Without beating about the bush: The best oil for frying is virgin extra

What is the best oil for frying? I’m sure that you’ve asked yourself this question more than once. Well, if you read this post, we’ll explain to you why extra virgin olive oil is the best oil for frying.  Besides, we’ll tell you many things about frying and fried  foods which perhaps you didn’t know.

We’re going to answer the question about the best oil for frying immediately: there is no doubt, it’s extra virgin olive oil.  Why?

Well, because extra virgin olive oil can be heated to up to 180º without  its components breaking down thus maintaining all of its properties at the same time.  In addition, all experts agree that to fry correctly, the temperature of the oil should never be higher than 130º.  If this were to happen, the foodstuffs could never keep all of their aroma and flavour.

So if you’re  going to fry foods, watch out for that very hot frying pan.  We’ve often seen smoke coming off a frying pan with olive oil in it.  That is the worst thing we could ever do.

Is the best oil for frying expensive?

We’ve already told you without beating about the bush and you’ve already got proof of it,  the best oil for frying is extra virgin olive oil.

And now we’re certain you’re going to ask this question: But isn’t it very expensive to fry with extra virgin olive oil?

The answer is no.  For the simple reason that the best oil for frying is one which you can use several times without it losing its structure and organoleptic qualities.  And in this section extra virgin olive oil is again the winner.

So that phrase we’ve often heard that what starts out cheap ends up expensive can also be applied to the world  of oil and more specifically to when we’re talking about frying.

Here, the example of wine also comes to mind.  Let’s give the example that you’re a sangría lover.  Well, what would the sangría be like if you used table wine or a good quality red wine, a ‘crianza’?  It’s clear that if you use the second, you’ll enjoy your favourite drink much more.

In the case of olive oil, the situation is exactly the same.  The higher the quality of the olive oil, the better your food will be, the better the taste you’ll perceive and you’ll also maintain better the beneficial qualities that the oil and food have for your health.

Virgin extra vs other oils for frying

We’re not going to deny the obvious.  All oils lose part of their properties when they’re heated.  In order to enjoy the aroma and taste, it’s better to use it raw. But frying also forms part of our gastronomic culture and we don’t have to give it up.  It’s simply a case of knowing how to do it well.

In the case of extra virgin, which nobody questions is the best oil for frying, it can be heated up to 180º without  negative effects.  This is much higher than any other type of oil that you can find on the market.

It is more than obvious that extra virgin olive oil is preferable to one produced from seeds or sunflower.  When this type of oil is heated, the so-called toxic aldehydes are produced, which are far from good for your health.  You can find more about this statement in this article published in the magazine Muy Interesante which is also of the opinion that extra virgin olive oil  is the best oil for frying.

In the same article, you can read  about the test when three industrial fryers were heated up to 190º.  Sunflower oil and  flax oil were heated. The former showed a much higher quantity of toxic aldehydes.  You can obtain more information  about  aldehydes  in this link.

What is certain is that if we use extra virgin olive oil for frying, we will be maintaining  the natural antioxidants that it contains.  The food you fry will have much more flavour without doubt  and toxic components will not be produced, elements which are definitely not good for your body.

Advice on how to fry food well with the best  olive oil for frying

• Try not to mix  the olive oil with other fats since these decompose more quickly
• Avoid brusque changes in temperature in foodstuffs.  You have to put them in little by little, above all if they are frozen.
• You can re-use the olive oil as long as it hasn’t burnt. When you use extra virgin olive oil, it can be re-used five or six times.  To re-use it, nevertheless, you must filter the residue from the time  before.  If you don’t do this, the residues  will burn and alter the taste.
• Obviously, the oil should never smoke in the pan.
• Si empanas o rebozas, que el empanado o el rebozado se haga segundos antes de introducir los alimentos en la sartén.
• If you are frying food in breadcrumbs or batter, this type of food should be prepared seconds before putting it in the pan.
• The food you put into the pan must be dry.

If you would like more advice specifically on the cooking front, we recommend you look at this post in Directo al paladar or this one in Hogarmanía.  They also coincide with us that the best olive oil for frying is extra virgin olive oil.

Conclusions

So we’ve come to the end.  In this post, our intention was to make it clear that the best oil for frying is extra virgin olive oil.  And we’ve  explained all the reasons for this statement.  We’ve given you examples of studies which demonstrate that this statement is backed up by specialists in nutrition.  Finally, we’ve given you some advice to help you to produce the best fried food possible.

Now, we’ve only got one question left to ask you.  Do you like fried food? What type of oil do you use? Do you believe that virgin extra is the best? Tell us in the comments section.

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