Olive Oil vs Pam type product

[bethzaring]

So there I was, a few years ago, thinking I had eliminated all hydrogenated fat products from my kitchen, when I happened to read the ingredients on the can of baking spray I was using, you know, the stuff that comes in an aerosol can that you use to spray on baking pans or casserole dishes to prevent food from sticking. I immediatedly threw that can away. I remembered seeing a gadget you could buy that was a mister, you could add your own oil to the container. So I started looking in catalogs and finally found and ordered one. At first it worked very well, it produced a very fine mist, but nowdays it just spurts, but it works good enough that it will remain my main system of distributing oil on baking surfaces. I use olive oil in the mister and use it for baking cookies, rolls, casseroles, crustless pies like quiches and pumpkin pie, brownies, bars. I also keep on the counter right next to this mister, a gifted tall square hand painted bottle with a stopper and spout that I fill with olive oil. For cookie sheets, I actually will use the bottle of oil rather than the mister. The point is that I use olive oil, or occassionally canola oil, to grease all my baking and cooking pans to keep food from sticking. I especially like the bottle of olive oil out on the counter, it makes it very easy to use.

 

[Michelemarie]

I keep a bottle of olive oil on the counter too - and I use it to grease everything too.

 

[urmaniac13]

I have tried the spray oil but to me it smelled something chemical and didn't like it.
When I need just a thin coating, I just drop a small amount of oil in a pan or cooking vessel, and spread it with a paper towel...it does the trick for me.

 

[bethzaring]

You know, I remember not liking the smell of the product either. Have you ever been in a grocery, probably only in the US, and been near the microwaveable pop corn section? It is truely a revolting smell

 

[urmaniac13]

Well... I don't remember any packaged microwavable popcorn reeking in a supermarket aisle, but I do not care for their flavour, aside from being way too salty, again, it doesn't taste particularly buttery and of some strange substance. I didn't bother to check on the ingredients at that time, but I am pretty sure there exist some undesirable additives...

 

[Andy M.]

I bought a pumpable spray bottle for oil at Walmart and it has olive oil in it. I don't care for the spray can stuff either.

 

[Michael in FtW]

So there I was, a few years ago, thinking I had eliminated all hydrogenated fat products from my kitchen, when I happened to read the ingredients on the can of baking spray I was using, you know, the stuff that comes in an aerosol can that you use to spray on baking pans or casserole dishes to prevent food from sticking. ...

I would be most interested in knowing what cooking "spray" contains "hydrogenated" oils - since hydrogenation is a process to convert liquid oils into solids at room temp (like converting vegetable oil into Crisco). The aerosol cooking sprays have their drawbacks according to some people (the alcohol and propellents for example) - but I seriously doubt hydrogenated anything is among them.

I don't use the aerosol can sprays because I have asthma - and this stuff drive me nuts unless I go outside to spray it ... and hold my breath while I do.

I do have a "pump" bottle that I use for olive oil - but I have to wash it every 2-3 months - otherwise it will clog.

 

[bethzaring]

I would be most interested in knowing what cooking "spray" contains "hydrogenated" oils - since hydrogenation is a process to convert liquid oils into solids at room temp (like converting vegetable oil into Crisco). The aerosol cooking sprays have their drawbacks according to some people (the alcohol and propellents for example) - but I seriously doubt hydrogenated anything is among them.

Everbake Food Release. Ingredients include "partially hydrogenated soybean and canola oil"

 

[Constance]

I use the spray stuff a lot...I guess I'm not that much of a purist.

 

[BreezyCooking]

I'm not a purist either. I use both the olive oil & the canola sprays frequently to coat baking & broiler pans, etc.

 

[bethzaring]

Hey, Constance.. good to hear from you......ya know, that purist stuff was not the only point I was trying to make, you can use the oil in a pinch if you run out of the canned stuff, I would not have thought to use olive oil on cookie sheets. And for me, it is one less item lurking around my cupboard...

 

[Aurora]

Try Mazola Cooking Spray, PAM Cooking Spray or Crisco Cooking Spray. None of these list hydrogenated oils in their ingredient list.

