For years I used to sauté vegetables and meats in extra virgin olive oil, condoned by some, yet not recommended by most. Why? The internet is full of misinformation, depending on what product you are trying to hype. Try and determine the smoke point of olive oil and you will fine a range from 320 F to 410 F (granted the type of olive oil makes a difference).
Here’s the problem: When an oil is heated past its smoke point, it generates toxic fumes and free radicals which are harmful to your body.
When the smoke point is reached, you’ll begin to see the gaseous vapors from heating, a clear indication that the oil has started to decompose.
Decomposition involves chemical changes that not only negatively affect the food’s flavor and nutritional value, but also create cancer-causing compounds that are harmful when consumed.
Sometimes, I turned up the heat a bit too much just to a point where the oil started to smoke. If this happens, the safest option is to cool it down and discard it.
So, to my surprise, I found these two oils side-by-side at Walmart, both reasonably priced. The Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a fruity favor I never experienced, and I use it on salads with apple cider vinegar (no salad dressing required).
The combo oil (safflower, avocado and coconut) is designed for sautéing. I only tried it once, so no opinion as of yet. Both are imported, the olive oil from Spain and the blended organic oil from Mexico. With Trump’s obsession with tariffs, I expect “reasonably priced” to be short-lived.
