Ask Ersilia: Is it Safe to Fry in Olive Oil?

Get Answers to Your Questions

I get this question all the time. Unbeknownst to me until the 2^nd year of running my green market stand, there seems to have been a campaign started a few years back that it is not safe to fry in olive oil, whether it is pan frying, sautéing, stir frying or deep frying. I have theories as to why this rumor began to circulate, but I might be accused of bias as a purveyor of olive oil. Let’s review the scientific evidence and questions raised about cooking and frying with olive oil.

Scientific evidence of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).  PAHs are a group of chemicals which are formed when petroleum, petroleum products, coal, wood, cellulose, corn, or oil are burned. There are over 100 PAHs which have been studied.  During oxidation and detoxification in the liver, PAHs are thought to form substances which damage DNA, starting a chain of events which could lead to cancer. A few of them have been classified by the EPA and The Department of Health and Human Services as carcinogenic to animals in studies and probably carcinogenic to humans.¹

Twenty years ago there was a food scare when PAHs were first being researched. PAHs were found in meat and other foods that had been cooked at high temperatures, such as grilling and charring. The American Institute for Cancer Research had made recommendations to avoid charring grilled meat, use a pre-marinade, which somehow minimizes PAH formation, and minimize the amount of grilled meats consumed. Grilled vegetables or fruit do not form PAHs.²

Burning any cooking oil can increase the amounts of PAHs. Oil of any kind which has been repeatedly heated to its smoking point will lose its’ natural antioxidants and begin to accumulate free radicals and other cancer causing substances. Whether this has actually caused cancer in humans has never been proven. Commercial industrial kitchens that fry foods would be where this sort of thing might happen. It is unlikely that you would repeatedly fry at continuous high temperatures with the same oil at home. In commercial operations, the oil is examined regularly with a rancidity test and discarded before it gets to a dangerous stage. Olive oil is typically not used in commercial kitchens because it is much too expensive.  Cheaper oils like canola, corn or peanut oil are used instead.³

Testing the low “smoking point” misinformation circulating about olive oil. What does the “smoking point” mean exactly? Basically it’s the point at which the oil burns and ruins the taste of your food. When heated, olive oil is a very stable fat and it stands up well to high frying temperatures. It has a high smoking point of 410 degrees Fahrenheit and that is well above the ideal temperature for frying food (365 degrees Fahrenheit). ⁴

It is simply NOT TRUE that olive oil has a low smoking point. Essentially, all you need to know is how to fry properly. The following are important tips to use for frying foods.

To Properly Fry Foods:

• Use the proper pan. The frying pan needs to be heavy and able to retain the heat.
• Make sure the oil is hot enough to begin with to prevent over absorption of oil into your food.
• Regulate the heat properly. As noted above, the proper pan is key.
• Do not reuse the oil too many times. In my own tried and true experience, I never reuse oil because it breaks down all of its’ natural health benefits as well as changes the flavor.

Gastronomic reasons for frying with olive oil. Simply because frying foods are all about the taste, consider your choices. Often times I’ve heard that olive oil is not good for the taste of fried food. For most of my life, the only thing my eggs were ever fried with was olive oil. Talk about incredible flavor!

None of my deep frying has ever been with other vegetable oils. Sure it’s more expensive to use olive oil, but I don’t deep fry very often and the flavor of French fries, crab cakes, fried chicken or calamari deep fried in olive oil is far superior to the flavor when they are done in other vegetable oils. Speaking of flavor, I also roast my vegetables at over 400 degrees in the oven with olive oil. Everything I pan fry or stir fry is done with olive oil because the oil adds flavor to the food. I even pop my popcorn in olive oil (yes, I do sneak my own popcorn into the movies). For more ways to use olive oil for cooking and frying, see our delicious crab cake recipe.

If you never fried with olive oil, give it a try and you’ll understand why I wouldn’t recommend using anything else. Your palette knows the real truth about frying with olive oil. Don’t let anyone try and convince you otherwise.

Sources:

^1,2,3 Dr. John Dean. Olive Oil Source. 2005-2007.
⁴ Gregory Varela. Frying Food in Olive Oil. International Olive Oil Council. 1994.