The story that you shouldn’t heat olive oil has been going around for years, but in principle, it’s a myth. Olive oil can be heated up to 207 degrees Celsius, and it’s even healthier. You can even fry with (extra virgin) olive oil! Come on, let’s dive into the subject and explain why heating olive oil is a good idea!
Is heating extra virgin olive oil healthy?
First, let’s talk about extra virgin olive oil, which is the purest and most natural oil among the different types of olive oil available. Olive oil also has many health benefits. It’s full of healthy fats, as olive oil is made up of almost 80% unsaturated fats (the healthy kind of fat). Additionally, olive oil contains vitamins C and E, polyphenols, antioxidants, and it also has anti-inflammatory properties due to the compound Oleocanthal. The fact that olive oil scores 8.3 on the nutritional value scale says it all. You can find more explanation on why olive oil is healthy here.
We Dutch are used to cooking with butter or fat. But actually, cooking with extra virgin olive oil is healthier and even safer. As you can read in this article from the Keuringsdienst van Waarde, various olive oil experts state that extra virgin olive oil is suitable for cooking. With the health benefits mentioned above, it’s even recommended. How does this compare to other vegetable oils? As you can read in this study, olive oil is perfect and the best choice for it.
One last added benefit is the delicious flavor of olive oil that will be infused into the food you prepare. For example, our olive oil has a grassy, slightly spicy taste. Try frying a steak in olive oil. You will taste it in the meat. We guarantee it will elevate your steak!
Heating Olive Oil: The Smoke Point/Flash Point
Okay, now the main reason why heating olive oil is discouraged: it would be unhealthy because harmful substances are released. This is related to the smoke point/flash point. Every type of food (and thus every type of oil) will burn at a certain temperature. In the case of oil, it will start to smoke, and harmful substances are released. Extra virgin olive oil can be heated up to 207 degrees Celsius. This means you can easily fry with olive oil (frying typically happens at 180 degrees Celsius) and cook with olive oil (you can also cook below 200 degrees Celsius). In other words: heating olive oil is easy, safe, and healthy. Myth busted!
Fun fact: Butter is used by many because it’s thought to be better, but its flash point is 180 degrees Celsius. Therefore, butter is both unhealthier and burns faster. Want to know more about why olive oil is healthier than butter?
Heating Olive Oil: FAQ’s
We’ll finish with a quick Q&A, as these are the questions we often get asked. You’re welcome!
Which olive oil to heat?
Well, that depends on what you want. If you want to infuse a lot of olive oil flavor into an ingredient you’re heating under 207 degrees Celsius, use extra virgin olive oil! If you don’t want as much flavor or need to heat at higher temperatures, go for pomace olive oil!
Heating Olive Oil Temperature: How hot can extra virgin olive oil be?
We’ve already answered that question, but for the global reader, here it is again. How hot can you heat olive oil? You can safely heat it up to 207 degrees Celsius.
Why can’t you heat olive oil?
Well, you actually can! We also often get asked: which olive oil shouldn’t you heat? You can safely heat all types of olive oil, just be careful not to let it get too hot. It’s not that hard: when olive oil starts to smoke, it’s a bad sign. So, why can’t you heat olive oil? You can!
Can olive oil withstand heat?
Yes, olive oil can withstand heat very well. Extra virgin olive oil can be heated up to 207 degrees Celsius, and for pomace olive oil, it can go up to 260 degrees Celsius. What is pomace olive oil can be found here. Can olive oil withstand heat? Yes!
Why not cook with olive oil?
We’ll close with the question of why not cook with olive oil. There are a few reasons for this. First, when you don’t want to impart that strong olive oil flavor to your food. This might be the case when you’re stir-frying, for example. Also, if you want to cook at very high temperatures. Otherwise, we’d always recommend cooking with olive oil, as it’s super healthy!
Heating Olive Oil: All the Details?
If you want to know all the details about heating, frying, and cooking with olive oil, we got your back! We can definitely say that heating organic olive oil is no problem at all. In fact, it’s super delicious and healthy. But always keep in mind: the oil shouldn’t start smoking (and thus burning), because then it becomes unhealthy.
