Can You Use Extra Light Olive Oil For Deep Frying

In general when olive oil is used for cooking it s best kept to pan frying only.

Can you use extra light olive oil for deep frying.

Extra light virgin olive oil. It is often claimed that the health benefits start to break down as soon as it is heated but this is simply not true. Deep frying with extra virgin olive oil is a hot topic. Light olive oil by comparison has a high smoking point meaning you can make it pretty hot.

Compared to commercial vegetable oil blends extra virgin oil had lower levels of oxidation 22. Much lower concentrations of aldehydes form when shallow frying fish in extra virgin olive oil compared to sunflower oil 23. Another olive oil deep frying myth is that due to its lower smoking point olive oil cannot be used for repeated frying. Regular olive oil and extra light tasting olive oil are the most cost efficient for frying.

There is a lot of culinary myths surrounding olive oil and one of the most common is that it cannot be used for frying. In one study researchers used several commercial oils for deep frying and took samples of each oil every three hours. If you are looking for a healthy oil to deep fry with canola is a great option. If you re going to deep fry light refined olive oil is a good way to go.

Extra virgin olive oil and canola oil are more in the middle you can stir fry or bake with them but don t deep fry. We know because we hear the myth that it can t be done. Extra virgin olive oil smoking point is only 320 f making it unsuitable for deep frying. But it is definitely not ideal for deep frying because it has too low a smoke point and will overheat.

If cost is not a factor consider using extra virgin olive oil. Yes you can deep fry with extra virgin olive oil try french fries or churros. High quality extra virgin olive oil is pricey and dumping six cups of it in a dutch oven to fry some chicken instead of something more affordable like vegetable oil. And we re not made of money.

Heating olive oil will neutralize much of the flavor. Pure olive oil on the other hand has a smoke point of 410 degrees and can handle the high temperatures needed for deep frying. Mediterranean cooks however have been deep frying foods in extra virgin olive oil for a long time. Don t worry that your food will taste like olives.

This is an assumption based on the idea that any oil with a low smoking point will not hold up and will become altered and bitter.