Can You Cook With Olive Oil?
Can You Cook With Olive Oil? Olives are commonly eaten in Mediterranean region where it is an important part of those cultures. The studies that evaluated the effects of the consumption of olives on health are rare, in contrast to many studies evaluating the use of its oil.
The great interest in the benefits of olive oil and its health comes from results of studies that have demonstrated a low incidence of coronary heart disease and certain cancers in countries where Mediterranean cuisines are prevalent. Olives and especially olive oil are an integral part of this way of eating.
Olive oil is a pillar of the Mediterranean diet and has many qualities: It is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (70-80% fat) and phenolic antioxidants that make it an important element in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
To cook or not with olive oil?
Olive oil is suitable for cooking because of its content of monounsaturated fatty acids and its smoke point. Polyunsaturated oils (canola or rapeseed, peanut, corn, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed) are also resistant to cooking if they are not reused. Soy and wheat germ oils, rich in alpha -linolenic acid, are not suitable for cooking.
Note that the oils lose their taste qualities when subjected to heat. Cooking at high heat also deteriorate the nutritional qualities of oils.
Frying at high temperature?
Choose a refined oil with a high smoke point. The peanut and olive oils are particularly suitable for frying at high temperature but they lose their flavours.
But do not overheat the olive oil!
Extra virgin olive oil loses its nutritional qualities while cooking at temperatures exceeding 200 °C.
Researchers at the University of Puerto wanted to know what happens to extra virgin olive oil at high temps.
According to their measurements, polyphenols begin to deteriorate before 200 °C due to the relatively low smoke point. In addition, monounsaturated fatty acids’ replacement by hydrolysis, free fatty acids appeared with oxidation products. This means that from 190 °C upwards, olive oil loses its intrinsic qualities.
The researchers therefore advise to reserve extra virgin olive oil for seasoning, and use other cheaper oils for cooking. They also recommend incorporating olive oil towards the end of cooking, not the beginning.
Most oils resent heat. The most heat-resistant oils are tropical oils such as coconut oil and they can be used at the start of cooking. Then comes refined oleic sunflower oil (stable up to 230 °C), the refined peanut (stable up to 220 °C) oil, extra virgin olive oil (stable up to 180 °C) temperature required to enter a meat to the pan is on the order of 190 °C.
It is often recommended to avoid cooking at high temperatures anyway and gentle cooking at low temperatures below 100 °C is encouraged (for example, stewing). Even in the oven, you can stay at reasonable temperatures by simply lengthening the cooking time.
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