A question we're often asked is, can you bake and fry with olive oil? If you don't feel like reading the whole story, our short answer is: yes! Lots and often! Very healthy! But only with extra virgin olive oil!
People often come to me and say, "I don't know much about olive oil, but I know one thing for sure: you shouldn't fry or roast in it! Right?" Sorry, but nothing could be further from the truth. In this blog post, I'll explain, and I'll back it up with scientific studies, why you should definitely fry and roast in good extra virgin olive oil.
Is frying in extra virgin olive oil healthy? Science tells us.
Most Dutch people, as a collective, are convinced that you shouldn't fry or sauté with extra virgin olive oil. But if you ask if olive oil is used for frying and sautéing in Spain, Greece, or Italy, everyone says yes, of course! Where does this collective belief come from that you shouldn't fry or sauté with olive oil? It's a mystery. Even the Nutrition Centre has blindly accepted this misconception, even though science has been demonstrating for years that extra virgin olive oil is the most stable, safe, and healthy oil for frying and sautéing.
Among other things this Australian study shows that extra virgin olive oil is the safest and healthiest oil for frying and roasting. Even after heating for a longer period, extra virgin olive oil remains healthy ( read here ), and here's a study that shows that even after 6 hours at 180°C °C, olive oil is the safest, healthiest oil. But be sure to use premium extra virgin olive oil and nothing of inferior quality.
A premium extra virgin olive oil belongs in every kitchen and is versatile for both cold and hot dishes. When baking and frying at temperatures between 180 and 220 °C, then it's important to know which olive oil is best for you and how hot it can get. If you'd like to know how, read on. Welcome to the world of olive oil!
Inspection Service of Value. Viewing tip!
The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (Keuringsdienst van Waarde) also wanted to know the truth behind the myth that you shouldn't bake or fry with extra virgin olive oil. That's great for The Olive Label, of course; it's a chance to hear it from someone else!
Baking and Frying in Olive Oil
Baking and frying with extra virgin olive oil? That's for salads, right? Sure, but a true chef doesn't just use extra virgin olive oil in salads. It's no wonder you see all those chefs on TV pouring extra virgin olive oil over everything, including pots and pans on the stove and in the oven. Just look at Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, for example. Both British celebrity chefs with dozens of restaurants and just as many Michelin stars. All good extra virgin olive oil is suitable for both hot and cold use!
Almost any dish is enhanced by using good extra virgin olive oil! And it doesn't have to be just Mediterranean cuisine or dishes from your new Jamie Oliver or Ottolenghi cookbook. Even our usual, somewhat boring, Dutch cooked vegetables, like green beans, cauliflower, and broccoli, or even boiled potatoes, can be instantly enhanced by drizzling them with some delicious extra virgin olive oil. Much healthier than gravy, and you'll instantly enjoy more flavor. Sunshine on your plate!
But don't use olive oil from the supermarket. It's almost never tasty and probably unhealthy! We explain why in this blog post: " Good Olive Oil From the Supermarket ." Also, never use "olive oil" in plastic, transparent bottles, whether or not they're supposedly suitable for hot consumption! That's refined oil, and it's almost always made from rotting and pest-infested olives (see the video from the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority). The pulp left after pressing must be heated, chemically cleaned, and chemically decolorized, then colored and diluted with a few percent real olive oil so the producer can label it as "olive oil." You don't want to eat that! See below for more.
What is baking and roasting?
Baking and roasting are often used as a blanket term for what happens in pots, pans, ovens, and deep fryers. In this blog post, baking and roasting are about the specific temperature, which usually starts at 190°C or above. °C and then drops to 140-160 °C. This means that baking and roasting starts at a higher temperature than, for example, deep-frying. Frying is best done at a maximum of 175-180 °C.
The correct temperature is important because the best qualities of many foods, such as meat, emerge when cooked at the correct temperature. Above 190 °C will burn your fries but a steak has 190 °C needed to brown nicely. And that outer layer is important.
When food is cooked at the right temperature, the sugars on the outside caramelize, and the natural proteins transform into a thin skin that protects the food from absorbing the oil. So, it's important to start at the right temperature. Not too low, or the fries will soak up the oil, and not too hot, or the outside will burn before the inside reaches the correct temperature.
