Let’s Dispel the Myths about Can you fry with Olive Oil?

Can you fry with olive oil? Yes or no? Answers differ from culture to culture and from region to region. Let’s start with my Tunisian culture and see how our elders think about frying with olive oil.

“You cannot fry things in olive oil, it is poisonous”, “Are you stupid to fry with Olive Oil?” Those are the most feverish answers you might get once your mother or grandma step in the kitchen and discover that you have used olive oil for frying and not for cooking. I have had the same illogical answer spinning in my mind for years. Recently, I gathered my courage to dispel the mythical reading of my mother's rituals in the kitchen to answer the following question “Can you fry with olive oil or not? Olive oil has been gaining fame thanks to its marvelous health benefits. By definition, Olive oil is the natural oil extracted from olives, the fruit of the olive tree. It consists of saturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, and omega-6 fatty acids that are beneficial for health.

To genuinely win my mother's arguments, this article explains whether we should fry with olive oil or not.

Should You Use Olive Oil for Frying Food?

Have you ever tasted fried veggies with olive oil? If “No” is your answer, you should gather your courage and give it a try. Do not worry if you would receive a long lecture about wasting extra-virgin olive oil in frying delicious veggies. Can you fry your veggies with olive oil? The scientifically based studies came in for rescue to enumerate the beneficial facts of frying with olive oil. A recent study has claimed that frying vegetables in extra virgin olive oil is healthier than just boiling them in water. I assure you, just give it a try, you cannot resist the appetizing taste of your olive-like veggies. Whether you are using pan-frying, deep-frying, stir-frying, or sautéing, they all have one thing in common: the temperature of the cooking oil. To simplify the facts, we should analyze the two properties of cooking oils that matter most. Surprisingly enough, Olive oil reacts well in both categories.

Smoke point: The temperature at which the fats begin to break down and turn into smoke.

Oxidative stability: How resistant the fats are to reacting with oxygen.

Can you Fry with Extra Virgin Olive oil?

This has been the question for ages. We are on the same boat as “let’s give it a try”. We suffer from the same monotonous nonsense of our elders. We like to eat tasty food. We would like to experiment to prove them wrong and discover something new to be a future good cook.

People tend to run and hide the minute a pan starts smoking. It’s a normal human reaction. The smoke usually means your life is at risk. But you shouldn’t run away. Sometimes pans will smoke. That’s just part of cooking. You need just to open the window of your kitchen and continue cooking safely.

Oils with high smoke points may be more stable and healthier to cook with than those with low smoke points. According to health line magazine: “The stability of an oil depends on how tightly packed the fatty acids in them are. The more tightly packed, the harder they are to break apart when heated”.

Along with Avocado oil, Coconut oil, Extra virgin olive oil is considered to be among the most healthful oils for shallow frying. Extra virgin olive oil’s smoke point is somewhere around 374–405°F (190–207°C). This makes it the best choice for frying your delicious food. International Olive Council claims that "Olive oil is ideal for frying. In proper temperature conditions, without over-heating, it undergoes no substantial structural change and keeps its nutritional value better than other oils, not only because of the antioxidants but also due to its high levels of oleic acid."

Olive oil is full of antioxidants called polyphenols which act to protect the oil from oxidation. Heat does not impact the chemical composition of olive oil and therefore safeguards all its nutritional make-up. Not only can you fry with extra virgin olive oil, but you should include it on the top of your shopping list. It stands up well to heat due to its monounsaturated fatty acid and polyphenol content. EVOO oil is a safer, healthier, and tastier choice compared to other oils.

IS IT SAFE TO FRY WITH OLIVE OIL?

Absolutely, YES. If you are still hesitant to buy oil to use for cooking, sautéing, or frying, you should opt for Olive Oil because it contains low amounts of polyunsaturated fat. These molecules, when heated, tend to oxidize quicker and go rancid. Instead, choose an oil high in monounsaturated fat with stability in high heat. Even under extreme conditions like deep frying, Olive oil is very stable overall. While cooking or frying, vegetable oils like Sunflowers oxidize, unlike Olive oil.

Can you fry with olive oil several times?

You can use 4 or 5 cycles of frying with olive oil, according to the International Olive Oil Council. Would you give it a try? Can you fry with olive oil? I took the first step and gave it a try and I am damn sure you will fall in love with your veggies after using the olive oil. You can play a prank with your grandmother. All you have to do is to surprise her with fried veggies and tell her: Can you fry with olive oil? Let her enjoy the delicious taste, then simply say: Yes, you can.