Is there a healthy oil for frying?

[clkingtx]

Some might laugh at that title, but I am trying to figure out what oil we can use to fry with. We use olive oil for most things, but not sure if it can be used for frying, and it would probably be too expensive, even if it could. I am thinking about ghee, but not sure how expensive that would be, either. I am just wondering if there is a healthy affordable frying oil.

Thanks,
Carrie

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Some might laugh at that title, but I am trying to figure out what oil we can use to fry with. We use olive oil for most things, but not sure if it can be used for frying, and it would probably be too expensive, even if it could. I am thinking about ghee, but not sure how expensive that would be, either. I am just wondering if there is a healthy affordable frying oil.

Thanks,
Carrie

I don't post here very often, but I can never pass up this type of question.
First of all, you have to get rid of the "affordable" mindset.
With natural nutrient dense foods, things are a bit different

That said, the fats you want to locate for cooking, are grassfed lard and tallow and raw coconut oil.
www.grasslandbeef.com has an excellent price for beef tallow.
5 gallons for about $100. Flat rate shipping of $7.99.
It comes in small tubs, and you just keep them in the freezer until you open one up.
Have you ever read through Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon?
Lots of good info on fats.
www.cheeseslave.com, and all the other traditional food bloggers associated with her, have written extensively on real fats, versus processed.

And you are correct about not heating olive oil up much.
Since olive oil is naturally a liquid fat, it is destroyed when heated to hight temps.
Animal fats are packed with fat soluable vitamins that can take the heat, and are also not capable of destroying your body, like processed fats do.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

hey BB! good to see you


Carrie - i use lard lard and more lard.
whoot!

 

[Mackay]

Grapeseed oil has a higher flash point than olive oil and I use it for anything I want to sautee. I never use olive oil. When you see smoke you can know there is danger

I never deep fry. Light sautee is about as far as I go. Deep fried foods are not good for you, I don't care what kind of fat you use.

Coconut oil is another good choice but it makes everything taste like Thai cooking so you just might as well throw in some curry and green chilies.

 

[Wifezilla]

Use ghee. Wings fried in ghee and covered in hot sauce are DELICIOUS!!!!

 

[clkingtx]

Thanks all for your responses. I will check out the different items suggested. I had wondered if we might just need to use lard and stuff like that We don't fry much, maybe a few times a month, if that. Usually for fish. I imagine fish fried in ghee would be wonderful!

The more I dig, the more I learn how drastically we need to change our eating habits. I have been reading so many posts on here about low carb and no carb, and am really wondering if that is the way we need to go. My husband and I both need to lose quite a bit, and we certainly want to teach our daughter healthy eating habits.

Thanks again,
Carrie

 

[freemotion]

Lard and tallow from properly raised animals (grass-fed, in the sunshine, no drugs, etc.) REALLY is healthy! Really! Check out the many articles on www.westonaprice.org for the science. And it will help you lose weight along with an LGI or low carb lifestyle. Veg oils should be used in extreme moderation, especially if you want to lose weight.

The lard you can buy in the grocery store is not the lard I am talking about. You can make your own quite simply, there are instructions on this site and elsewhere on the internet. I just talked to a guy who raises pastured pigs and sells them and processes them, and he throws a lot of fat away, inclucing the leaf fat...the best of the best for lard! I about fainted. Ask around. You might even get some for free.

Beef suet is what is rendered to make tallow, which also is excellent for frying and once rendered is very neutral-tasting.

 

[justusnak]

Healthy or not...we use our own raised pork lard. I can't justify buying oils and such...when we have lard we raised. And, its sooo yummy!