Grape Seed Oil
Grape seed oil is a versatile cooking ingredient, and makes a delicious base for salad dressings when it's cold-pressed. It's also incredibly nutritious. Read up on all you need to know about this edible oil below.
What You Should Know About Grape Seed Oil
If you've ever shopped for grape seed oil, you'll know that unfortunately it's one of the most expensive edible oils on the market. The cold-pressed varieties can cost upwards of $50 a bottle. However if you know the process behind producing grape seed oil, its high price becomes more understandable. One bottle requires large quantities of these hard seeds, which are not inherently oily and require a complicated sieving and drying process before they are reading to be pressed into oil.
The resulting oil, however, contains tons of valuable nutrients and produce a beautiful green color.
Origins
The idea of pressing oil from grape seeds first emerged in the 19th century in wine-growing countries around the Mediterranean and in Hungary.
Flavor
Refined grape seed oil tastes very mild to almost neutral; cold-pressed grape seed oils, on the other hand, have a sweetish to bitter and often more fruity aroma.
How Healthy is Grape Seed Oil?
Like most vegetable oils, grape seed oil contains "good" fats. This is especially true of cold-pressed grape seed oil: it contains around 90 percent unsaturated fatty acids, including valuable linoleic acid, which can help lower blood pressure and blood fat levels and has been shown to help prevent thromboses, heart attacks and stroke. Cold-pressed grape seed oil contains up to 70% linoleic acid, while refined grape seed oil contains 9 to 10 percent linoleic acid.
Grape seed oil is also a rich source of vitamin E, which helps protect the body against cell damage from free radicals.
| GRAPE SEED OIL NUTRITIONAL INFO (100 ML) | |
|---|---|
| Calories | 821 |
| Protein | 0 g |
| Fat | 92 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
Shopping and Cooking Tips
Purchasing
Anyone who wants to enjoy the most health benefits from grape seed oil should opt for cold-pressed grape seed oil. This variety also has a more distinct, fruity flavor, making it great for cooking. Cold-pressed grape seed oils are a bit harder to find than refined grape seed oil, but is available in most health food stores or online.
Storage
Refined grape seed oil keeps fresh in a dark place for up to a year without any problems. Cold-pressed grape seed oil is different because of its high content of unsaturated fatty acids. The rule of thumb is that when it comes into contact with light and air, it quickly tastes rancid. Therefore, it's best to keep cold-pressed grape seed oil in the refrigerator.
How to Use Grape Seed Oil
Refined grape seed oil has a high smoke point of over 370 °F, making it especially suitable for frying, cooking and even deep-frying. Cold-pressed grape seed oil, on the other hand, is more sensitive and burns at high temperatures. It's higher cost and stronger flavor also means it shouldn't be wasted by cooking. Instead, cold-pressed grape seed oils are perfect for salad dressings and other viniagrettes. It's also delicious drizzled over hot pasta right before serving.
