Cooking Oil Part II - Types of Vegetable Oils

The last article about cooking oil introduced to its characteristic, with the goal that at the end of this cooking oil series the healthiest oils would be known. And the stressful worry of using the wrong type or unhealthy source of fat would be eradicated. This mental agony is due to how fat have been vilified as a cause of some debilitating diseases. Although most vital organs in human anatomy and its physiology are basically fats and needs fats as a precursor for most hormones. Hence, fat and consuming it are important part to properly function.   

There are a wide variety of edible fats from plants and animals. Plant sources of fat are mainly called vegetable oils, and oils are from either from the seeds, the flowers or the fruits of the plants.  The seeds are crushed, and the oil is squeezed out, heat maybe or not applied.

Uses of Vegetable Oils

Industrial Uses

Vegetable oils are used as an ingredient in many manufactured products like soaps, skin products, perfumes and cosmetics. It is also used to make candles, paints and other wood treatment products. It is also used to make biodiesel, as an alternative for conventional diesel fuel. It has limited industrial use as vegetable oils are chemically less stable and easily become rancid.

Culinary Uses

Many vegetable oils are used for cooking. It has directly use as an ingredients in baking for softer texture, solid structure, flavor and flavor base. Another direct use of vegetable oils is as a condiment and/or a finishing ingredient for flavor and to help carry flavor. It is also use indirectly as a medium to heat and cook food like stir frying, sautéing, roasting and grilling.

With so many application of vegetable oil in cooking choosing oil based on its characteristics to match the cooking activity and food  is a crucial step in cooking in itself. For example in sautéing, this cooking method requires relatively high heat or temperature, and minimal amount of fat or oil. The ideal oil to be used in sautéing is one with a high smoke point, which could stand heat and high temperature without disintegrating and burning, an oil with a low smoke point will start to break down  at high temperature and become bitter.

Here are different types of common vegetable oils for cooking and process of extraction, characteristics like flash point and smoke points, and proper use of each of them.

Types of Vegetable Oils

Vegetable Oil

The term, vegetable oil, is for all oils that are from plants, but in industrial and manufacturing labeling connotes to a blend of several vegetable oils with high smoke point, such as corn, soybean, palm and sunflower. Most of these “vegetable” oils are highly processed and refined extract.  It is the most common commercially used of all oils, especially in frying, as it is inexpensive and longer expiration.

Palm Oil

This highly use oil both in culinary and industry is currently in the hot seat following growing concerns raised by NGOs about its social and environmental impacts. The palm oil is edible oil derived from the traditional cold-pressed pulp of the fruit of the oil palm. The high yielding palm oil and its fruit encourage the wide cultivation to the point of intentionally denuding forest and infringing of lands and taking advantage of indigenous people as cheap source of labour.

Palm oil has a high smoke point of 450-489 degree Fahrenheit, flash point of 615 degree Fahrenheit and fire point of 666. It is ideal of high temperature cooking like frying, sautéing, grilling and roasting.

Soybean Oil

This vegetable oil is from cracked, heated, and solvent extracted seeds of the soybean. Further processing is applied to refine and hydrogenate as edible vegetable oil. It has a smoke point of 446-464 degrees Fahrenheit, flash point of 626 degrees Fahrenheit and fire point of 680. Its application in food is mostly used in frying and baking, but it is also use as a condiment for salads.

However, the application expands to other area as it is used as a drying oil for oil painting and printing inks. It is also use a fixative agent in insect repellants and essential oils.

…to be continued

This is just a partial list of the cooking oils, starting with the different types of vegetable oils.  Please watch out for the next part of this series in rediscover old and common kitchen items, it characteristics and its proper use.  With the goal to find the healthiest of edible fats that could be use without worry in cooking.

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As always enjoy learning!

References

1. Kinkead, E.B., Sehbai, D.S. & Tunney, C.J. (Eds.). (1972). Modern Century Illustrated Encyclopedia (Vols. 9, 16, 23). Australia: McGraw-hill Far Eastern Publishers

2. The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (2013). Encyclopedia Britannica. [Website]. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/fatty-acid

3. Gunstone, F.D. (Ed.). (2011). Vegetable Oils in Food Technology: Composition, Properties and Uses (Second Edition). United Kingdom: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.