Olive Oil on High Heat -- Is it Safe?

Summary by Krater

Helen Rennie discusses whether extra virgin olive oil is safe for high-heat cooking, exploring smoke points, water content, and free radicals to conclude that it is suitable for searing and frying.

From the video

Answers: Can you use extra virgin olive oil for high heat cooking and searing?

• extra virgin olive oil smoke point
• high heat cooking with oil
• olive oil stability
• cooking oil degradation

What it concludes

• Extra virgin olive oil has a smoke point between 325 and 375 Fahrenheit.
• Initial bubbling when heating vegetables in oil is caused by water evaporating from the vegetables, not smoke.
• A pile of vegetables or meat prevents oil from getting too hot initially by acting as a heat sink.
• Extra virgin olive oil only has one double bond in its molecule structure, making it relatively stable.
• Extra virgin olive oil is safe and effective for high-heat cooking and searing without causing off-flavors or health issues.