Can you use EVOO for cooking?
The short answer is YES! YOU CAN, AND SHOULD, COOK WITH EVOO.
Why are we asking this question? There is a myth installed that assures EVOO is not healthy to cook with, because it is not a stable oil to do so. But this is a fallacy!
We bumped into an article written by Dr. Joanna McMillan, one of Australia’s favorite and best-known nutrition and lifestyle specialists, PhD qualified nutrition scientist, and we think she explains this topic from a scientific and health perspective.
“Sautéing on the stove equates to a temperature of around 120°C (250 °F), deep-frying is usually in the range 160-180°C (260 - 360 °F) and roasting in the oven 180°C (360 °F). It is not often you would cook at any temperature higher than this. If you are roasting your veggies in the oven at 180°C, your extra virgin olive oil is perfect as it has a smoke point above this.” (*)
(*) In fact, Papa Vince EVOO has a smoke point > 375 °F !
“Extra virgin olive oil has three key qualities that make it an excellent cooking oil: it contains predominantly stable monounsaturated fatty acids, it has a low level of free fatty acids and it has a high level of protective antioxidants”
Also, "several good studies have confirmed the stability of extra virgin olive oil during cooking."
Therefore, EVOO can be used safely for cooking and deep-frying! Let’s continue with what Mediterranean countries have been doing for hundreds of years and enjoy cooking with your extra virgin olive oil.
Article: Dr. Johanna McMillan, Can You Cook With Extra Virgin Olive Oil?, accessed: 07/03/2022,
https://drjoanna.com.au/blog/can-you-cook-with-extra-virgin-olive-oil-blog-793/
