Oils and Fats Tips and Techniques - Cooking Tips

General Cooking Tips

• Use flavorful oils in marinades for meat, fish, or poultry.
• Instead of serving butter with bread, pour your favorite oil into a saucer or onto a small plate for dipping. Extra virgin olive oil, nut oils, or flavored vegetable oils are good choices.
• When using butter for frying, add a bit of cooking oil to help prevent the butter from burning.
• Brush your favorite cooking oil onto meats while broiling, grilling, or roasting to help brown the meat and seal in the juices.
• Use flavorful oils, such as olive oil or nut oils, instead of butter on cooked vegetables.
• It is important that the oil or fat is heated in the pan before the food is placed in the pan. This prevents food from soaking up excessive oil or fat and it helps prevent the food from sticking to the pan.
• Substituting olive oil for butter in baked goods allows a smaller quantity to be used; in most cases up to 25% less fat is used when baking with olive oil. Light olive oil is ideal for baked goods because of its subtle flavor.

Deep-Frying Tips

• Deep-frying is a safe process for cooking food if the proper equipment is used and common safety rules are followed.
• A wire basket may be used to hold the food so that it can be safely lowered and raised in the hot oil.
• Any utensils and equipment that come into contact with the hot oil must be thoroughly dried first. Moisture on the utensils will cause splattering, which can be dangerous. Food should also be as dry as possible before it enters the hot oil to prevent splattering.
• The hot oil should not be left unattended and children and pets should NEVER be allowed near the cooking area.
• A fire extinguisher and heavy potholders should always be within reach.
• After the cooking is completed, the oil should not be transferred to another container or disposed of until it has completely cooled. It is extremely dangerous to pour the hot oil from the cooking vessel.
• For the best results when deep-frying, choose refined oils with a smoke point higher than 375ºF.
• The olive oil grade "olive oil," is excellent for deep-frying because it is a refined olive oil and therefore has a higher smoke point (410ºF) than unrefined virgin or extra virgin oils.
• Most types of oil used for deep-frying may be used again. The oil can be filtered after it is used to remove any impurities. If a strongly flavored food was fried in the oil, the oil can be freshened by frying a piece of citrus fruit, such as lemon or lime, or pieces of potato, before the oil is filtered for reuse. Some oils may be used 3 or 4 times when cleansed and filtered between uses.

Cleaning Cooking Oil

Most types of oil used for deep-frying may be used again. The oil can be filtered to remove any impurities, however allow it to cool to room temperature before attempting to remove it from the cooking vessel.

Line a strainer with cheesecloth and position the strainer over a large bowl. The cheesecloth lined strainer will allow all particles to be filtered from the oil. If cheesecloth is not available, a coffee filter or two or three layers of paper towels can be used instead.

When removing the oil from a large deep-fry cooker that does not have an oil drain value, it will be necessary to bale the oil from the pot. A measuring cup or large ladle work well for this.

If the food has not been breaded or if it has not been seasoned excessively before frying, the oil many not require filtering. Simply pour the oil through a strainer, without the cheesecloth, to remove any large particles that may have accumulated during the cooking process.

• If a strongly flavored food was fried in the oil, it can be freshened by frying a piece of citrus fruit or pieces of potato in the oil before it is filtered for reuse.
• Some oils may be used 3 or 4 times when cleansed and filtered between uses.
• When cooking oil is filtered and cleansed, some of the original quantity may be lost, so it may be replenished with new oil if a specific quantity is required for the next use.

Storing Used Cooking Oil

After the oil has been cleansed, it can be poured back into its original container for storage, but make sure the oil has cooled to room temperature first, especially if the container is plastic. Fill the container with the aid of a funnel.

Be sure the oil is covered before storing, however do not place the cover on the container or refrigerate it unless the oil is completely cooled, otherwise moisture may accumulate inside the container and cause rapid deterioration of the oil.

The oil can be stored in a cool, dark area if it will be used within a month. For longer storage, the oil can be stored in the refrigerator for several months. Freezer storage will further extend the shelf life.

Note: When chilled, many oils will thicken and become cloudy in appearance. When reheated, they will return to their normal consistency and color.

Signs of Deterioration

There are several signs indicating that reused cooking oil has deteriorated. When any of the signs listed below are recognized, the oil should be discarded.

• Dispose of the oil if it has a rancid smell or it begins to smell like the food that has been cooked in it.
• The oil will darken more with each use, but the darkened color does not necessarily indicate that the oil is unfit to use. A darkened appearance in conjunction with a bad odor indicates that the oil should be discarded.
• Discard the oil when it begins foaming on the surface.
• Do not reuse oil if the smoke point has been greatly reduced. If the oil smokes excessively before reaching 375°F, it should not be used.
• Do not use oil if it does not bubble when food is added to the heated oil.

Factors Affecting the Deterioration of the Used Oil

• The number of times the oil has been used.
• Exposure to heat, light, and oxygen.
• Overheating of the oil.
• Moisture absorbed by the oil.
• Impurities, such as food particles, seasonings, rubs, and salt.
• The combination of different types of oils reduces the quality by reducing the smoke point.

Disposing of Used Cooking Oil

If used oil shows any signs of deterioration, it should be properly disposed. The oil must be completely cooled before handling it. Listed below are suggestions on used oil disposal.

• DO NOT POUR THE COOKING OIL DOWN THE DRAIN. Even if the oil is poured slowly into the drain with hot water, this practice will eventually cause problems with the plumbing.
• Pour the cooled oil into the original containers. Plastic milk jugs also work quite well. Most municipalities allow the containers of used cooking oil to be thrown into the trash for general collection, however it is important to check with local officials or the waste hauler to be sure that this is acceptable.
• Some cities have a recycling program for cooking oil. Check with your city officials to see if this option is available in your area.
• The used cooking oil can be taken to a local landfill.
• Used cooking oil is biodegradable so it can be composted with other food scraps.

Tasting Criteria

Because no two batches of olive oil are ever the same, tasting is important. An inferior oil may ruin the flavor of food, but a good oil will enhance the flavors without overpowering the food. It is always best to taste olive oil first before it is used in cooking or in salads to ensure that the flavor is pleasing and it will work for the specific dishes that you have planned.

The criteria for judging olive oil is based on the aroma and the taste. The color of the olive oil is of little importance to the overall quality.

1. Aroma:
   The alcohol, ketones, esters, and hydrocarbons present in the oil determine the aroma. Processing and storage methods also have an affect on the aroma.
2. Taste:
   The taste of the olive oil is judged by its positive and negative taste characteristics and by its saltiness, acidity, bitterness, sharpness, and/or sweetness.
3. Color:
   The color of olive oil is not necessarily used as a criteria for quality. The color allows the judge to determine the age of the olives at harvest time. Young olives produce green colored oil and more mature olives produce a yellow color. Olive oil takes on a red tint as it oxidizes.

The properties of aroma, taste, and color depend upon several factors including:

• Type of olives used
• Ripeness of the olives
• Location where the olives were grown
• Environmental factors
• Harvesting methods
• Time of the harvest
• Pressing techniques
• Packaging and storage methods

Judges are often blindfolded when tasting olive oil so the color is not known until after the tasting. An experienced judge may be able to determine the color of the olive oil based solely on the aroma and flavor characteristics of the oil.