean in places like Greece and Italy for centuries!). That’s where we come in. You can use extra virgin olive oil instead of vegetable oil in most cases. For cooking and baking, EVOO is a healthier option than vegetable oil. I have been using Fry Light Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray quite a lot recently due to my diet and I am not too keen on it.

If you want to use oil, you don’t have to. I received the spoon after learning that a friend had had an actifry for six months and had not seen it in the box. Thank you so much for your assistance. You appear to be rude and rudely answering all my questions. Frylight Vs. Butter: Which Is Better For Cooking? Another good choice for pan frying is light olive oil. While this sounds like a low-calorie option, that’s not actually the case. When the specific origin and type of olive is not listed, the olive oil is likely produced from many different olives mass-produced from different groves and different parts of the world, versus olives of a “single region” or “single estate.” Very simply put, olive oil is the oil that is naturally extracted from olives, the fruit of olive trees. Can aid in weight control– It sounds a bit counterintuitive since a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil contains 14 grams of fat. However, because of its good fat content, EVOO is satisfying and helps control hunger. Some studies found that even the smell of olive oil increases serotonin, the "happy chemical" that can improve your mood and also affects the appetite making you feel a bit more satisfied!Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes– Studies have shown that extra virgin olive oil has positive effects on blood sugar and insulin levels. Some cook­ing oils and fats will reach what is referred to as the smok­ing point before reach­ing tem­per­a­tures required for agood fry. The smok­ing point is the tem­per­a­ture at which achem­i­cal change occurs, result­ing in unde­sir­able smoke and fla­vor. Olive oil is not one of them. See Also: Find the Best Olive Oils for Fried Foods This process also raises the smoke point to about 390° - 470° F, which makes it a good choice for pan frying. Most popular with customers in France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden, but you can buy Fry Light Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray for delivery worldwide. As always, please remember the information shared here on The Mediterranean Dish is intended for your general knowledge. It is not intended as a medical diagnosis or advice. Please be sure to consult your healthcare provider before trying a new diet or a way of eating. Never disregard professional advice or delay seeking treatment based on what you read.

Speaking of smoke points, that’s another consideration. If you’re using a deep fryer, you can set the temperature at around 340° - 380° F. That way, it won’t reach the smoke point of the olive oil. Here’s how to choose the right olive oil for deep frying. Light Olive Oil For Deep FryingCan eliminate harmful bacteria– Studies have shown that extra virgin olive oil is able to fight off eight strains of the harmful bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which lives in the stomach and can cause stomach issues such as ulcers. This handy spray oil product delivers precisely one calorie per spray, making it the perfect choice if you are calorie counting or just watching your weight generally. Cooking fats and oils are con­sid­ered dietary fats of which there are three types, sat­u­rated, trans and unsat­u­rated. The first two are bad, but the third, unsat­u­rated fat, includes olive oil, ahealthy plant-derived dietary fat.