When baking and frying in olive oil or fat, it is advisable to use an oil or fat that is at least 190 °C and preferably a little higher so that you have a little margin and it doesn't immediately start smoking and become poisonous if you're not careful for a moment.
Frying meat in olive oil
You can rub meat and fish with good olive oil while they're still cold and then place them in a hot pan. This is called searing.
How does this technique work?
-
Rub meat with olive oil
Apply a thin layer of oil directly to the meat. This ensures that:- the meat does not stick to the pan;
- herbs and salt stay in place;
- the outside colours more evenly.
-
Hot surface + short time
Then you put the meat in a very hot pan , which:- the outside quickly sears (Maillard reaction);
- an aromatic brown crust is formed;
- the meat remains juicy on the inside.
Why not put oil in the pan?
That is of course possible , but putting oil directly on the meat gives:
- better contact between oil and the surface of the meat;
- less splashing;
- often more even browning.
Different types of olive oil
So for baking and frying in olive oil you need the right olive oil that is 190+ °C. Good extra virgin olive oil contains ingredients that protect it from burning. If you use the wrong olive oil, like the cheap one from the supermarket, you run the risk of it becoming very unhealthy very quickly. Here is a link to our blog about good olive oil from the supermarket (spoiler alert: it doesn't exist!).
Broadly speaking, olive oil can be divided into three types: extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, and refined olive oil. Refined olive oil can be made from lampante olive oil or pomace olive oil. Neither is suitable for consumption, but through heat treatment, chemical manipulation, and the addition of a few percent extra virgin olive oil, it can still be sold as olive oil. Strange, but true. More about refined olive oil is discussed below.
The only olive oil you should use in the kitchen and on the table is extra virgin olive oil! According to several scientific studies (see references), frying and roasting with extra virgin olive oil is the healthiest of all fats and oils.
Extra virgin olive oil is made from the right variety of olives that have been processed correctly. It's not the cheapest olive oil and, with the exception that proves the rule, not available in supermarkets.
Incidentally, "extra vierge" is the same as "extra virgin," "extra vergine," and "Vergin extra." Extra vierge is French, extra virgin is English, extra vergine is Italian, and vergin extra is Spanish. Since "extra maagd" (literally translated) doesn't sound right, we borrow the terms from abroad. Most people in the Netherlands prefer the French version, "extra vierge." But the English version, "extra virgin," is also increasingly heard.
Virgin olive oil, without the "extra" label, is a slightly lower-quality olive oil that doesn't meet the EU's legal requirements for extra virgin olive oil. "Extra virgin" may have a maximum acidity of 0.8%, while "virgin" olive oil may have a maximum acidity of 3%. Acidity is the amount of acidic (and therefore bad) oil an olive oil may contain. "Extra" is therefore extra good.
Actually, you could bake and fry perfectly well with good virgin olive oil (without the added extra), but that's not available in the Netherlands. In 99% of cases, virgin olive oil is oil that's not actually suitable for consumption, but has been chemically processed to just barely meet the European standard. Just like sunflower oil. Real sunflower oil, like the one you buy from a farmer in France, is delicious! What we can buy in the supermarket in the Netherlands has nothing to do with that. The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (Keuringsdienst van Waarde) made a great program about it. Click here to watch the episode.
Stability when baking and frying in olive oil
As mentioned, the temperature of the oil (or fat) is crucial when frying and roasting. If the oil is too cold, the food in the pan won't develop a crust and will soak up the oil, which is unpleasant. If the oil is too hot, your food and the oil will burn. That's unpleasant and very unhealthy.
The smoke point is often used to indicate when the oil burns but a 2018 study has shown that for all oils it has more to do with oxidative stability and UV coefficients, in combination with the total polyunsaturated fat content. Click here for an article about why the smoke point is not a good indicator is to determine whether an oil remains stable when heated.
