about cooking/salad oils

16 years ago

(Before I start, a very Merry Christmas to all!)

OK, I use EVOO in the big jugs from Costco for about everything, sauteing, salads, etc. I must not use too much because the two-bottle pack lasts me quite a while. I keep the oil I am using in a dark wine bottle with a bar-type pour spout right at the side of the rangetop along side my kosher salt container, and I refill the bottle as needed. I do buy a super-premium EVOO for special salads, too.

And then I have some whatever oil for very mild dishes or for frying chicken or baking. Now, every time I buy this, I stand there for a long time looking at the labels. There's corn oil, 'vegetable' oil, canola oil, peanut oil (which I never buy at those prices), and something called 'blended' oil, whatever that means. I buy one or the other, but am never sure if I am getting the best thing for what I use it for.

So what do you all use for those events when EVOO is not proper? Note, I fry chicken maybe every three or 4 months, the rest of the time we do various saute dishes that are fine with EVOO, sometimes with a taste of butter added. SO I am not looking at buying a large bottle of anything, nor planning on using it up quickly!

What is preferred or best? Thanks, I love you all for all the great advice and recipes and friendship throughout the year!

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Comments (15)

Terri_PacNW
16 years ago
In the past 2 years I've changed the way I do a lot of things..

I fry in coconut oil or palm shortening. I use Organic EVOO from Ca for sauting and salads..I also use Grapeseed Oil when needing under a cup of "vegetable type" oil...

I used to fry in Peanut Oil..and for certain things that taste is the best..but I'm finding that Coconut oil just makes things crispy and let's their flavor come out.

But most things are made with butter, even when oil is called for..or a mix of butter and the palm shortening or coconut oil.
compumom
16 years ago
If not EVOO, then Canola or Grapeseed. Our friend the cardiologist uses the canola oil, but I've read good things about the grapeseed and Lars showed me an article that says its better at a higher temperature than peanut. I only fry latkes once a year, but there are those other dishes where the neutral flavored oil is called for.
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beanthere_dunthat
16 years ago
I found some grapeseed oil on sale a couple months ago when one of the stores was decreasing their selections in certain departments. I've been pleased with it for when I want a nuetral flavored oil.

The once a year or so that I actually fry anything, it's usually malasadas or poppers. Then I've used canola.
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
16 years ago
Canola is my basic cooking/baking oil after evoo.
justaguy2
16 years ago
I guess I am pretty simple when it comes to oil. I avoid those high in saturated fats.

For high heat applications I use Canola and for low/no heat application I use olive oil. The reason for this difference is simply that the smoke point of olive oil is usually lower than it is for Canola and I find olive oil may impart a slightly off flavor if heated to it's smoke point or beyond.

I don't use a deep fryer, if I did I would have to look into peanut oil.
dgkritch
16 years ago
I also use olive oil for most applications; saute', spritzing for baked fish, chicken, salads, etc. I drizzle it on my air pop popcorn with some salt.

For baked goods or higher heat, I use canola.

I do have a tub of butter flavor shortening in the cupboard for pie crusts, but I think I've been using the same tub for about 3-4 years!

I don't deep fry anything. The rare occasion that I eat deep-fried food is in a restaurant situation.

Deanna
canarybird01
16 years ago
I also don't deep fry anything and use any oil sparingly.

I spray extra virgin olive oil from a hand pump sprayer on pans for sautÃ©ing and drizzle it on bread or vegetables as a substitute for butter.

We don't get Canola oil here but we do get mixed seed oils which include rapeseed, the seed used in Canola oil (smokepoint 450F) as well as sunflower seed oil (smokepoint 450F) which I sometimes use.

SharonCb
sushipup1
Original Author
16 years ago
OK, Canola oil it is! At least I won't have to stand there at the store looking lost! My fried chicken is the style done in about 1/2" oil, not deep fried, Can't recall the last time I made real homemade deep-fried french fries.

Thanks to you all.
foodonastump
16 years ago
I always have EVOO which I use 90% of the time, and canola oil which I use whenever vegetable oil is called for. Or for frying. Canola seems popular on this thread so far but I believe there are objections to it - genetically modified stuff or something. I don't remember exactly; hopefully we'll hear about it.
sffog
16 years ago
i use canola oil for deep frying or high heat stir frying, evoo(extra virgin olive oil) for salads, over pasta for flavoring, light olive oil for sauteing, i don't use coconut or palm oil in cooking too much saturated fat bad for my health, don't get me wrong i eat it because its in many types of cookies or snacks but i try. canola oil, light olive oil from costco, evoo from farmers market. we are so spoiled in san francisco with farmers market all year, whole food 2 in the city ,3 trader joes within 5 miles of my house, Happy New Year
Lars
16 years ago
I also use grapeseed oil for deep frying and for when I want a neutral flavored oil. I don't like the peanut flavor of peanut oil, and so I never use that. An even better neutral oil is avocado oil, but it is seldom cheap, except when I bought it at Big Lots. Both grapeseed and avocado oils have very high heat tolerance.

Lars
caliloo
16 years ago
I also use canola for anything where EVO wont work (for all the reasons above).

Alexa
centralcacyclist
16 years ago
Canola oil or safflower oil if I don't have rice bran oil, which is my favorite for all things not appropriate for EVOO. It is neutral in flavor and has a very high smoke point.
doucanoe
16 years ago
EVOO and Canola are what I use also. I do have a small bottle of sesame oil that I bought for some recipe a while back, but didn't really like the flavor of it. Weird, since I love sesame seeds....

Linda
sushipup1
Original Author
16 years ago
We use sesame oil because of the flavor, in a sauce for chicken on the grill. But not as an oil for anything but specific recipes,

about cooking/salad oils

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compumom

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about cooking/salad oils

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