COOKING OILS AND THEIR FACTS - 2

continuation of the previous post..

Sesame oil

Made from pressed sesame seeds. Sesame oil comes in two varieties: light (made with untoasted sesames) and dark (made with toasted sesames). Light sesame oil has a nutty flavor and is especially good for frying. Dark sesame oil (Asian) has a stronger flavor and should only be used in small quantities for flavoring foods - not cooking. Both varieties are high in polyunsaturated fat. 

Sesame oil
Image source : Google

Both types of oils are high in polyunsaturated fat but they should never be heated for too long. Sesame oil also contains magnesium, copper, calcium, iron and vitamin B6. 

Rice bran oil

A fairly new kid on the block and a fast rising favourite amongst the manufacturers, rice bran oil is made from the outer layer (bran) of the grain of rice. Health experts claim that it's the healthiest oil on the planet. While I cannot vouch for that, I do know that while trying it out on my food show series, called Guilt Free, the taste was did not clash with Indian food and it worked pretty well in cookies and cakes.

Apparently, rice bran oil has a chemical called oryzanol which is good for your cholesterol. It is high in monounsaturated fats and has a fair amount of polyunsaturated fats too, both the good type of fats. Since it has a high smoking point, it works well for deep frying chips and all.

Soybean oil

Soybeans contain oil that is inefficient to extract in a natural manner; therefore, unrefined expeller-pressed soy oil is rather expensive. Unrefined soy oil has a strong, distinctive flavor and aroma -- some like it, some don't. It has a dark yellow color with a faint green tint. Unrefined soy oil is more susceptible to oxidation and rancidity than sesame, olive, or corn oil.

Cooking Oil to Skip: Soybean Oil : Soybean oil—often labeled as an ingredient in vegetable oil—is high in omega-6 fats, which compete in your body with healthy omega-3 fats (the kind that benefit your heart and brain). Many nutrition experts say that Americans get too many omega-6 fats in their diets, mostly from processed foods, including Joe Hibbeln, M.D., a Captain in the United States Public Health Service. He takes it a step further and blames alcoholism, depression and a host of other illnesses on the excess of omega-6 fats in our diet. 

Palm Oil

A yellowish-orange fatty oil obtained especially from the crushed nuts of an African palm. While you can find palm oil for cooking, you’re more likely to find it in packaged foods as many food manufacturers are replacing heart-damaging trans fats (hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils) with palm oil. 

While palm oil is trans-fat-free, about half of its fat is saturated, adding about 1.5 grams sat fat to each 2-tablespoon serving—and a diet high in saturated fat has been linked with elevated cholesterol levels and increased risk for heart disease. Though you may have heard that palm oil has less of a cholesterol-raising effect than other tropical oils, the research isn’t conclusive. Your best bet is to choose natural products that contain neither added palm oil nor trans fats.

In addition, recent research shows that palmitic acid, a saturated fat found in palm oil (and beef, butter and cheese), caused mice to become resistant to the appetite-suppressing hormones leptin and insulin, which in theory could make them eat more.

Coconut oil

Coconut oil is an edible oil that contains lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid that has germ-fighting, antiviral and antifungal properties, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Coconut oil will not only help rid your body of bacteria and viruses, it is also rich in monounsaturated fat, which helps to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels. 

Coconut oil
Image source : Google

The “Ceylon Medical Journal” notes that coconut fats do not contain artery-clogging trans fats, making coconut oil a healthy choice for those with heart problems. Unrefined coconut oil smells and tastes like raw coconuts and adds tropical flavor to foods.

Storing Oil

All oils remain liquid when kept at room temperature so it is best to store oil in a dark, dry place, such as your pantry. Oils that are high in monounsaturated fat will keep up to a year, while refined olive oil, having the highest of monounsaturated fat, can last a few years. Extra virgin and virgin olive oils will keep about a year after opened. The shelf life of most other oils after opened is usually six-eight months.

Another important fact to note is how to properly discard used cooking oil. It should never be poured down your kitchen sink. Oil can congeal and block pipes. The best way to discard of it is to pour it into a leak-proof container and discard it with the rest of your garbage.

Butter

This the preferred fat for baking as it adds the most flavour. It's not idea for frying since it will burn at a lower temperature than most oils, but can be used for sauteing. Try adding butter to oil for the flavor benefit of butter and the higher temperature range of oil.

Whole butter is a mix of fats, milk solids, and moisture derived by churning cream until the oil droplets stick together and can be separated out.

Ghee (Clarified butter)

Ghee has a higher smoke point than butter since clarification eliminates the milk solids (which burn at lower temps). Instead of ghee, we can use canola oil.

Edible Oils to Avoid

Look for “hydrogenated oil” or “partially hydrogenated oil” in the ingredients of the oils you select, and avoid purchasing oils containing them. These oils are high in trans fats, which solidify around your arteries and blood vessels, causing them to become inflexible. When your arteries and blood vessels stiffen, the amount of blood traveling through them can decrease, which limits the blood flow to your heart, brain, kidneys, eyes and other organs. Oils containing monounsaturated fats minimize artery blockage, which supports the health of your brain, heart and other organs and minimizes your risk of developing many diet-related ailments.