The quality of the oil determines the maximum temperature
The bottom line is that the quality of the oil determines the maximum temperature it can withstand before oxidizing and becoming unhealthy. Olive oil quality can vary greatly, and unfortunately, the maximum temperature is often not listed on the label. Since burning oil and fat is very unhealthy, this information should be included on the label. This is an issue we (The Olive Label and Marije Passos) want to bring to the attention of the European Commission. Some olive oils burn at 160°C. °C, while others only reach above 230 °C, or even higher. With olive oil, this depends on the olives used, the processing method, and, for example, the freshness of the olive oil. Although you can fry and roast with most high-quality extra virgin olive oils up to a maximum of 220°C, °C, not every olive oil is suitable for 220 °C.
Olive oil too hot
When oil gets too hot, it burns . The heat changes the oil's chemical composition, which is very unhealthy. This applies to all oils and butters, not just olive oil. Olive oil is a vegetable fat that primarily contains olein , a monounsaturated fatty acid with a single double organic bond. These fatty acids are very healthy, but when they get too hot, they decompose and form free radicals, which are actually very unhealthy. These radicals react quickly and form incomplete combustion products such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) . There is clear scientific evidence that these PAHs are harmful to health. They are linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, and can lead to cancer (see studies in the references).
In industrial kitchens, the percentage of PAHs remaining in frying oil after repeated use is tested to determine when an oil is no longer safe for human consumption. International legislation in countries including France, Italy, Poland, and Spain sets a limit of no more than 25% PAHs in frying oils. Repeatedly heating and reusing olive oil, even without burning it, can therefore be very unhealthy.
Olive oil suitable for baking and frying
Which olive oil is suitable for frying and roasting? It's simple: any premium-quality extra virgin olive oil, pressed from olive varieties high in polyphenols (antioxidants). Especially if you harvest the olives early, process them correctly, pack them securely in airtight, light-proof containers, and store them in a cool, dark place, you'll have an extra virgin olive oil with a high polyphenol content that guarantees stable organic compounds and low acidity and oxidation.
This extra virgin olive oil can withstand temperatures of around 210–220°C without developing PAHs and becoming toxic. It is excellent for frying and roasting, and studies (see references) repeatedly show that it is much healthier than butter or any other type of fat or oil. However, this premium extra virgin olive oil is not (with some exceptions) available at supermarkets, and even if it is, you often don't know which is good quality and which is not.
But of course, you can find it at The Olive Label.shop . All our extra virgin olive oil is of absolute top quality and definitely suitable for baking and frying. Because it's not economical to use the more expensive extra virgin olive oil for frying and frying, we regularly select more affordable extra virgin olive oil, usually in larger packaging such as a 2-, 3-, or 5-liter bag-in-box .
The Portuguese brand Caixeiro is used by many chefs in restaurants. It's the best reference you can get. Although, we received a message from a family saying their children thought the potatoes fried in the Portuguese Caixeiro were the tastiest potatoes they'd ever eaten! Perhaps an even better reference than those from the top chefs.
Olive oil is not suitable for baking and frying
Not all olive oils are the same. Below are three different types of extra virgin olive oil that burn too quickly for frying and roasting:
-
Moderate-quality extra virgin olive oil made from olives with low polyphenol content. These are the bottles of "extra virgin" olive oil you can find in supermarkets (with some exceptions). Made from bulk olive oil at a competitive price. There's a good chance this olive oil has already started to oxidize to some extent. At high temperatures, it will likely oxidize even faster, for example, at 160-170°C. °C, making it unsuitable for baking and frying at higher temperatures. This olive oil is difficult to identify because producers naturally do their best to sell even inferior olive oil in the most attractive bottles possible.
-
Unfiltered extra virgin olive oil. A wonderful, incredibly healthy olive oil, but only suitable for cold applications and relatively poor shelf life. In Italy, genuine "novello" is mainly available between November and April. Due to the small pieces of olives, pits, and other impurities, good unfiltered extra virgin olive oil is very healthy but completely unsuitable for heating to the high temperatures required for frying and roasting. The small pieces burn, which is unhealthy.
- Then there's extra virgin olive oil that's too old, has been stored too long, or has been stored incorrectly. Over time and/or under the influence of light, air, and heat, the polyphenols and other antioxidants that protect extra virgin olive oil from oxidation will degrade. This causes the organic compounds to break down (more quickly), and the olive oil becomes an oxidizer. More on this below.
