Olive oil has long been a leader among the most healthy natural vegetable oils.
Residents of countries that have the opportunity to use a wonderful product in their daily diet are distinguished by good health, long retain their youth and beauty.
Today we’ll talk not only about the benefits of magic oil, but also find out whether it is possible to fry in olive oil.
Is it possible to fry in olive oil: features of the chemical composition
Before you find out whether it is possible to fry in olive oil, you need to figure out why it is so attractive to cooks.
The olives are harvested and harvested from late October to March. Since the oxidation of the fruits of the olive tree occurs rather quickly, it is very important to quickly harvest and immediately process it to obtain a high-quality plant product. Olive oil is made by squeezing the fruit pulp of olives.
The composition of a quality product, namely the first cold pressed oil, is characterized by a high content of fatty acids:
• oleic acid - from 60 to 80%;
• omega 9 - from 4 to 14%;
• palmitic acid - up to 1%.
• omega 3 - up to 0.8%.
Vegetable oil also contains:
• phenols;
• terpene alcohols;
• squalene;
• β-sitosterol.
In addition, olive oil includes such valuable vitamins as A, D, E, K.
The natural product produced by cold pressing is not subjected to heat treatment, therefore it retains all its rare properties. At a temperature of + 5 ° C, this oil becomes cloudy. If you return it to normal conditions, it will again acquire a yellow-golden color.
Is it possible to fry in olive oil: benefits and harms
Olive oil is not only used in the art of cooking. It is also widely used in cosmetology. Let's take a closer look at how this Mediterranean product is useful:
1. Oil is perfectly absorbed by the body. It speeds up the metabolism, relieves hunger and has a beneficial effect on the stomach.
2. The product strengthens the cardiovascular system. Its regular use is an excellent prevention of many diseases.
3. Normalizes blood pressure.
4. Heals burns, wounds, insect bites.
5. Supports muscle tone.
6. Improves vision.
7. Helps in the treatment of psychological diseases.
8. Reduces the risk of cancer cells, that is, minimizes the risk of malignant tumors.
9. Removes toxins and toxins.
10. It has a rejuvenating effect on the skin.
11. Moisturizes and softens hair.
Contraindications
Drinking olive oil is bad for people suffering from gallstone disease and high blood cholesterol. This is due to the pronounced choleretic effect of the product.
The abuse of vegetable oil leads to an additional burden on the gastrointestinal tract. In this regard, the risk of diabetes mellitus and liver fatty liver disease is significantly increased. So, the daily dose of oil should not exceed two tablespoons.
Also, olive oil is contraindicated for use by people who are struggling with excess weight and are on diets. This is due to its high calorie content: per 100 grams of product 900 kcal.
Is it possible to fry in olive oil: features of frying
Despite the fact that the composition of the oil is rich in fatty unsaturated acids, it is quite resistant to oxidation under heating conditions. According to experts, the ideal olive oil for frying is first-pressed oil, the acidity of which does not exceed 0.8%.
1. High calorie content. Products made with olive tree oil become caloric but do not lose their benefits. The high temperature of heating vegetable oil allows you to cook food quickly and save more nutrients in the products.
2. Most housewives wonder what olive oil to choose for frying: unrefined or refined. It is very convenient to fry vegetables that are cooked at a temperature of about 140 ° C in first-pressed oil. Also, experts recommend preparing semi-finished products, dishes from potatoes and eggs, which require a temperature of 160 ° C, using this oil.
Refined olive oil is suitable for frying foods at higher temperatures - around 240 ° C. These delicious dishes with a crisp, unfortunately, are not suitable for a healthy diet, so you should not abuse them.
So that the oil does not form carcinogenic compounds, make sure that it does not burn or smoke.
3. Frying foods in olive oil mixed with sunflower is strictly not recommended by specialists. The fact is that these two oils have different combustion temperatures. When olive oil is just starting to warm up, sunflower oil is already smoking and emits toxic substances.
Is it possible to fry in olive oil: tips from professionals
1. Chefs strongly recommend using olive oil to grease meat or to cook marinade. The dish will become not only more delicious, but also incredibly juicy.
2. Before frying in oil, thoroughly dry the food. This will avoid such troubles as splashing.
3. Olive oil is very economical since it increases in volume when heated. Due to this feature, it can be spent less when frying. For this reason, for cooking, you need to use dishes of small diameter and with high walls.
4. So that the temperature of olive oil does not drop sharply, the products in the pan must be laid out gradually.
5. If the oil is heated to 190 ° C, then it can be used up to 4 times. It is enough after another frying to strain it through a small piece of gauze.
Thus, it is possible to fry food in olive oil at a gentle temperature. However, its use in raw form is much more useful.
