What's a good brand of olive oil to sauté with?

[buckytom]

i agree about not using evoo in everything. like elfie said, i don't always want the olive oil taste in the dish. i use bertolli extra light olive oil for frying/sauteeing because of it's higher smoking point. you could put butter into evoo to raise the smoking point too, but that also adds fat and cholesterol, a no-no in my house these days...

 

[norgeskog]

I buy Trader Joe's label EVOO and use it routinely, adding butter usually. I also do not use EVOO in everything, especially sweets, but always savory foods. I have vegetable oil on hand but do not often use it. I never use canola as it has been tied to macular degeneration and I do not need to worry about that.

 

[PA Baker]

I never use canola as it has been tied to macular degeneration and I do not need to worry about that.

Wow! I've never heard that before and it's good to know as macular degeneration runs in my family.

 

[jennyema]

i agree about not using evoo in everything. like elfie said, i don't always want the olive oil taste in the dish. i use bertolli extra light olive oil for frying/sauteeing because of it's higher smoking point. you could put butter into evoo to raise the smoking point too, but that also adds fat and cholesterol, a no-no in my house these days...

Butter has a much lower smoke point than olive oil. You add oil (of any kind) to butter to raise butter's smoke point.

Here's a chart: http://drinc.ucdavis.edu/dairychem7.htm

 

[jennyema]

I I'm thinking about making bottles of olive oil infused with hot peppers, herbs, etc. Any idears?

Infusing oil with FRESH herbs, garlic, peppers, etc. is ok if you keep the infused oil refrigerated and use it w/in 10 days to 2 weeks. Otherwise, it's an environment ripe for Botulism. It's NOT a long term thing.

Infusing with DRY herbs does not present the same botulism risk.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q="infused+oil"+botulism&btnG=Google+Search

Also, if you're going to infuse oil with say, rosemary and ancho chilis, make sure that the rosemary and chilis are completely submerged in the oil at all times. If any part of the herb or food item is sticking up out of the oil, that is the part where the bacteria will grow.

Botulism grows in an anerobic environment, so completely submerging fresh herbs or chilis won't protect you.

 

[buckytom]

i agree about not using evoo in everything. like elfie said, i don't always want the olive oil taste in the dish. i use bertolli extra light olive oil for frying/sauteeing because of it's higher smoking point. you could put butter into evoo to raise the smoking point too, but that also adds fat and cholesterol, a no-no in my house these days...

Butter has a much lower smoke point than olive oil. You add oil (of any kind) to butter to raise butter's smoke point.

Here's a chart: http://drinc.ucdavis.edu/dairychem7.htm

, oops, lol, i meant to add another oil to raise the smoking point. thanks for catching my boo boo jennyema.

 

[bknox]

One of my favorite olive oils is made by Isola Imports and is called "My Brothers Oil". It is an unfiltered oil with great taste and not to bitter and reasonably priced. The Isola web site offers several other very nice olive oils form all over Italy. Go to http://www.isolaimports.com.

bryan

 

[Robo410]

If I cooked for a large family all the time I'd have a great variety of oils of all types. But I don't . I do have EVOO and I like to try different regions. Right now I have a Turkish one, Lio. A good basic Italian one is from Cento. I also have peanut and canola (grape seed) as it's a monosaturate like olive oil. Will check with my eye doc about that link to mac-deg.


For dipping I like to float a slice of garlic and a pool of balsamic vinegar in the bowl. not only yummy, but pretty too. I have a chef buddy in Spain who says what Americans get as EVOO is not the prime. Oil like beef and whisky has many intermediate grades. lol

 

[jennyema]

I also have peanut and canola (grape seed) as it's a monosaturate like olive oil.

Robo,

Canola oil is actually RAPEseed oil, not grapeseed. There is also grapeseed oil out there that is a bit fruity and nice for salad dressings.

The rumors about rapeseed oil being toxic are urban myths, btw.

 

[bknox]

Robo410, ask your chef buddy in Spain about Italian EVOO or Italian olive oil in general. I was advised by a fairly reliable source in Spain that most of Italy's olive oil comes from Spanish olives exported to Italy. It would be nice to have someone back that up.

I know Spain grows a lot of olives and grapes among other things but I was a little surprised that Italian make Italian olive oil out of Spanish olives. Wouldn't it really be Spanish Olive Oil since it is a raw product and not part of a recipe.

Bryan

 

[Robo410]

thanks for correcting my mental typo on the seed oil.


From what I know of oils, your really fancy boutique olive oils are very country, even town specific. However, your generic EVOO from the market may well be a blend of first press oils. The lable will tell you: product of Italy means grown there. Bottled in Italy or packed in Italy does not and the fruit may come from all over to the factory. Olives are grown all around the Mediterranian, and in France and California and who knows. Consistency is generally pretty good, as it is with Columbian Coffee. You will taste a real difference with the small grove bottlers, and you will pay a nice price too. Right now Spanish and Turkish are the most reasonably priced.

About infusing oils...slowly heat the oil with your flavoring (garlic, mushrooms, herbs, chilis) and let cool. remove the flavoring objects and bottle your oil. now since you've removed the oil from its sterile packaging, you need to keep it cool, and use it before it goes rancid.

 

[jennyema]

if infused with fresh ingredients, keep it in the fridge use it within 10 days or so because of the botulism risk.

It is supposedly true that much of what people think is Italian Olive Oil is actually made from spanish olives, as the demand for Italian oil is (perceived as the best) greater than their ability to grow and press their own olives.

But, like Robo says, the label should give you an idea of whether the olives were grown in Italy or Spain or wherever.