Olive oil from the supermarket
Did I mention that it's best not to buy extra virgin olive oil at the supermarket? That's because the vast majority of "extra virgin" olive oils in supermarkets are of poor quality and sometimes even just plain bad and unhealthy. They're not suitable for frying or roasting and they don't taste good. There's really no reason to buy olive oil at the supermarket because the taste, with the few exceptions that prove the rule, is often rancid, greasy, bland, and downright nasty. Olive oil sommelier Wilma van Grinsven-Padberg said in 2019: "There's no such thing as good olive oil in the supermarket. There are just less bad ones." More about supermarket olive oil in this blog.
Storing olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil isn't wine. Olive oil doesn't improve with age. Nor should you save olive oil for a special occasion. Every day is special, and the fresher the extra virgin olive oil, the better.
Extra virgin olive oil is a natural product and therefore subject to spoilage. When extra virgin olive oil comes into contact with oxygen, it oxidizes. When this happens, the polyphenols oxidize first, which means the fatty acids in the extra virgin olive oil are no longer protected. Therefore, as soon as the bottle is opened, the oxygen reacts with the extra virgin olive oil and affects its quality.
Premium quality extra virgin olive oil is almost always sold in dark bottles or in a bag-in-a-box. Both prevent (UV) light from reaching the extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil also doesn't tolerate light well. An extra virgin olive oil in a clear bottle stored in daylight will quickly lose its health benefits and can even spoil within a few weeks. Place that clear bottle in the kitchen window in the sun, and your extra virgin olive oil will no longer be edible after perhaps a week. It will turn slightly orange and taste rancid. This is because the light activates the chlorophyll in extra virgin olive oil, which destroys many of the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil.
Extra virgin olive oil doesn't do well in heat. So, don't place a bottle or bag-in-a-box near a heat source like the stove or next to a radiator. Also, make sure your bottle or bag-in-a-box isn't in direct sunlight! This way, you can keep your extra virgin olive oil fresh for longer.
Because extra virgin olive oil is a natural product that is subject to spoilage, it's wise to keep smelling and tasting it. When your oil starts to smell a bit flat and musty or tastes a bit greasy and rancid, it's gone bad. Not only is the oil no longer tasty, it's also unhealthy. It's become an oxidizer for your body.
How long can you keep extra virgin olive oil?
Provided it is cool (12 – 20 °C) and stored in a dark place, as a general guideline we recommend premium quality extra virgin olive oil:
- Use well before the "best before" date printed on the bottle. For premium extra virgin olive oil, the European agreement stipulates that the best before date is 18 months after bottling.
- Bottle: Use within 3-4 months of opening. This also depends on when the bottle was opened and the best-before date. The fresher the better, and the longer it can be used. The closer to the best-before date, the sooner you can use it (smell and taste).
- Bag-in-Box: Use within 6-10 months of opening. This also depends on when the bag-in-box was opened and its best-before date. The closer to the best-before date, the sooner you can use it (smell and taste it).
Store extra virgin olive oil in the refrigerator?
Can you store olive oil in the refrigerator? Yes, but there's a catch. The cold will preserve its quality and extend its shelf life, but it can affect the flavor. A study ( this one) shows this. shows that the polyphenol content of extra virgin olive oil decreases less over time if the oil is kept in the refrigerator (about 4 °C). At this low temperature, the extra virgin olive oil will solidify somewhat. This isn't a problem in itself, and your olive oil will last longer, but the cold and the solidification can affect the flavor somewhat. Incidentally, the olive oil will quickly clear again at room temperature.
Refined olive oil
In the supermarket, you see a lot of olive oil in transparent, often plastic, bottles. The labels are full of completely meaningless terms like traditional olive oil, blended olive oil, classico, classico original, gentle, mild, light, robusto, cucina delicata, etc. It's all marketing and utter nonsense. That's refined olive oil. It's said that the smoke point of refined oil is higher (around 230°C). °C) and that's why this refined oil is suitable for frying and roasting. That may be true, but refined oil is already an oxidizer for your body and, in our opinion, not suitable for consumption at all! Here's the thing.