There are others that do include hydrogenated oils. All list a suggested application of 1/3 of a second spray and the total calories in this portion is less than 0.5 calories and as such they can legally list the calorie count and nutritional information as -0- across the board.

 

[Constance]

I agree on the brands, Aurora. I usually buy Pam, because it's reasonably priced.
We tried one of those olive oil misters, but it just kind of splatters and splurts.
We use cookie sheets for lots of things other than cookies...toasting bread, roasting vegetables, reheating fried meats, etc. We line them with heavy duty foil, which saves a lot on clean-up. I have special insulated cookie sheets that I save for things like biscuits and cookies, and they are never used for greasy stuff.
I always spray my baking dishes for easy cleanup. Lasagna is no problem if you spray first.
In regard to the broiler pan...there's nothing I hate to clean worse. I spray everything with Pam first, then line the whole thing with foil, including the top piece. I mold the foil into all the little grooves, then take a knife and slit over the openings.
Beth, I remember the days before cooking spray. Olive oil and butter work great. But the spray sure is easy!

 

[expatgirl]

I like the olive oil mister, too. Comment about greasing cookie sheets---you don't have to esp. if you're watching extra calories. Use the baking parchment paper instead------it's fantastic and can be reused for several batches of cookies. The cookies will slide right off---have even used it under pizza---I have found it at most grocery stores and it's in the same aisle as aluminum foil, Saran Wrap, etc. and in a similar long rectangular dispenser.

 

[bethzaring]

Expatgirl, thanks for the parchment paper tip, I had not considered it. It sounds like it comes on a roll and you can tear off the amount needed.

I just thought of another thing I do. I do not wash my cookie sheets with soap nor do I put them in the dishwasher. I guess I treat them just like my cast iron pans. I just rinse with hot water and dry. That keeps a greased surface on them at all times.

 

[expatgirl]

Bethzaring, Once you try baking paper or also known as parchment paper, you'll never go back to "greasing" your cookie sheets again and given how you like to clean them with just hot water, you will like it even better. I have cookie sheets that are 15 years old and look brand new because I've only used this kind of paper. Yes, you are right, it's comes in a roll and you tear off the amount that you need. One sheet can handle several dozen batches of cookies. Then you are left with a spotless cookie sheet.

 

[Gretchen]

The sprays like Pam also compromise some non-stick coatings. My mister got hopelessly clogged. I just oil or grease (butter) with my hand or pastry brush.

 

[jennyema]

Everbake Food Release. Ingredients include "partially hydrogenated soybean and canola oil"

Science question here: why would you hydrogenate oil (co0nvert it to a solid state) if you need to propel it out of a can?

 

[Aurora]

This thread was started as a result of certain cooking sprays which actually contain transfatty acids. Here is an excellent website which discusses the smoke and mirrors used by manufacturers in labeling products as "low fat" or "no transfat". Not everything is as it seems.

http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/labels2.html

 

[Michael in FtW]

Everbake Food Release. Ingredients include "partially hydrogenated soybean and canola oil"

Thanks Beth - that is one I had not heard of! Only reason I can think of for partially hydrogenating the oils (and in my thinking it would have to be minimal) would be to adjust the viscosity for some reason. But - I haven't been able to find a complete list of ingredients so I don't know what else it contains.

I, too, used to use baking parchment paper for things baked on a cookie sheet like expatgirl until I sat down and figured out how much cheaper it was to use a reusable silicone baking mat over the life of the mat (how many times it can be reused).

Aurora - great site! Especially appropriate for the "claims on the can" for these cooking sprays ... when was the last time you could coat an entire 9x13x2 inch baking pan in 1/3 of a second? The game is to adjust the serving size to whatever is necessary to, shall I say it, mislead the consumer? But, that magic <0.5 isn't limited to volume or weight, it also includes percent. This is going to freak some people out - vinegar contains <0.5% alcohol by volume unless it is distilled or the alcohol content is listed - from what I can gather.