Deep Frying With Canola Oil – Everything You Need to Know
Canola Oil is regarded as one of the most versatile oils that you can use for cooking. However, can and should you really use it to deep fry?
The answer is Yes, Canola oil is one of the best oils that you can use to deep fry foods in your kitchen. This is because it has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor.
There are two crucial considerations to bear in mind while frying with oil: flavor and smoke point.
Any oil that is neutral (flavorless) and has a high smoke point will be preferable for deep frying. Since it can cook at greater temperatures without burning or overpowering the flavor of the food.
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Is Canola Oil Good For High-Heat Frying
Yes. Canola oil is a good option for high-heat frying.
This is because Canola oil has a high enough smoke point to withstand deep frying temperatures.
Deep frying is done at high temperatures usually between 350 and 375 °F.
Heating cooking oil to a higher temperature than its smoke point causes degradation that can burn the food, and even produce toxic fumes and harmful free radicals.
Some of these by-products can have adverse effects on health. This is why for an oil to be good for high-heat frying it needs to have a high smoke point.
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Benefits Of Deep Frying With Canola Oil
1- Won’t Release Strong Fumes
Canola Oil is very rich in saturated and monounsaturated fats which makes it one of the oils with the highest smoke points and more resistant to oxidation.
This means that it will deep fry your food without burning, releasing any toxic fumes, or breaking down.
The smoke point of Canola Oil is approximately 204°C or 400°F. This is considered to be relatively high.
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2- Relatively Healthy
Contains healthy monounsaturated fats and even though it is rich in saturated fats, the level is comparably lower than other oils, making it a healthier option.
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3- Neutral Flavor
Canola oil has a neutral flavor, meaning that it has no distinct flavor of its own.
Now if you are frying something, you’re usually not trying to add a fruity, grassy, or nutty flavor to the dish. Instead, you are trying to maintain the original flavor.
Neutral oils like canola allow you to fry so that the food can remain pure and unadulterated with no distractions from the flavor of the meal itself.
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4- Affordable and Easy to Store & Reuse
It is affordable. Even though the price may vary slightly by brand, the current average cost of Canola Oil in the US is approximately $3-$4 per liter.
Also, canola oil can be safely and easily stored and reused.
Cons of Deep Frying With Canola Oil
Even though Canola Oil is considered to be heart-healthy, some researchers believe that it may still pose certain health risks, including some related to heart health, cognition, and inflammation.
While there are healthier oils that you can use to cook, like olive oil, they are not suitable for deep frying based on their smoke point.
How Long Can You Use Canola Oil In A Deep Fryer
You can use Canola oil in a deep fryer for as long as the temperature is less than 400°F.
Given that this is the approximate temperature at which Canola Oil will start to burn and degrade, using the oil in a deep fryer long enough for it to become hotter than that is not advisable.
Here is a list of commonly deep-fried foods, the temperatures at which they are usually fried until they are well-cooked, and the time it takes to cook each one.
You may use Canola Oil to deep fry any of these:
Food | Oil Temperature | Cooking Time | Internal Temperature |
Battered Fish | 365 °F | 3-5 Minutes | 145°F |
Catfish Nuggets | 365 °F | 3-5 Minutes | 145°F |
Chicken Wings | 375°F | 8-10 Minutes | 165°F |
Chicken Strips and Chicken Tenders | 350°F | 3-5 Minutes | 165°F |
Churros | 375°F | 2-4 Minutes | |
Crispy Fried Chicken | 375°F | 12 to 15 minutes (finish cooking in a 200 °F oven, if needed) | 165°F |
Doughnuts | 375°F | 2-4 Minutes | |
Eggrolls | 350°F | 4-6 Minutes | |
Empanadas | 360°F | 2-4 Minutes | |
Falafel | 350°F | 4-6 Minutes | |
French Fries | 325°F then 400°F | Blanch first at 325°F for 3 to 4 minutes; then fry at 400°F for another 3 to 4 minutes | |
Potato Chips | 375°F | 8-10 Minutes | |
Hush Puppies | 365°F | 2-3 Minutes | |
Mozzarella Sticks | 350°F | 2-3 Minutes | |
Onion Rings | 375°F | 2-4 Minutes | |
Oysters | 375°F | 1-2 Minutes | 130 °F |
Prawns | 350°F | 3-4 Minutes | 130 °F until the flesh is white, opaque and firm. |
Samosa | 350°F | 8-10 Minutes | |
Turkey | 375°F | 3-4 Minutes per pound | 165°F |
Vegetables | 375°F | 1-2 Minutes |
Can You Reuse Canola Oil After Deep Frying Foods
Yes, you can safely reuse canola oil after deep frying. Now, how often you can reuse it depends on what it was used to cook. It is recommended that for:
- Breaded and battered foods, you can reuse Canola oil 3-4 times.
- With cleaner-frying items such as potato chips, you can reuse Canola Oil at least 8 times.
After each use, oil becomes more and more denatured. This means that it loses some of the properties that make it functional.
How fast the oil will lose its ability to cook well will depend on what is being cooked, for how long, and how many times it is being used.
Steps To Properly Store and Reuse Canola Oil After Deep Frying
- Let the oil cool – Do not try to store your oil before it has completely cooled. When you have finished your frying, turn off the stove and let the oil sit for as long as needed (even overnight). Be sure to put a cover on it to make sure it is not contaminated.
- Filter with a cheesecloth – Use a cheesecloth as a sieve to filter the oil as you pour it from the pot into a container. This will separate any residue (leftover crumbs, batter, fat, etc) from the oil.
- Use the cheesecloth to filter the oil a second time – this time, place the cleaned cheesecloth over the storage container you would like to use. Pour the filtered oil into the storage container through the cheesecloth.
- Seal the container – it is best to use a container with an air-tight lid so that you can keep it sealed for storage. The best containers for oil storage are glass jars or the bottle the oil originally came in (if it is empty).
- Store your oil away from heat sources – Keep your oil in a cool place away from any possible contact with heat sources – like the stove, oven, microwave, heating vent, or even in direct sunlight from a window. Heat will only make the oil break down faster.
You may even want to consider storing your leftover oil in the fridge if you think you will keep it for more than a week. This will help slow down any potential bacteria growth and allow you to reuse the oil for longer.
- When you are ready to reuse the oil, try to reuse it with similar foods – It’s important to keep in mind that the food you are preparing in your cooking oil will flavor it.
As a result, you should repurpose cooking oil with meals that have an identical flavor or one that is at least suitable. You can also use it for other forms of cooking other than deep-frying.
- If you store your oil in the fridge, let it thaw out a little, and then heat it.
- Dispose of oil that shows signs of spoiling – There is a limit to how many times cooking oil may be used before the components start to degrade. Therefore, it’s crucial to be aware of when your oil reaches that stage.
It’s time to get rid of your cooking oil if it starts to seem thick, gooey, foggy, deeper in color, has froth on top, or starts to smell rotten.
Regardless of the safety measures you take, you should always discard cooking oil that is older than six weeks.
Sources:
6 Best Oils for Frying – What Are the Top Oils for Frying?
The best oils to use for deep frying, shallow frying, and pan-frying
How to Reuse Cooking Oil: 11 Steps (with Pictures) – wikiHow
How Many Times Can You Reuse Frying Oil? | America’s Test Kitchen
Deep Frying Temperature Chart: Learn How Long to Fry Food
What Is the Healthiest Cooking Oil for Deep Frying? | livestrong