Refined olive oil is made from lampante olive oil and/or pomace olive oil. Lampante oil is made from olives that cannot be used for extra virgin olive oil. These are olives from a poor harvest, those that have been left to sit too long, damaged by mold, bacteria, pests, etc. Or they are overripe or even rotten olives that have been lying on the ground. In the past, these olives were pressed to use the oil for lamp oil. Hence the name lampante.
Pomace oil is made from the pulp left over after extra virgin olive oil is pressed. The pulp is purchased by a chemical company, which then chemically extracts the last bit of oil remaining in the olive pulp using solvents like hexane.
The brown goo you get from pressed, rotting olives and the pomace oil are both unsuitable for consumption! Watch the video from the Keuringsdienst van Waarde (Inspection Service of Value). Click here to watch, scroll to 17 minutes .
This brown sludge is first heated to kill all bacteria, pathogens, and other critters. Then, using chemical tricks, the acidity is reduced, the unpleasant odor is removed, and all color is stripped. What's left is a pale, odorless, and tasteless, fatty oil. This has nothing to do with olive oil. All the benefits of olive oil, if any were present in this sludge, have been destroyed. However, the manufacturer is still not allowed to label the bottle as "olive oil." For this to be true, at least 5% real olive oil must be added. In that case, the bottle may be labeled as "olive oil," and the manufacturer will then label it as "Classico" or "Mild." Scandalous and rather bizarre, but it is possible and allowed.
But what's even crazier is that refined olive oil is often more expensive than extra virgin olive oil these days. Bizarre.
Incidentally, most, or almost all, of the oils you find in the supermarket are refined. Have you ever tasted real, fresh sunflower oil? For example, in France? Compare it to the sunflower oil you can buy in the supermarket. The real thing is a beautiful, fresh, refreshing, nutty oil. Delicious on your salad.
Not the one from the supermarket. Try it pure. Just a tiny bit! It doesn't resemble real sunflower oil at all. And the same goes for rapeseed oil, rice bran oil, grapeseed oil, etc. These are heavily chemically processed during production to ensure they're fit for human consumption.
All refined oils are unhealthy! While extra virgin olive oil consists mainly of monounsaturated fatty acids and is protected by a high level of polyphenols (antioxidants), refined oil contains much more polyunsaturated fats and no antioxidants. For this reason alone, refined oil is more susceptible to oxidation than extra virgin olive oil. These chemical processes cause refined oil to have excessive oxidation levels even before it's bottled, so the organic compounds easily break down when heated. Even though you don't burn the oil and its smoke point is therefore quite high, it's already unhealthy before it even goes into the pan. For more on this topic, see the references under point 6.
Fraud
And then there's another "but." There's a lot of fraud, a lot of poor quality, and little control. This is especially true for all olive oil that isn't extra virgin, such as refined olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil must comply with strict EU regulations, and the farmers and the production of extra virgin olive oil are subject to strict (EU) supervision. Even the crooks who try to sell their counterfeit oil as extra virgin olive oil do their best to ensure that it meets European legal standards. Olive oil that is subject to less strict regulations and is less monitored is more susceptible to fraud.
Refined oil is already considered poor quality, so there's less control over production and quality. Producers can mix and blend to their heart's content. It's not inconceivable that you'll buy olive oil that's actually unfit for consumption.
Frying in olive oil
Frying in extra virgin olive oil works really well! The ideal temperature for frying is between 180 and a maximum of 190 degrees Celsius. °C and most good extra virgin olive oils can handle that very well. Click here for an article that scientific research shows time and again that (re)using extra virgin olive oil is the safest and healthiest fat for baking, roasting and frying.
Studies, such as those from the University of Grenada and discussed here in the Olive Oil Times , show that frying vegetables, for example, in good extra virgin olive oil is even healthier than boiling vegetables!
And it's much tastier. Especially in Michelin-starred restaurants, finer dishes are often fried in a pan with good extra virgin olive oil. If you do this at home, make sure you have a kitchen thermometer handy ( for example, you can find it here ), so you know the temperature.
Some of our customers know that frying in sunflower oil, refined olive oil, or any other oil offered for frying in the supermarket is incredibly unhealthy. They prefer to fill their deep fryer with 3.5 liters of extra virgin olive oil. It only costs a little more, but you know you'll get a lot—and I mean, much—healthier fries.
