Healthiest stir fry oils?!
So I'm wondering what else I should use. I've heard bad things about Canola oil, especially when heating it. Peanut oil is OK but not too healthy. What about special cooking oils, like sesame seed and olive, that are refined for cooking? Does the refining process strip them of all of their benefits? Or is it still better to use than other oils? I just want to know which is best for stir frying - that is, cooking over pretty high heats.
Answers: I'm looking for the healthiest stir fry oils. I had been using EVOO even though I knew that it doesn't have a high smoking point...but I'm gonna stop because the stuff is too expensive to waste, and it loses its benefits anyway when I cook it at high temperatures.
So I'm wondering what else I should use. I've heard bad things about Canola oil, especially when heating it. Peanut oil is OK but not too healthy. What about special cooking oils, like sesame seed and olive, that are refined for cooking? Does the refining process strip them of all of their benefits? Or is it still better to use than other oils? I just want to know which is best for stir frying - that is, cooking over pretty high heats.
Stick with peanut oil. Here's why: Even though peanut oil is not the healthiest of the cooking oils, it can take the high heat that stir fry requires to be done well, not just properly. Also if your wok is hot enough and stays hot, then you should never use more than 2 Tbs. oil per wok full of stir fry. I use my turkey fryer burner for stir fry and love the way I can keep the wok hot after adding food to it. A regular kitchen stove burner is not hot enough to properly stir fry. that is why food sticks so much and you keep adding oil when using a wok in your kitchen on top of your stove. You need a GAS burner that has a heat output of at least 30,000 BTU's and can go up to about 60,000 to keep things hot for a 12 to 16 inch wok. DO NOT USE ELECTRIC BURNERS TO STIR FRY they do not recover fast enough to keep your wok sizzling hot.
Most flavored oils like sesame or EVOO are made for flavoring only and do not do well with heat over 250 degrees. So, add them after you're finished cooking the dish. If you are cooking over a regular stove top at home you can use regular vegetable oil, or what ever you want that can handle heat over 375 degrees. Ask your MD for advise on cooking oils or go to a dietician which your MD can referr you to. Good Luck! I hope this helps.
Canola oil is good for stir fry at moderatelly high temperatures. If you get your wok blazingly hot like professional Chinese cooks, you'll want to use peanut oil.
Use dark sesame oil only as a seasoning. It's not a cooking oil.
Grapseed oil is very healthy and can take the heat of stir frying, but it is expensive.
Here's more info: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/cookingf...
I've used canola for a long time, and it works pretty well--maybe a drop less flavor than peanut, but otherwise fine.
Never tried any of the highly refined oils, but aren't olive and sesame a little strongly flavored for general stir frying?
i use both olive oil or canola oil. both of these oils are the best and healthy. i stir fry with med heat. high heat can sometimes burn the food that is being cooked..
really,stick with tradition.
peanut oil is superior in a high heat environment and is ideal for deep fry[why do you think ron mcd. used it for his fry]
canola is only a 1970's invention and recent studies paint it as poison .i myself now avoid if possible.there was one medical study done and 2 sets of test group,the canola test group all died before the test had run it's course ,they were mice but that must show something!
olive oil is good for all other uses,regular oil for utility ,virgin for direct uncooked consummation