Olive oil alternatives

Options
2»

Replies

  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    Options
    I use a canola oil spray as my standby for high temps, but I buy small quantities of a variety of different oils for different dishes and purposes. They all have about the same calories, different fat profiles, different smoke points and (most importantly!) different flavors. Avocado, roasted peanut, grapeseed, sesame, olive, coconut, walnut etc. Also, I do use animal fats left over from a roast in small quantities depending on the dish, like bacon grease, goose fat, turkey fat, chicken fat, beef fat, lard etc. They all have different flavors and you can use a very, very small amount.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    Options
    I would probably use peanut oil or canola oil in a wok.
    I don't think olive oil is the right choice for that type of cooking.
    wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/food-guides/cooking-oils
  • cosmichvoyager
    cosmichvoyager Posts: 237 Member
    Options
    yeah, I would use canola oil for stir-frying
  • Escloflowne
    Escloflowne Posts: 2,038 Member
    Options
    Olive oil shouldn't really be used for cooking meats in a wok, it's too high temp. Peanut oil or Canola would be better. Olive oil is better for garnish or taste!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    edited January 2015
    Options
    If you just want less fat calories, add a little water or stock at first. Just enough to keep it from sticking but little enough so it evaporates before cooking ends. You will loose the lovely carmelization that fat provides, but it will lower calories and still taste good.
  • amyhoss
    amyhoss Posts: 414 Member
    Options
    Try coconut oil. It also has a fair amount of calories but it is all good fat.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    Options
    Escloflowne wrote: »
    Olive oil shouldn't really be used for cooking meats in a wok, it's too high temp. Peanut oil or Canola would be better. Olive oil is better for garnish or taste!

    Olive oil can withstand higher heat without damage than canola.
  • amyhoss
    amyhoss Posts: 414 Member
    Options
    Also, I bought one of those olive oil sprays and I hate it! It worked for the first couple of days but after that it would not spray right anymore, just kind of dripped.
  • Victoria2448
    Victoria2448 Posts: 559 Member
    Options
    I agree with the others that said olive oil shouldn't be use to cook with at high temps. Don't use canola either, it's crap. For stir frys use a toasted sesame oil, tons of flavor and healthy.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Options
    Strawmouse figured it out already. EVOO cannot stand the higher heat. Light olive oil can. I linked to a chart with the smoking points listed for all sorts of oils.

    amyhoss, coconut oil is not a good fat. It is high in saturated fat, the kind we are supposed to keep in moderation. Coconut oil is riding a wave of popularity right now, but it hasn't been "earned". http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442477202
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    Options
    Victoria2448 wrote: »
    I agree with the others that said olive oil shouldn't be use to cook with at high temps. Don't use canola either, it's crap. For stir frys use a toasted sesame oil, tons of flavor and healthy.

    Sesame oil has a really low smoke point. Typically, it's added at the end of a stir fry to prevent damage but add flavor while another oil is used for frying.

    Olive oil does smoke at a lower temperature than some other oils, but it is not damaged at it's smoke point like most others.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    Options
    I love the flavour of sesame oil but I agree, it's not really meant to be used at the beginning to fry at high temps.

    Likewise with olive oil, which I love for bread dipping, salad dressing, or drizzling over veggies before baking them. But it's not for high-temperature frying, either. The low smoke point alone is a reason why it's not really recommended for that purpose. And really good olive oil is too expensive to waste on frying, when you lose its flavour anyway, IMHO.

    Canola oil is my go-to oil for frying at high temperatures. High smoke point, really stable, very little flavour so it doesn't affect the foods it's frying.

Categories