How often can you reuse the extra virgin olive oil in your deep fryer? Research shows that the better the quality of the extra virgin olive oil, the more often you can reheat it. This is because the polyphenols, tocopherols, and other antioxidants in extra virgin olive oil protect the fatty acids from oxidation. The article cited above ( click here) explains this. goes into this in more detail.
While reusing it for frying will eventually reduce the polyphenols and antioxidants in extra virgin olive oil, it will only partially affect the vital anti-inflammatory compound found only in extra virgin olive oil, oleocanthal.
Oleocanthal is one of the most interesting phenolic components of extra virgin olive oil. Its impact on health is the subject of numerous ongoing studies. These studies show evidence of highly significant effects, ranging from anti-cancer properties to the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases.
Even when heated for extended periods at very high temperatures, such as 240 °C (464 °F) in a laboratory experiment, oleocanthal only partially degrades its biological activity.
The little bits left in the frying oil
Although extra virgin olive oil still contains important antioxidants even after repeated heating, making it the healthiest option for baking, roasting, and frying, it's wise to be careful when reusing all frying oils and fats. Repeatedly heating the small food residues left behind in the oil poses a health risk. These small remnants will soak up the oil after cooling and then burn again each time they're heated.
Repeatedly burning these small bits of food makes them unhealthy because they increase the percentage of PAHs each time. It's best to filter these small bits of food from the frying oil as carefully as possible each time. You can buy special grease filters for this purpose.
In short, frying in fresh extra virgin olive oil is truly much healthier than in any other oil or fat. Reusing extra virgin olive oil in your deep fryer is perfectly fine, but be careful not to contaminate the oil with too much residue. Those small bits are partly what makes frying oil unhealthy. And after about 8 or 10 uses, it's usually gone.
Conclusion
Extra virgin olive oil is your best friend in the kitchen and a favorite of all great chefs. Use it liberally in a variety of hot and cold dishes! From breakfast to desserts (try olive oil in your yogurt and on your vanilla ice cream) and from salads to baking and roasting.
But always do your own research. Generally, a good quality extra virgin olive oil is stable and doesn't oxidize quickly at higher temperatures. However, be aware that not all olive oils are created equal and that not all olive oils can withstand high temperatures. Always use fresh, premium-quality extra virgin olive oil, and keep in mind that you can't trust cheap olive oil, even if it comes in a fancy bottle with a bunch of Italian terms on the label.
Always be careful not to burn any oil or fat, regardless of the type, but also be aware that oil can oxidize faster due to the heat! If you want to fry and roast with delicious olive oil, buy a good extra virgin olive oil and don't heat it any hotter than necessary. Then frying and roasting with extra virgin olive oil is fantastic and the healthiest choice!
In Conclusion
Superior-quality extra virgin olive oil is practically a miracle. It's pure and incredibly healthy. It contains unsaturated fats and antioxidants like tocopherols and polyphenols, as well as vitamin E. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is said to be beneficial for us to consume daily. It's no wonder the Mediterranean diet, with its daily use of high-quality extra virgin olive oil, is widely known as perhaps the healthiest diet in the world!
Many people consume at least a few tablespoons of olive oil every day, often pure and on an empty stomach. They choose this because it's long been known and scientifically proven that extra virgin olive oil is very beneficial against conditions like cardiovascular disease and that it helps you live a healthier life longer. Just look here .
Don't try that with supermarket olive oil! Instead, choose our Greek extra virgin olive oils with health claims: Olithea and Cultura. Both carry an EU-certified health claim because this oil has a much higher polyphenol content than average extra virgin olive oil. Polyphenols are antioxidants that, among other things, combat inflammation.
Premium extra virgin olive oil is fantastic and belongs in every kitchen, especially in the Netherlands. Of course, no salad or Mediterranean dish is complete without a truly good olive oil, but you can use delicious extra virgin olive oil in many other dishes. It's also excellent for enhancing Dutch dishes. Pour it generously over your boiled potatoes or Dutch-style boiled vegetables, and you'll have instant happiness!
