FATS AND OILS

Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. Fats may be either solid or liquid at normal room temperature and melt when heated. Example: butter, margarine, lard, suet, dripping and hydrogenated fat. Cooking oil is purified fat of plant or animal origin, which is liquid at room temperature. Some of the many different kinds of edible vegetable oils include: olive oil, palm oil, soybean oil, canola oil, pumpkin seed oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, grape seed
oil, sesame oil, argan oil and rice bran oil. Many other kinds of vegetable oils are also used for cooking.
Fats and oils are nutritionally useful. It gives a satiety value to the dish. They also contribute characteristic palatability, qualities of flavour and texture. They are popularly used as the medium of cooking.

Fats are solid at ordinary temperature and melt when heated. Oils are liquids at ordinary temperature but solidify at low temperatures.

Characteristics of Fats and Oils

healthy at room temperature can become unhealthy when heated above certain temperatures. When choosing a cooking oil, it is therefore important to note the oil's heat tolerance, and to match the oil to its use in cooking. Oils that are suitable for high temperature frying (above 280°C / 500°F) include:
 Almond oil
§ Apricot kernel oil
§ High-oleic safflower oil or sunflower oil
§ Carotino oil
§ Peanut oil
§ Soybean oil
Oils suitable for medium temperature frying include Carotene oil, canola oil, walnut oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil. Unrefined oils should be restricted to temperatures below 105°C / 225°F. Oils with lower amounts of saturated fats, and higher amounts of unsaturated (preferably monounsaturated) fats, are generally healthier. Transfats are unsaturated fats that are not required or beneficial for health. Hydrogenation, a process that adds hydrogen atoms to fat molecules to make them more saturated, is responsible for most dietary transfats. Oils are hydrogenated to increase their melting point (for example in making margarine).

Uses of Fats and Oils

Fats and oils are used for various purposes, the major
culinary part, played by them are:
(i) Frying media
(ii) Shortenings
(iii) Spreads
(iv) Salad dressings
(v) Tempering

Frying Media:

Fats and oils are used as a medium of cooking i.e. pan roasting, frying and sautéing. When fats or oils are heated, a temperature is reached at which visible fumes appear which is defined as smoke point. Fats with high smoke point are suitable for frying. Smokepoint is not the same for different fats.


Shortenings:

Fats are used in confectionery to enrich the food and to impart to them short eating qualities. Collectively they are referred to as shortening agents. Their effect is to break down or destroy the toughness of gluten, so that instead of being hard and tough to eat, food containing fat break off short and readily melt in the mouth.

Spreads:

Butter and margarines are used for spreads, and their function is to add to the flavor, nutritional value and stiety value of breads.

Salad Dressings:

Fat is used for the various salad dressings. The hot animal fat dressings, which consist of bacon fat, vinegar and seasonings are used for green hot salads. Mayonnaise used for dressing salads is an emulsion of oil, acid, egg yolk and seasoning.

Tempering:

Dishes such as dals, curries are tempered. The fat or oil is heated to which cuminseed or mustard or fenugreek seeds etc is added and poured over the dals and pulses.

Rendering of Fat

Animal fat is heated and melted and this renders fat from fatty tissues. Tallow, suet, lard are usually rendered and used for cooking. The fat is cut into small pieces and placed in a pan and put in the oven or on slow fire, until the fat melts, and there are crisp brown pieces of tissues left. This should be strained through a fine cloth into a clean bowl.

Clarification of Fat


Used fat should be clarified and then used for better results in cooking. Strain the used fat and then mix double the quantity of water, in a pan and bring it to the boil. Strain again, cool and place in a refrigerator. The fat will solidify and float on top. Lift the cake of fat, turn it upside down and scrape off the foreign particles that have collected. Heat the fat on slow fire, till the water evaporates and then strain and store it in a cool place.

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