When it comes to oils, there is so much to explore when it comes to production, sale, storage and cooking use. All of this information can be extremely confusing to the consumer so we’ve taken the most important points and laid out the Sweet Freedom approach to the oils in your kitchen. Take some time to read this over and learn about the oil that you’re buying from the grocery store:
Production: The sad truth
Most of the oils that you find on the grocery store shelves are refined beyond the point of providing you with any quality nutrition. In order to allow for maximum shelf stability, the oils are are cooked and transformed through several highly complicated scientific processes. They are manipulated so much that they actually need a defoaming agent in them so that they don’t foam up on us while we’re using them.
Think of it like this: the more highly refined and synthetic the oil that goes into your car is, the better your car will run. Your body is the opposite of a vehicle, the more refined the oil is that you put into your body, the worse it is for you.
Knowing the sad truth about oil production, always go for organic and ideally it will be first cold pressed. You will most likely have difficulty finding a premium olive oil in your standard supermarket. Your best bet is to find an olive oil store location and do some research into their history and processes.
Storage: Dark glass bottle, ALWAYS
Both heat and light cause oxidation within oils so this means when you’re looking to buy a good quality oil, you want to make sure that it is in a dark glass bottle, not a clear plastic one. The oils sold on the supermarket shelves that are in clear plastic bottles have been treated with so many chemicals that the light isn’t able to oxidize it.
Once you find a trusted supplier and buy a good quality oil, remember to store it in a dark cool place so as to prevent any further oxidation.
Cooking: Beware of high heats
As we mentioned before, oils become oxidized by both heat and light and the lovely nutrients that come with a nice organic cold pressed olive oil will be destroyed by high heats. This means that if you’re looking to cook with an oil, go for a more stable option such as coconut oil. Stick with using your high quality oil to dress your favorite veggies.
The best part of marrying a high quality olive oil with some vibrant veggies is that the healthy fats that our bodies love to use will actually help you to assimilate the fat soluble nutrients found in the veggies you’ve just dressed.
Now that you’re armed with all of the oil information you need, go out there and find a delicious, silky, organic olive oil and ENJOY!