Extra virgin olive oil is for everyone. It combines the power of the sun with the best the earth has to offer.
Enjoy! O'Lives Great!
What are the temperatures?
- Cooking: 100 °C (duh)
- Baking in the pan: 130 – 220 °C. Can you use extra virgin olive oil? Yes!
- Baking in the oven: 140 – 240 °C. Can you use extra virgin olive oil? Yes!
- Roasting in a Dutch oven: 150 – 225 °C. Can you use extra virgin olive oil? Yes!
- Frying: 160 – 180 °C. Can you use extra virgin olive oil? Yes!
- Stir-fry: Chao technique: 160 – 240 °C. Can you use extra virgin olive oil? Yes!
- Stir-fry Bao technique: up to more than 650 °C (!). Uh, no. Don't use olive oil!
References (among others):
- Dispelling the myths of frying with olive oil: Olive Oil Times
- Heating olive oil , by EVOO sommelier Marije Pessos
- The effect of cooking on olive oil quality attributes , by Food Research International
- International Olive Council: Frying with olive oil
- Studies and scientific evidence suggest that polar compounds can be harmful to health. They are linked to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and can lead to cancer:
- Matveychuk D, Dursun S, Wood P et al. Reactive Aldehydes and Neurodegenerative Disorders. Bull Clin Psychopharm. 2011;21(4):277–88
- Pizzimenti S, Ciamporcero E, Daga M et al. Interaction of aldehydes from lipid peroxidation and membrane proteins. Front Physiol. 2013;4:242. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2013.00242.
- Cruz-Haces M, Tang J, Acosta G et al. Pathological correlations between traumatic brain injury and chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Transl Neurodegener. 2017; 6:20.doi: 10.1186/s40035-017-0088-2.
- Jinwei L, Xiaondan L, Wenci C et al. Comparison of different polar compounds-induced cytotoxicity in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells. Lipids Health Dis.2016;15:30. doi: 10.1186/s12944-016-0201-z.
- Studies on refined oil:
-
- Cicerale S, Conlan XA, Barnett NW et al. Influence of heat on biological activity and concentration of oleocanthal, a natural antiinflammatory agent in olive oil. J Agric Food Chem.2009;57(4):1326–30.
- Allouche Y et al. 2007 How Heating Affects Extra Virgin Olive Oil Quality Indexes and Chemical Composition. J Agric Food Chem. 55:9646–54.
- Casal S et al. 2010 Olive oil stability under deep-frying conditions. Food Chem Toxicol. 48:2972–7.
- Gomez-Alonso S et al. 2003 Changes in Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Virgin Olive Oil during Frying. J Agric Food Chem. 51:667–67.
- Jiyeong L, Dong A, Jung K, et al. Influence of extra virgin olive oil on the formation of heterocyclic amines in roasted beef steak. Food Sci. 2011;20(1):159–65.
Other studies:
- Ramirez-Anaya J, Samaniego-Sanchez C, Castaneda-Saucedo M, Villalon-Mir M, Lopez-Garcia de la Serrana H. Phenols and the antioxidant capacity of Mediterranean vegetables prepared with extra virgin olive oil using different domestic cooking techniques. Food Chem. 2015;188:430–8.)
- Perez-Herrara A. et al. 2013 The antioxidants in oils heated at frying temperature, whether natural or added, could protect against oxidative stress in obese people. Food Chem. 138; 2250–2259
- Gray S. Cooking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. ACNEM J 2015;34(2):8–12
- International Olive Oil Council. Frying with olive oil: http://www.internationaloliveoil.org/estaticos/view/85-frying-with-olive-oil
- Verela G, Ruiz-Roso B. “Some effects of frying on dietary fat intake”. Nutr Rev. 1992;50:256–262.
- Nieva-Echevarria B, Goicoechea E, Manzanos M et al. The influence of frying technique, cooking oil and fish species on the changes occurring in fish lipids and oil during shallow-frying, studied by 1 H NMR. Food Research International. 2016; 84:150–159.
- Moreno d, L ́opez-Berenguer c, Garcia-Viguera c. Effects of Stir-Fry Cooking with Different Edible Oils on the Phytochemical Composition of Broccoli. J Food Sci. 2007;72