I generally use Italian oil, but also like spanish oil very mush and have a great bottle I just bought that is from Australia.

They grow oilives in the US for oil making too!

 

[Constance]

The other night, I mixed a bunch of fresh basil and Italian Parsley leaves in my food processor, along with garlic and salt, from the "Antipasto Salad" recipe I found here. I added olive oil, parmesan cheese, and fresh ground pepper. So far have used it in spaghetti sauce, as salad dressing, and brushed on toasted Italian bread.
I don't want it to spoil, as I can think of a million and one uses for it. I also have fresh herbs coming on, big time, in my garden. I was thinking of freezing the dressing in small packages to use later.
Question is....how do you think this stuff will freeze?

 

[foodaholic]

I never use canola as it has been tied to macular degeneration and I do not need to worry about that.

Raw rapeseed oil is the connection.The oil for canola is a completely different gene,no worries mate.

 

[Michael in FtW]

Humm .. before dismissing the genetic differences between rapeseed and the genetic mutant of rapeseed that Canola Oil is derived from - this is some interesting reading:

http://www.ithyroid.com/canola_oil.htm

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I too quit using canola oil several years back, and for the same reasons mentioned in article Michael has provided. I use sunflower and olive oils almost exclusively. Sunflower oil, though slightly more expensive than canola oil, is the most abundant food oil on the planet. Read teh label and you will find it is one of the healthiest oils, after avacado and olive oil. It has absolutely no flavor of its own and so is very neutral when cooking. It is a fairly high-temperature oil as well.

I use EVOO for its flavor. I use sunflower oil for cooking. And as far as the highly towted Omega-3's go, get it from flax seed, used in my homemade breads and baked goods, and fish.

Food nutrition requires research, and an understanding beyond what industry claims. Money is way too important to industry, including the nedical and pharmecutical companies. They have and will continue to endanger public health for a profit.

NOt everyone in the medical field is corrupt. There are a great many who are truly trying to help people. But I stiff follow Goodweed's principles of power. That is, and in order of importance:

1. Power protects Power

2. All sources of power will become corrupt as the corrupt are willing to do anything to attain those seats of power, while the good will be limited by their own honor.

3. Money and power do not corrupt. They allow those who are already corrupt a feeling of safety, even invulnerability, so that their true nature is expressed.

4. The only thing necessary for corruption to rule is for good people to do nothing.

The last is not my own observation, but is nonetheless true.

I will continue to ask questions, perform my own research, and make my own decisions. And even then, I expect to be duped by the cunning and corrupt heads of industry (of course not all industry is corrupt, thus the reason for research.)

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Ishbel]

Like Goodweed, I tend only to use sunflower oil or olive oils when frying foods. I don't like the flavour that other oils can impart - the neutrality of the sunflower stuff is why I keep using it.

I always buy Extra Virgin olive oil from small places in Tuscany when I visit. I also like Extra Virgin oil from the Liguria area of Italy, Cretan olive oil (Crete), some Spanish oils - and I've even used Portugese EVOO when that's all I had in the house!

last week, my secretary brought be a beautiful bottle of olive oil from her holiday on the Greek island of Kos - but it has peppercorns, chili flakes and something that looks suspiciously like capers in it..... I strongly suspect the olive oil was pretty non-descript before the addition of the flakes, etc!

 

[foodaholic]

Michael I'm familiar with that article...I particularly like this quote.

"My daughter and her girls were telling jokes. Stephany hit her mom's arm with the back of a butter knife in a gesture, "Oh mom" not hard enough to hurt. My daughters arm split open like it was rotten. She called me to ask what could have caused it. I said, "I'll bet anything that you are using Canola oil". Sure enough, there was a big gallon jug in the pantry."

The internet is a powerful tool and anything can be abstracted to suit a purpose,I would suggeest anyone with concerns read as much as you can before deciding to use any product.

Saying that I still can believe margerine is still available for human consumption.

 

[jennyema]

Humm .. before dismissing the genetic differences between rapeseed and the genetic mutant of rapeseed that Canola Oil is derived from - this is some interesting reading:

http://www.ithyroid.com/canola_oil.htm

That "article" has been around for a long time (it claims that canola oil is "new" in their supermarket) but just isn't true. It's a confirmed urban myth. Sorry.

Most health experts consider canola oil be be quite healthful.

http://www.snopes.com/toxins/canola.htm

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blcanola.htm

http://www.healthycookingrecipes.com/cookinghealthyarticles/canola-cooking-oil.htm

 

[Andy M.]

That "article" has been around for a long time (it claims that canola oil is "new" in their supermarket) but just isn't true. It's a confirmed urban myth. Sorry.

Most health experts consider canola oil be be quite healthful.

http://www.snopes.com/toxins/canola.htm

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blcanola.htm

http://www.healthycookingrecipes.com/cookinghealthyarticles/canola-cooking-oil.htm

Thank you jennyema for taking the time to do the research to debunk this myth!

I was feeling lazy today and didn't do it myself.

It's a particular pet peeve of mine that unsubstantiated facts can be used to create a furor over a subject and no amount of scientific evidence can quell the rumor.

Think of how many times you've heard that coffee is bad for you/not bad for you. How about aluminum pots cause alzheimer's, ooops, no they don't

I would caution everyone (myself included) to think critically about the source and wording of a claim before taking it to heart.

Consider how easy it would be for the producers of corn oil or olive oil or safflower oil to start a rumor campaign against canola.

If I told you that the tomatoes you grow in your garden and eat with gusto come from the same family of plants as Deadly Nightshade, a deadly poison, would you stop eating tomatoes just to be safe?

Stepping down from the soap box now, sorry for venting.