Yes you can heat olive safely upto 375–410°F. Many chefs and health advisors have different thoughts and opinions about heating olive oil or cooking with olive oil. Some of them considered it a good proposal while others considered it bad.
Some chefs and advisors say that heating olive oil can reduce its natural taste while others say that heating olive oil under regulated temperature may enhance its taste.
It depends upon certain factors like its burning point or the dish varieties you are trying to make. You acquire the knowledge of making healthy and tasty food using olive oil when you heat olive oil. You also learn to maintain its nutritions and health benefits.
Why are people worried?
Many oils that are available in the market lose their taste and nutritions when they are heated. Heating those oils leave various harmful compounds in your food that can cause you serious discomforts or diseases.
Thus people are worried about heating olive oil. They don't know whether they should heat olive oil or not. Let me tell you certain factors about heating olive oil:
Heat-proof good fats in olive oil:
Various oils in the market contain bad fats in it which lowers the quality of oils. On the other hand, olive oil contains monounsaturated fats that are actually good fats.
When these fats are heated under controlled temperature, they enhance the taste of your food instead of reducing its taste. Because these fats are unaffected by heat.
2. Protective compounds and vitamin E in olive oil:
Extra virgin olive oil is full of protective compounds and vitamin E as it is extracted by compressing the olives with pressure. These protective compounds fight disease causing substances and protect your body cells.
Vitamin E present in olive oil gives your body a natural protection against cell damage. These protective compounds and vitamin E both provide health benefits and nutrition to your body.
3. Protection against oxidative damage:
Many oils produce harmful substances upon oxidation and heating that cause serious illness to the human body. While extra virgin olive oil does contain certain protective substances (antioxidants) which protect your body against harmful substances.
Olive oil is heat resistant and does not oxidise upon heating. Whether you use it for cooking or frying, it does not form harmful compounds in your food.
4. Reasonably high burning point:
Burning point is actually the temperature at which your oil starts producing smoke. Upon this temperature, fat molecules break down into small substances that are harmful for our body.
Oils contain free dietary fats. When these fats are high in number, oil produces a lot of smoke upon excessive heating. Extra virgin olive oil contains less or no free dietary fats and does not produce a large smoke upon excessive heating. You can easily heat up olive oil at around 190-210 degree celsius.
How high can we heat olive oil?
You can easily heat olive oil according to its type. Certain type of olive oil along with their heating temperature are:
Extra virgin olive oil:
As the burning point of extra virgin olive oil is very low, you can heat this olive oil at about 190-210 degree celsius easily. All the nutrients will still be preserved in the oil at this temperature range.
Purified olive oil:
As the purified olive oil is free of any dirtiness or foul substances, it can be used for cooking at high temperature. This kind of olive oil is clearer than others so you can heat this oil at around 240 degree celsius. You can also use it to deep fry your food.
At which maximum temperature olive oil can be heated?
The maximum temperature limit an olive oil can have is 232 degree celsius. But you need to regulate the temperature carefully because the burning point of your oil may reach any time at this temperature and your oil may start producing smoke.
What are the risks of overheating olive oil?
Many harmful changes can occur if you heat your olive oil beyond its burning point. Some of them are explained here:
1. Change in flavour:
The taste of your dish will be changed if you overheat your oil. Your dish will taste bitter and burnt. Its nutritious components will be ruined as well as they will be converted into harmful substances.
2. Nutritional damage:
When you heat the olive oil beyond its burning point, the protecting substances and vitamin E present in it start to decay. All of their health advantages will be reduced. They start producing harmful substances in the food that cause disease.
3. Production of harmful substances:
If you heat olive oil for a long time later than its burning point, various harmful substances start to produce in it. Bad and unsaturated aldehydes are produced that damage our normal body cells and make us ill.
4. Smoke production:
When olive oil is heated at a temperature higher than 232 degree celsius, it starts producing smoke. Harmful oil vapours are produced that makes the breathing difficult.
Protective measures to take while heating olive oil?
Following protective measure should be taken while heating olive oil:
1. Using correct type of olive oil:
You should use purified oil or extra virgin olive oil for cooking purposes. You can drop these oils on your salads or cook food with them.
2. Recording the temperature:
You should record your temperature after a few minutes regularly. You should remove your heating pan from the burner if your oil starts producing smoke.
3. Cooking methods:
You can use extra virgin olive oil for baking, cooking or frying under regulated temperature. The chances of damaging oil taste are reduced and nutrition of the oil is maintained as well.
4. Storing properly:
You should store your oil properly in a sealed container or glass bottle. In this way the taste of your oil will be the same after a long time of storing it. You should keep it away from air and light.
How high should the temperature be for heating olive oil?
The highest temperature for cooking with olive oil should be 232 degree celsius. After this temperature your olive oil will start producing smoke and oil vapours. It will reduce the nutritional level of your food and taste will also be changed.
Your food will taste a bit bitter and burnt. All the useful substances will be converted into harmful substances that will make you sick.
What precautions should we take while heating olive oil?
You should handle your olive oil very carefully while heating it. First you should use the correct type of olive oil according to your food.
Second, You should monitor the temperature every 5 minutes to avoid oil burning. And you should use proper cooking methods for your food.
How can we store our olive oil?
Whether you are using extra virgin olive oil or purified olive oil, you should store your oil in a tightly sealed container. You can also store them in dark coloured glass bottles.
Avoid exposing your olive oil to air or light as it will start degrading. Your olive oil taste will also be changed.
Are you confused about heating olive oil? Though many oils change their taste when you heat them, our extra virgin olive oil maintains its taste and nutritions upon heating.
You can use our extra virgin olive oil for cooking, deep frying or baking easily. It will neither change its flavour nor texture. To find out about this try our extra virgin olive oil right now.
