Make healthy choices selecting, storing and cooking with nut and seed oils
Choosing nut / seed oils
To protect oil from going rancid
All polyunsaturated seed /nut oils should be expeller-pressed, in an environment protecting the oil from light, heat and air
Bottling should remove top air by pumping in a gas, such as nitrogen
Nut/Seed Oils should be:
(1) Organic – From seeds / nuts grown without chemicals
(2) Cold-pressed or low-heat expeller-pressed and NOT extracted with chemical solvents
Expeller-pressed vs. solvent-extracted oils
(3) Fresh
How to store oils and foods containing essential fats
Storage of polyunsaturated oil
Should be bottled in inert, black plastic or dark glass, and kept in the refrigerator or freezer. Protect it from light and heat, and thus prevent the oil from going rancid. Refrigeration about halves the rancidity rate, compared to leaving oil in room temperature
Opened bottles should be used within 4-6 weeks – If you purchase a large bottle, it is advisable to transfer it to smaller bottles, to limit the oil’s exposure to air. Unopened bottles should be stored in the freezer, which extends shelf-life to about 6 months.
Storage of Nuts/Seeds
The essential fat content of nuts and seeds is the very reason nuts and seeds tend to go rancid easily. They should be stored in zip lock bags, with the air squeezed out, out of light and heat exposure in the freezer or fridge.
TIP: Soaking Nuts deactivates substances (phytates) that make them hard to digest:
• Place 4 cups raw nuts in a bowl;
• Add 1 tablespoon of sea salt and cover with water;
• Leave at room temperature for 6-8 hours (only 6 hours for cashews);
• Drain the water.
• Place nuts on a cookie sheet or dehydrator tray and dry on low heat in the oven or dehydrator to obtain “Crispy Nuts” (Don’t overdry -makes them too hard).
Oils / fats used for frying should have a high smoke point
Frying temperatures can reach 350-450ºF and at these temperatures can produce toxic by-products in some oils. This can be avoided by choosing an oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado oil or coconut oil. Only light olive oil has a smoke point >450ºF i.e. not virgin or extra virgin.
