What Oil is Best For Deep Frying?

The most common use for cooking oil is found during deep frying. Oil functions as a heat transfer and contributes flavor and texture to foods. One of the major requirements of cooking oil is that it be stable during the high abusive conditions of a deep fat fryer.

The two conditions it will come into contact with high temperatures and moisture. In general, oil shoud be kept at a maximum temperature of 180°C during the frying process. If you were to fry food at a lower temperature, then it would result in an increased collection of fat. Water, which is added by foods that are fried in oil enhances the breakdown of those fatty acids which occur during heating.

During the heating process, oils start to polymerize, which creates a viscous oil that is readily absorbed by foods and that also produces a greasy product. The more saturated or solid the oil is, the more stable it is to oxidative and hydrolytic breakdown, and then, less likely for it to polymerize.

Foods that are friend and then stored before being eaten, for example, some of the snack products you may find in your local supermarket, require and ever higher more stable oil. The more saturated the oil, the more stable it is.

Frying oils made from sunflower have a lower stability because of their high polyunsaturated fatty acids and low y -tocopherol content. High-oleic sunflower oils that have been genetically developed are suitable frying oils.

In order to get the best out of cooking oils it is important that we distinguish between the different frying conditions. The most valuable parameters we need to take into consideration is the duration of use and the nature of foods that are being fried. If fats from the food itself enter the frying oil, food components could end up destabilizing the oil and the water content of the material which would result in a change of the frying action.

It is highly affected by the duration of the frying, example, frying in one long stint or breaking it up into shorter fragments. It is because when using it continuously a protective water vapour blanket is created to protect against oxidation.

Stability of frying oils is a more important factor in catering operations, where heating is intermittent and oils may be used for long periods.

In closing it is good to have an understanding of oil. When a cooking oil is exposed to heat, light and oxygen, it can oxidize. All oxidized oils can produce harmful compounds and toxic by-products, and they can also make your food taste bad. The more the oil can resist reacting with oxygen and breaking down, the better for the entire cooking process. This quality is measures oxidative stability. This is the best predictor of how the oil performs during cooking. Oxidative stability is measured by the induction time.

There is so much science to food and the cooking of it, if you are venturing into it, please ensure all your research and safety has been taken care of.

Our core focus at Golden Fry is to provide Sunflower Oil, Palm Oil and Frying Oil in bulk to Restaurants, Take-Aways, Food Manufacturers, Caterers, Wholesalers, Supermarkets and Spaza Shops. Contact us on E-mail: enquiry@goldenfry.co.za or Tel: +27 11 948 7909.