What are cold pressed oils? How are they made? What are their uses and their health benefits?
Introduction:
Cold pressed oil are those oil which are produced without the application of heat from an external source. This prevents the oil from being precooked as a result cold pressed oil retain all their flavour, aroma, and nutritional value, making these oils great for cooking and skin care requirements. They contain zero grams of trans fatty acids and are naturally cholesterol-free.
Cold Press Process:
Extracting oil through cold-pressing involves crushing the seed or nut and forcing out the oil. Presses come in a range of sizes, from small sizes for home use to huge commercial presses. The seeds are dropped inside a cylinder that contains a rotating screw. This screw grinds and crushes the seeds until the oil is extracted. Small holes in the bottom of the cylinder allow the oil to escape into a collection container. Although some heat is generated through friction as the screw breaks down the seeds, it's usually not enough heat to damage the oil.
Uses of cold pressed oil:
Cooking is the primary use for cold-pressed oil.Olive, sesame, sunflower, canola and coconut oil can all be extracted using cold-pressed methods and used for flavour in marinades, salad dressings and baked goods. Makers of aromatherapy and cosmetic products use oils from almonds, jojoba, rosehip seeds and more. Flaxseed oil and evening primrose oil are readily available online as dietary supplements. The EPA approved cold-pressed neem oil, derived from the seeds of the tropical neem tree, for use as a biopesticide in 2009. Incredibly, cold-pressed neem oil repels insects without harming plants, animals, fish, birds, people or the environment.
Cold Pressed oil and Health:
Cold pressed oil retains healthy antioxidants which help in combatting free radicals which damages our body cell. They are rich source of vitamin E, which has anti-inflammatory and healing properties.
Cooking with cold pressed oil:
Although cold-pressed cooking oil offers a richer flavour, it can be tricky to cook with. These oils don't react well to heat—that's why they were extracted with low-heat techniques in the first place. If the oil contains mostly unsaturated fat, like sesame oil, it's likely to degrade when heated. These unsaturated oils simply break down when used to sauté or stir-fry other ingredients; they work better if you drizzle them over the finished product. If the oil contains a high level of saturated fat, like olive oil, it can handle the higher temperatures of grilling and sautéing.