The Truth About Olive Oil

I hope taking hot showers won't make me go to GMO.

IDK what's your smoke point?

Is there some kind of test I can take to find out. People say GMO is bad and I don't want to go there.

I think it's like TDEE-20%

Is it okay to fry stuff in olive oil as long as the temperature does not get too high? I was googling smoke points of oils and found this site...

http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/collectedinfo/oilsmokepoints.htm


I am assuming all oils have their own smoke point...we just need to make sure we dont cook that specific oil past that point. Right?

It won't hurt you if you do. It just basically gets rid of the nutrients so you don't get those when you eat it.

But basically, yes.

Is it okay to fry stuff in olive oil as long as the temperature does not get too high? I was googling smoke points of oils and found this site...

http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/collectedinfo/oilsmokepoints.htm


I am assuming all oils have their own smoke point...we just need to make sure we dont cook that specific oil past that point. Right?

It won't hurt you if you do. It just basically gets rid of the nutrients so you don't get those when you eat it.

But basically, yes.

What freaked me out was that i came across a site and even found it on here something about the oil producing or turning into a carcinogenic which causes cancer....

Is it okay to fry stuff in olive oil as long as the temperature does not get too high? I was googling smoke points of oils and found this site...

http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/collectedinfo/oilsmokepoints.htm


I am assuming all oils have their own smoke point...we just need to make sure we dont cook that specific oil past that point. Right?

It won't hurt you if you do. It just basically gets rid of the nutrients so you don't get those when you eat it.

But basically, yes.

What freaked me out was that i came across a site and even found it on here something about the oil producing or turning into a carcinogenic which causes cancer....

Whenever you see something like that, make sure to do additional research and consider the source.

Oils and their smoke point

One of the main things to consider when evaluating whether it is OK to heat extra-virgin olive oil (or any other oil for that matter) is the smoke point of the oil. The smoke point is the temperature at which visible gaseous vapor from the heating of oil becomes evident. It is traditionally used as a marker for when decomposition of oil begins to take place. Since decomposition incurs chemical changes that may not only result in reduced flavor and nutritional value but also the generation of harmful cancer causing compounds (oxygen radicals) that are harmful to your health, it is important to not heat oil past its smoke point. Inhaling the vapors can also be damaging.

The smoke point is a natural property of unrefined oils, reflecting their chemical composition. When oil is refined, the process increases the oil's smoke point; in fact, raising the smoke point is one of the reasons why the refining process is used. To get a better idea of how refining increases the smoke point of oil, look at Table 1 that shows several examples.

Table 1

Oil type Smoke point
Canola oil, unrefined 225°F
Canola oil, semirefined 350°F
Canola oil, refined 400°F
Safflower oil, unrefined 225°F
Safflower oil, semirefined 320°F
Safflower oil, refined 450°F
Soy oil, unrefined 320°F
Soy oil, semirefined 350°F
Soy oil, refined 450°F
Sunflower oil, unrefined 225°F
Sunflower oil, semirefined 450°F
Sunflower oil, refined high-oleic 450°F
Olive oil and its smoke point

Before I discuss the specifics of the smoke point of olive oil, I want to clarify some terms used to define olive oils since these terms are often a source of confusion for many people:

Extra-virgin: derived from the first pressing of the olives (has the most delicate flavor).
Fine virgin: created from the second pressing of the olives.
Refined oil: unlike extra-virgin and fine virgin olive oils, which only use mechanical means to press the oil, refined oil is created by using chemicals to extract the oil from the olives.
Pure oil: a bit of a misnomer, it indicates oil that is a blend of refined and virgin olive oils.
Now, unlike the information presented in Table 1, the information on olive oil smoke points is, unfortunately, not very clear or consistent since different companies list different smoke points for their olive oil products; this variability most likely reflects differences in degree of processing. Generally, the smoke point of olive oil ranges from 220-437°F. Most commercial producers list their pure olive smoke points in the range of 425-450°F while "light" olive oil products (which have undergone more processing) are listed at 468°F. Manufacturers of extra virgin oil list their smoke points in a range that starts "just under 200°F" and that extends all the way up to 406°F. Again, the variability here is great, and most likely reflects differences in the degree of processing.

Practical tips

In principle, organic, unrefined, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil should have the lowest smoke point of all forms of olive oil since this form of the oil is the least refined, most nutrient dense and contains the largest concentration of fragile nutritive components. Oxidation of nourishing substances found in extra virgin olive oil, as well as acrylamide formation, can occur at cooking temperatures very closer to the 300°F/148°C range. For these reasons, I don't recommend cooking with extra virgin olive oil.

Source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=56

Source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=56

This exactly. Thank you.

Yeah I think it only matters if you want to cook at a high temperature, and I've heard chefs say that it doesn't burn hot enough to seal meat. Now me, I use it all the time, I live in Spain, it's cheap and I'm sure it's better for 90% of your needs. Remember that you should use extra virgin oil for salads and putting on bread (if you eat bread), and normal olive oil for frying.
About the bread thing - as far as I'm concerned margarine isn't fit for human consumption. It's simply the most disgusting thing ever invented. Butter is nice but very fattening. Olive oil goes well on a fresh baguette with a tiny pinch of salt if you want.
Personally I hardly ever fry things at a high temperature anyway. I've just bought one of those halogen ovens which cooks everything so fantastically I haven't fried anything since! Still, everyone here uses olive oil all the time and most people are pretty healthy.
The whole Mediterranean diet thing, otherwise, is a bit of a myth. In bars and restaurants, of course, you get traditional food, but if you look at what people put in their shopping trolleys you'll see that they just eat exactly the same old rubbish as people all over the world eat, except for the oil, so there must be something in it.

As others said olive oil has a low smoke point, the way I use oil is Extra virgin olive oil is for eating raw like on salad, with noodles not cooking or very limited low heat cooking. Regular pressed olive oil is for low to medium heat cooking like green beans other vegies but not for frying. If I fry I will use another oil like Peanut oil.

The reason for these suggestions are that Extra virgin olive oil is expensive and cooking can make it not taste that great. Regular olive oil is pressed and does not cost as much as EVOO and can take higher temps without compromising the taste. You can fry with olive oil but with lower costs oils that hold up better to heat why would you, it is just using the right tool for the job, for example you can use a butter knife to screw in a flat head screw which could be fine in a pinch but if you are building a house you would want to get a real screwdriver for the job.