Ideal oils for frying

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See also: Tips for frying

What are the best oils to use for our fries?

There are numerous types of oil on the market, which differ not only in origin and taste but also in their nutritional and organoleptic properties.

Nutritionists advise not to overdo it with fries because the high temperatures reached with this cooking method alter the molecular structure of fats producing toxic residues for our body.

These alterations also occur on a physical level: an oil exposed to high temperatures will in fact take on an increasingly darker color, producing foamy residues and increasing its viscosity.

Among the many oils on the market there are some that are more stable and resistant to high temperatures and others that break down more easily.

The formation of toxic substances depends on three main factors:

• temperature and time of exposure to heat;
• concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids;
• oil smoke point.

In particular, oils containing large quantities of polyunsaturated fatty acids should not be used for frying. In short, the famous omega 3 fats that are talked about so much for their usefulness in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, if subjected to high temperatures they become unstable producing harmful residues for our body. The same applies to omega-6s.

The smoke point corresponds to the maximum temperature that can be reached by an oil before it starts to burn and decompose creating the aforementioned toxic substances.

Smoke point of some oils and fats *
Sunflower oil	less than 130 ° C
Soybean oil	130 ° C
Corn oil	160 ° C
Peanut oil	180 ° C
Extra virgin olive oil	210 ° C
Coconut oil	177 ° C
Refined palm oil **	240 ° C
(*) the proposed values ​​can also vary considerably in relation to the degree of refining, the variety of seeds, seasonal trends and cultivation techniques; for this reason different values ​​can be found in the literature. The smoke point decreases - even noticeably - if the oil is not properly stored (remember that it is necessary to repair it from light and heat) and if it has already been used in the previous frying. (**) refined oils have a higher smoke point than the unrefined ones and are therefore more suitable for frying.

Olive oil is the ideal oil for frying thanks to a fairly high smoke point.

Sunflower oil has a very low smoke point and is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids; for these reasons its use is not recommended. Similarly, rapeseed and grape seed oil should also be avoided for frying. Nevertheless, at the supermarket it is easy to come across refined grapeseed oils with smoke points higher than 220 ° C.

Peanut oil has its point of smoke at 180 ° and thanks to this good stability at high temperatures is one of the preferred oils.

Below are the guidelines of the Ministry of Health for the use of oils and fats for frying

Percentages of fatty acids present in vegetable oils

OILS	monounsaturated	polyunsaturated	saturated
sunflower	24	65	11
corn	27	60	13
peanut	50	30	20
soy	22	63	15
rape	60	30	10
grapeseed	16	72	12
olive	75	10	15

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE USE OF OILS AND GREASES FOR FRYING

• Use only suitable food oils or fats for frying for frying as they are more resistant to heat.
• Take care of the preparation of the food to be fried, avoiding as much as possible water and adding salt and spices that accelerate the alteration of oils and fats. Salt and spices should be added to the food, preferably after frying.
• It is essential to avoid that the oil temperature exceeds 180 ° C. Temperatures above 180 ° C accelerate the alteration of oils and fats. It is therefore advisable to have a thermostat fryer.
• After frying it is good to drain the elimination of excess oil absorbed from the food.
• Provide for frequent replacement of oils and fats. Watch over the quality of the oil during frying, bearing in mind that a widely used oil can already be recognized by browning, viscosity and the tendency to produce smoke during frying.
• Filter the used oil, if still suitable for frying, on suitable systems and / or inert substances (filtration aids); thoroughly clean the filter and the oil pan. The charred crusts, oily-viscous residues or the remains of an old oil accelerate the alteration of the oil.
• It is essential to avoid topping up (adding fresh oil to the used oil). The fresh oil is altered much more quickly in contact with the used oil.
• Protect oils and greases from light.