Oils are used for basting, marinades, frying and dressings. They are made from vegetables, fruits, seeds or nuts and are much more healthy than animal fats. With all the choices on the shelves, it’s really hard to know which oil to pick for whatever you’re cooking. This is a basic list of the oils you’ll typically find in the grocery store and what types of recipies you may want to try them in!
Olive Oil
The KING of oils (in this humble Italians opinion). It’s the most healthy as it is high in mono unsaturated fat which has been shown to help reduce the risk of heart disease. It’s all I use in my home. Full of a mild, fruity flavor, it’s traditionally used in Mediterranean dishes, but it’s use is becoming much more wide spread. “Virgin” olive oil simply has a lower acidity level and is less refined. Olive Oils smokes around 350°. Cooking it too hot will oxidize it, which will destroy its health benefits.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The flavor is fruity and peppery and is from the first cold pressing of the olives.
Sunflower Oil
This is a very light and neutral flavor, some people call it tasteless. If you want to add some flavor to it, use 1 part sunflower oil and 1 part olive oil. It’s low in saturated fat and high in vitamin E. More snack companies are starting to use it for chips, etc. At home, use it to fry, cook and in salad dressings. Smoke point is 475°.
Vegetable Oil
Probably the most common oil used in America, it’s actually a combination of oils made from corn, soybean, sunflower and palm.
Canola Oil
This was being talked about as one of the more healthy oils a few years ago because of its low saturated fat and high mono unsaturated fat. It’s commonly used for frying, but only at medium heat- up to about 450°.
Corn Oil
Mostly used in homes for frying, you should only use to fry at medium temperatures. It’s low on both saturated and mono unsaturated fats. The smoke point is about 450°.
Peanut Oil
This oil is pretty rarely used, but is GREAT for high temperature frying, which is why you see it most often at Thanksgiving when folks are frying turkey. Its smoke point is 448°.
Flax Oil
VERY rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are also found in fish. Flax oil is associated with fighting cancer, controlling glucose levels and lowering cholesterol. It’s best used in vinaigrettes or for drizzling over a finished meal. Flax oil goes bad quickly, and should be used within 3 months of opening.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has been described as the new wonder oil because it is believed to help with weight loss by boosting the metabolism. It’s also associated with diets intended to maintain heart health. What’s great about it is that it does not oxidize at high heat (which is the process that destroys the health benefits). Smoke point is 350°.
Hemp Oil
Hemp oil is by far one of the best oils for you. It’s just now starting to come to the market, and is meeting all the typical crap that any hemp product meets. Instead of preaching to you myself about it (because people who really believe that any kind of hemp usage will make you high won’t listen to a regular joe like me), check out this great article by Dr. Andrew Weil.
Storing and Discarding Oil
The shelf life for most oils is 6-8 months after opening. The higer in mono saturated fat the oil is, the longer the shelf life, so refined olive oil can last a few years! Be sure to store at a cool room temperature, best place is your pantry. Light, heat and oxygen is the enemy of oil!
Don’t EVER pour cooking oil down your sink!! After fats from food have been introduced to the oil, it can solidify (which of course it doesn’t do when stored in a bottle). If you pour oil down your drain, eventually enough will have congealed to block your pipes- besides that, it will seriously start to stink! The best thing you can do is pour your used oil into a leak-proof container (a coffee can is GREAT!) and stick it in your freezer. Keep adding to it until the container is full, and then throw away with the rest of your garbage.
My kitchen is driving me nuts. I don’t have a lot of space in there and storage space is at a real premium. I’d love to have a hanging rack for my pots and pans, but there’s no way I could have one of those in the space we’re in now. So instead, I have a cabinet stacked full with different pots and pans. The clutter is driving me crazy! Can’t there just be ONE PAN that can do everything?!

















