Is your oil smokin’?

Chef Alex at Bistro 7 1/4 grilling vegetables with canola oil

Ever had only oil in a pan and it literally starts to smoke? I’m talking about actual blue tinted smoke.  This is what us folks in the oil business call the smoke point.

When I buy any type of food I want it to be fresh, taste good and generally I try to eat it when it would nutritionally be at its best.   The same goes for my oil.  When your oil starts to smoke it is starting to breakdown.  This is going to lead to off flavours and a decrease in the nutritional content of the oil.  Who would want that?!? Not me.  I paid for great taste and I need all the nutritional  help I can get.  In my home canola oil is my go to oil.  I use it because no matter what I’m doing I know that it can take the heat.

Boasting a high smoke point of 242°C (468°F) it is an excellent choice when doing any high heat frying or deep frying. You will notice in the chart below that there is a wide range of temperatures.  The smoke point varies based on the kind of oil (its source) and how it was refined or expressed. Next time you’re heating up the kitchen check to see what you are pouring in that pan.

Here’s how canola oil measures up:

Oil Smoke Point (°C) Smoke Point (°F)
Canola 242 468
Canola High Oleic 246 475
Canola Organic Expeller Press 240 464
Corn 234 453
Grapeseed 224 435
Olive Processed 220 428
Extra Virgin Olive 166 331
Peanut 244 471
Safflower 230 446
Safflower High Oleic 242 468
Safflower Cold Press 168 334
Soybean 234 453
Sunflower 240 464
Sunflower High Oleic 248 478
Sunflower High Oleic Cold Press 198 388
 

Note – Smoke points were analyzed according to AOCS Method Cc 9a-48. Presented results are averages of triplicate runs, where error of estimation was within 3.5% of measured value. University of Lethbridge.

Be Well…Jenn

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