Cooking Stack Exchange
Cooking Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [oil]

Fats from plant sources that are liquid at room temperature, such as olive oil, canola oil and peanut oil. Questions about the use of oils or about which oils to choose for a specific culinary purpose are appropriate here. As per the FAQ, please avoid asking about health matters in this tag unless you have a *specific* nutritional question - for example, the effect of saturation on smoke point.

Refers to culinary oils such as olive, canola, peanut, and grape seed.

Oils are distinguished from other fats by the high amount of unsaturated (mono- or polyunsaturated) fatty acids. The higher the degree of unsaturation, more likely it is to be liquid at room temperature.

Questions about the use of oils or about which oils to choose for a specific culinary purpose are appropriate here.

As per the FAQ, please avoid asking about health matters in this tag unless you have a specific nutritional question - for example, the effect of saturation on smoke point.

472 questions
113
votes
14 answers

Do you heat the pan first, then add oil? Or put the oil in and heat up with the pan?

As the title says... I personally heat up the pan first, then put the oil in and after it's heated up add the ingredients. I go with the line of reasoning that doing it this way gives the oil less time to burn, thinking that if you do it the other…
Ward - Trying Codidact
  • 4,947
  • 11
  • 32
  • 45
57
votes
2 answers

Why can applesauce be used in place of oil?

In many recipes, mostly desserts, it is suggested that you can substitute oil with applesauce to reduce the fat content. But why applesauce? Is there something special about applesauce or are there other ingredients than can be used?
Brian Ortiz
  • 1,199
  • 4
  • 11
  • 13
51
votes
12 answers

Frying Oil Reuse

What are some guidelines or rules with regard to filtering and reusing (vegetable/canola/sunflower) oil that has been used for deep frying? Is it safe and acceptable under some circumstances to filter and keep oil? If so, does it depend on which…
beetlefeet
  • 695
  • 2
  • 6
  • 7
50
votes
12 answers

When you cook spaghetti, do you add olive oil to the boiling water?

Many people (at least in Germany) think that Italians add olive oil to the boiling water for spaghetti. However, Italians tend to tell the opposite (from my experience). So, can you please state objective reasons for or against adding olive oil to…
Rasmus
  • 603
  • 1
  • 7
  • 14
50
votes
14 answers

What's the proper way to dispose of used fats & oils?

Down the drain? Does it depend on the type? With bacon fat, I usually let it solidify in a cup lined with foil, and then throw it out. With used canola oil, I'm not quite sure what to do because it doesn't solidify.
Knarf Navillus
  • 930
  • 3
  • 8
  • 10
37
votes
4 answers

What oil or fat to use for different purposes?

I understand that one of the main reasons to use different kinds of fat or oil is the temperature at which it burns, e.g. an extra-virgin olive oil to fry a steak wouldn't work. Taste is also a very important aspect. Can you give a list of the most…
tobiw
  • 1,083
  • 2
  • 12
  • 18
32
votes
4 answers

When is a cooking oil not appropriate to substitute for another?

Frequently recipes call for a particular kind of oil for making use of certain characteristics (taste, heat tolerance, health, etc.). It's well known you can substitute cooking oils in most cases (vegetable oil for canola oil). Are there…
JYelton
  • 2,898
  • 8
  • 30
  • 39
30
votes
2 answers

What are some good ways to treat frozen vegetables such that they behave like fresh vegetables when stir frying them?

Forgive me for being a novice. I like having frozen spinach, onions, broccoli, and vegetables since they're convenient and don't spoil. But I only know the practices for cooking, and in particular, stir frying fresh vegetables. As a basic example,…
chausies
  • 482
  • 1
  • 5
  • 9
29
votes
8 answers

How to keep my (deep frying) oil usable as long as possible?

I have a new deep fryer. I am pleased with its results so far. I am not a 'heavy user' though - say once every 2-3 weeks. I want to re-use the oil a couple of times. The deep fryer is covered but not airtight, however. The new deep fryer has a cold…
Tobias Op Den Brouw
  • 3,694
  • 4
  • 29
  • 41
28
votes
6 answers

What do "virgin" and "extra virgin" mean in regards to olive oil?

I have seen the terms "virgin" and "extra virgin" on bottles of olive oil. What do these terms mean, and how do they affect the flavor and cooking properties of the oil?
e.James
  • 685
  • 1
  • 7
  • 9
25
votes
7 answers

I used olive oil to finish my salad serving utensils - now what?

I recently received some homemade unfinished wood salad serving utensils as a gift, and like a dummy, I figured it would be safe to rub them down with some olive oil. Now, I've learned that since olive oil turns rancid, this was probably not a good…
fixit
  • 253
  • 1
  • 3
  • 5
25
votes
7 answers

Can extra virgin olive oil be used for stir frying, roasting, grilling?

I'd like to use extra virgin olive oil for the above mentioned cooking methods as opposed to other oils/butter. Are there any downsides to it, or can it be used safely in all those cooking methods? Is there anything that it doesn't work well with?
Click Upvote
  • 575
  • 4
  • 9
  • 14
24
votes
6 answers

How do I press avocadoes to make avocado oil?

Avocado oil is expensive and I've been trying to figure out a solution to make my own. I'd love to make a press (I do woodworking) but I haven't found anything online. Is there a way to extract avocado oil from avocadoes at home?
calico-cat
  • 1,203
  • 5
  • 14
  • 22
24
votes
5 answers

What is meant by "cook until the oil separates" in Indian curry recipes?

A lot of Indian curry recipes have a step where you're told to cook an onion-tomato-spices mixture "until the oil separates". Despite having tried cooking such recipes a number of times already, I still haven't really figured out what is meant by…
Rinzwind
  • 2,672
  • 4
  • 25
  • 31
23
votes
6 answers

What oil is best for seasoning a cast-iron skillet

I just cleaned up a rusty cast-iron skillet and I would like to season it. The thing is that I don't have lard handy and I'm wondering whether any of my other oils and fats would do. I have: canola, olive, sesame and almond oil. Also, I've heard…
ddimitrov
  • 597
  • 1
  • 5
  • 11
1
2 3
…
31 32