Reusing frying oil has some potential negative effects on health. This has a lot to do with the smoke point of oils, which is the temperature up to which oil can be heated before it starts to break down and release free radicals that not only affect food and how it tastes, but also health.
When oil gets too hot, it starts to break down.
The smoke point for cooking oils
You’ll be able to apply more uses to your cooking oil when you know its smoking point. You’ll also be able to use any fat appropriately, plus you’ll avoid endangering your health since reused oil can lead to health problems when used again and again.
Advertisement:
Here is the smoking point for oils and fats most commonly used in cooking:
- Sunflower oil (refined): 230°C
- Extra virgin olive oil: 210°C
- Butter: 180°C
- Coconut oil: 180°C
- Canola oil: 205°C
- Peanut oil: 230°C
- Grapeseed oil: 205°C
- Walnut oil: 160°C
- Almond oil: 220°C
- Avocado oil: 270°C
And here is all the various cooking that you can do with all these oils.
- Sunflower: deep-fry; roast; grill; bake; sauté; pan-fry; in salads.
- Extra virgin olive oil: fry over medium-high heat; in salads; sauté.
- Butter: bake; sauté.
- Coconut oil: bake; sauté.
- Canola oil: bake; pan-fry; sauté.
- Peanut oil: deep-fry; pan-fry; sauté; sear; roast; grill; bake; in salads.
- Grapeseed oil: in salads; bake; fry; sauté.
- Walnut oil: in salad dressings; to drizzle over food after cooking.
- Almond oil: grill; bake; roast; fry; in salad dressings.
- Avocado oil: fry; sear; bake; roast; grill, in salad dressings.
Because some cooking oils are too expensive to use for frying just once, many people reuse them. But used one too many times, cooking oil can lead to health problems.
The free radicals released when the oil breaks down attack healthy cells in the body and can lead to conditions such as heart disease and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
But if you must reuse oil, you should make sure of the following.
That you choose the right oil depending on what you intend to use it for, if it’s deep frying or shallow frying, baking, roasting, etc.
That you don’t reuse if you notice that the oil is smokier than expected. If oil releases too much smoke when heated, it’s usually because of a toxic substance called 4- hydroxynonena or HNE and associated with a number of diseases.
That you maintain the appropriate temperature when cooking in order to prevent food ending up tasting bad and the release of free radicals.
That you strain the oil to remove any food particles which tend to affect the quality of the oil and lead to spoiling much sooner. Not filtering used oil can lead to burning next time you cook from all the loose bits and crumbs.
Advertisement:
That you don’t reuse too many times. However much you practice reusing frying oil, you can only reuse so many times before it destabilizes completely. So at some point after several uses, you should dispose of it once you notice a darker color and thicker consistency.