Which oil should I use to cook meat in the oven, fry or to dress salads?…and for desserts? Here some guidelines to help you to choose the right oil for you.

Which oil should I use to cook meat in the oven, fry or to dress salads?…and for desserts? Here some guidelines to help you to choose the right oil for you.

Olive oils are not all the same, there is a wide range of olive oils and each of them has specific peculiarities, organoleptic and nutritional characteristics. In fact the type of oil you should use depends mainly on the type of cooking.   

There are olive oils great for salad dressing, others for cooking in the oven or in a pan, some others for frying. Did you know that oil olive can also replace butter to prepare desserts?

Here below few pieces of advice to choose the right oil for you.

Which oil can I use as a dressing?

• Extra virgin olive oil

Culinary superstar of the Mediterranean cuisine, EVO oil is extracted from cold pressed olives through mechanical processes. The EVO oil as it is is perfect to be added as a dressing.

Its delicious flavour enhances the taste of any food, not to mention that is very low in acidity, making it very easy to digest.

Besides its taste, olive oil is well known for its health benefits as it is rich in linoleic and oleic acid, Vitamin E, carotene, triglycerides and free fatty acids .

Evo oil is not recommended for high temperature cooking, such as frying as it might affect its flavour, as well as its health benefits, while by adding a swirl of olive oil on your food you can fully enjoy its properties.

Have you tasted out 100% Italian EVO oil? 

• Corn oil

Same as the olive oil, used as salad dressing, corn oil is rich in polyunsaturated fat acids, like Omega 3 and Omega 6, that improve your heart health and lower cholesterol levels.

Whether you are pan-frying or deep-frying, at high temperatures this oil releases toxic chemicals.

Try our Corn oil Mais Friggileggero

• Sunflower oil

Sunflower oil is good for our heart health: it is a great source of fatty acids, Omega 3 and Omega 6, hence it is great to season your salad. Moreover it is more resistant to high temperature cooking than corn oil, such as cookig in the oven,. 

When sunflower and corn oils are subject to heat, their quality get affected, that is why they are recommended to be used for low-temperature cooking or raw as a salad dressing.

Try our sunflower oil Friggileggero

Which type of oil is good for cooking?

•  Olive oil

Obtained from refined oils and virgin olive oils, olive oil is the key ingredient in Italian cuisine. Its composition and high point of smoke make it extremely versatile for many types of cooking, like cooking in the oven, pan-frying and deep-frying.

Olive oil is safe when heated at high temperatures as it is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (namely the oleic acid) which makes the oil more resistant to heat. 

Infact olive olive oil has a high point of smoke.

The point of smoke is the temperature at which the fat (oil) burns, altering its molecular structure and releasing toxic chemicals (acrolein).

It is not easy to measure the point of smoke as the specific composition for each type of oil requires a different temperature, for example: olive oil has a point of smoke between 210 °– 240°, peanut oil at  230°, sunflower oil at 220°, EVO oil at 160° – 200°.

Learn more about our Di Carlo Olive oil

Which oil should I use for frying?

Deep-frying challenges the heat resistant properties of oil as the oxidation causes the release of harmful compounds.

The ideal temperature for frying is between 160° and 180°, this will get you a crunchy and crispy crust. 

• Peanut oil

Peanut oil is rich in oleic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids. As its molecular structure is more resistant to heat, it is a good choice for high-temperature cooking, like frying.

Needless to say, olive oil is still a great option for frying.

Did you know that…

The secret to frying your food perfectly is to use just the right amount of oil: if you add it too little, temperature decreases and food will tend to absorb it and get greasy. The science of deep-frying requires you to immerse food in oil, that is why it is recommended to fry just few pieces at a time.

Try our Peanut oil Friggileggero

Which oil should I use to prepare my desserts?

• Extra virgin olive oil

To prepare your desserts, instead of using butter, you can opt for the extra virgin olive oil which will give a unique and soft texture, an aromatic taste and will help to increase their life shelf.

According to the traditions, in southern and central Italy, olive oil is often used to prepare biscuits.

If you have never tried to replace butter with olive oil, you can prepare the ciambellone cake (ring-shape cake), reducing by 20% the quantities of butter: for example, instead of using 100 gr of butter you will go for 80 gr of olive oil.

Using EVO oil, your desserts and cakes will taste amazing, not to mention that they will be extremely fluffy and easy to digest. 

Have you tasted our 100% Italian organic  EVO oil?