The Price of Olive Oil Is Damn High
Olive oil has many known benefits, from the subtle flavor it adds to food to its status as a heart-healthy food. In recent months, due to weather-related shortages, the cost of olive oil has more than doubled. With rising prices and shortages, you may be wondering when you can substitute a cheaper oil such as vegetable or canola oil.
Replacing olive oil with another oil requires taking into account two main factors: taste and smoke point. Olive oil has its own unique flavor that is not always suitable for substitution, while substitutes may or may not complement the original recipe. For other recipes, the smoke point is the temperature at which the oil begins to smoke, setting off the fire alarm and resulting in a bitter, burnt taste.
Consider if you need it for taste
For recipes where the olive oil’s flavor is an important aspect of the finished product, such as it being used as a finishing element , drizzled on top to complement the flavor, it’s probably better to splurge on the real deal and use it wisely. amounts.
When flavor is an important element of a dish, another option may be to substitute olive oil for butter , which can be used in baking and cooking. The end result won’t be exactly the same, but it’s guaranteed to be delicious.
However, if the taste of olive oil is not a feature of the dish, it can be replaced with a relatively neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil, which are cheaper and more readily available. This includes using vegetable oil or canola oil in salad dressings or when frying.
Consider the smoke point
The smoke point of olive oil depends on the type of oil : extra virgin olive oil has a lower smoke point than refined olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil typically has a smoke point between 350⁰ and 410⁰ F, while refined olive oil ranges between 390⁰ and 470⁰ F. Vegetable oil smoke points range between 400⁰ and 450⁰ F, whereas Canola oil has a smoke point of 400⁰. F, which is slightly higher than most extra virgin olive oils and is in the range of refined olive oils.