More recently, visiting a store, you could purchase any product and be sure of its quality, or at least that you bought exactly what you wanted. But today, literally each of us can easily miss - you buy one, but you read the composition, and you begin to understand that they slipped something completely different. A vivid example of this, which every hostess must have encountered, is oil. “So what is it, vegetable?” - a thought comes through when you read the composition in small letters on the back of the square packet of “creamy”. Well, it turns out that our favorite buttery (seemingly) butter can be vegetable today.
Let's understand all those tricks that generous manufacturers give us generously. Finally, find out whether vegetable oil is butter or sunflower, how they differ and which of them is healthier. And of course, it will not do without little tricks: is it possible to replace butter with vegetable oil if he was not at home, and have you already begun to prepare the dough?
Vegetable oil
All oils that are vegetable are made from the seeds of plants and nothing else. Here, perhaps, the most popular vegetable oil is sunflower oil, followed by olive, corn, flaxseed, pumpkin, and so the list goes on and on.
How to get oil from plants?
- Cold pressed - crushed seeds are pressed by a press. The fluid that forms as a result is the very oil that we use.
- Hot pressing - the seeds are crushed, heated to a temperature of 100 degrees, and only then sent under pressure. Under the influence of temperature, the seeds more actively release fat, which means that more oil will turn out.
- Extraction is perhaps the most unhealthy way. Any fat, including vegetable , can be easily dissolved with gasoline. It is to them that seeds are poured, and after they give all their juices away, they begin to evaporate gasoline. As a result, it burns and only oil remains.
Refined or not, what's the difference?
After the oil is received, it goes through several cleaning modes:
- Unrefined oil is a product that has been filtered out of all kinds of impurities. It has a thicker, more saturated texture and color. If this oil is stored for a long time, a light sediment will appear at the bottom. Such oil is not particularly suitable for frying, but it is better to season cold dishes and salads with it.
- Refined vegetable oil is a product that has passed not only the filter, but also a number of other additional purifications. Such oil does not foam during frying, does not have a pronounced taste or smell, and it is stored much better. Margarine, mayonnaise are made from it, used in preservation and cooking. Refined oils are devoid of taste and smell, and their smoke temperature is almost twice as high. Using them is much more convenient.
The benefits of vegetable oils for us
To talk about the benefits of each particular species, it is necessary to take into account the plant from which it was obtained. After all, each of them bestows oil only with its inherent vitamins and beneficial substances. Let’s think about it, our vegetable oil - is it what: sunflower, peanut or soy? So, olive, for example, is able to lower cholesterol, pumpkin and flaxseed are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and corn contains twice as much vitamin E than sunflower. But all these oils, regardless of their origin, are united by a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is they who take an active part in the creation of new cells, which means that they are very useful for our youth and health in general.
Butter and spread
Real butter is obtained from cream collected from the surface of milk and whipped. That is, obtained from animal products. Today, manufacturers often add vegetable oil to the composition of such a product. Is it creamy or sunflower, you ask? Here it all depends on the composition. But remember, real butter can never be cheap. If you notice such a strangeness in cost, then carefully read the composition. Surely it will indicate the addition of vegetable fats. According to GOST, since 2004 all manufacturers have been obligated to name such products not “butter”, but “butter” or “spread”. Such an oil is creamy and vegetable, but the percentage of one and the other component should be indicated on the package and may differ significantly.
How is the spread different?
The advantages of this oil include its soft and pliable structure. It does not freeze in the cold and is easily spread on bread due to the fact that it contains vegetable oil. Is it creamy or sunflower? Rather, it is a mixture of two types: vegetable and animal fats. It will be very good if the manufacturer adds precisely sunflower oil to such a product, then you can not worry about your health once again. But there are those who are trying in every possible way to save on production and at the same time increase sales. Then vegetable oil is well known in cosmetology, palm oil. Such a product is cheap and has similar qualities to butter made from pure cream - it hardens upon cooling. It is convenient to use as a substitute for animal fat, you just need to add a little taste and aroma. There will be no particular harm from such a replacement, but it will also be of no use. Therefore, standing in front of the store counter, think, to whom is such “availability” more profitable, to the manufacturer or to you? It’s better not to save on health once again, therefore, even when buying margarine or a spread for baking, try not to take the cheapest one.
Can butter be replaced with vegetable?
This question was probably raised by every housewife. At the crucial moment, you open the refrigerator, and the butter is over! Is it really necessary to refuse baking, because she planned the same? In fact, vegetable oil may well help you out. This creamy sins with a high cholesterol content, but in vegetable it does not, therefore such fusion will be very good. This will not be reflected in taste at all, because ordinary refined has neither taste nor smell, but at the same time it is fat, albeit vegetable. You just need to remember that you need to add a little less vegetable oil than indicated in your favorite recipe. For example, a pack of butter, weighing 220 g, you need to replace Âľ cup of vegetable oil.
About proper use, or how not to harm
Now you know a little more about what vegetable oil is - is it butter or sunflower, what is it useful for and how is it produced. But there is one more factor due to which such an oil can serve evil service, and it is not necessary to forget about it. This is the correct observance of the temperature during cooking. Each type of fat has its own specific heating point. If you over-heat the oil, it can form carcinogens, which will get into food. Determining this point is quite simple - if the oil in the pan began to smoke or burn, then you obviously overheated it, and it is better not to use it for food. For frying foods at high temperatures (for a wok pan, for example), it is better to choose special oils with a high level of smoke.
By the way, butter begins to smoke already at a temperature of 170 degrees, but refined corn, sunflower and palm only at 232. Unrefined oils are always best used for salads or sauces, they are not suitable for frying. And also do not forget that the longer your dish is subjected to heat treatment, the more it loses vitamins and benefits for your body.
We hope that this information will be helpful. Let culinary creativity bring you pleasure and give new unexpected discoveries. Cook delicious and healthy!