This month we’re talking about smoke points for cooking oils. There are many oil options based on flavor, nutritional content, and of course the smoke point. Let’s first define that term. It is the point at which the oil reaches a temperature that begins to breakdown the chemical composition of the oil. You’ve probably seen this after leaving a pan to preheat with oil in it for too long. The pan is smoking and the oil texture is greatly thinned. You’ll need to start the process over to avoid passing on that bad flavor to your food. It’s important to know and understand smoke points to ensure the best cooking result, but also because mixing oils can be very dangerous! Mixing oils with different smoke points can cause combustion – so always make sure you know what you are using before you get started. Happy and safe cooking!
