Peanuts and peanut products are one of the most common foods in America. In fact, 90% of households in the U.S. consume peanut butter. With an obvious love of peanut products, another common product used in the U.S. is peanut oil. However, despite its popularity, not many people know a lot about peanut oil. Because of that, this article is going to provide a brief overview of what peanut oil is and what it’s used for.
Peanut oil is a type of vegetable oil often used in cooking. There are several varieties of peanut oil, each with their unique uses and benefits.
Refined peanut oil is the most common form of peanut oil when it comes to cooking. The oil is refined to remove any remaining colors and flavors, which makes it completely natural.
Roasted peanut oil is typically used for added flavor rather than cooking. When peanuts are roasted before expelling their oil, it provides a nice nutty flavor and dark brown color. This oil can be added to dressings and sauces for an extra kick of flavor.
Virgin or cold pressed peanut oil is unrefined, meaning it holds onto its natural flavors. It has a light flavor that can be used without masking other ingredients in a dish.
Furthermore, peanut oil can be blended with lower cost oils to make a more affordable option. In order to preserve it’s frying qualities, it’s typically mixed with an oil with a similar smoking point.
As you can see, there is a wide variety of peanut oil uses. It’s typically used for frying, sauteing, and adding flavor. One of the many reasons peanut oil uses consist of frying is because peanut oil doesn’t absorb flavors from the food being fried in it. This means that many different foods can be fried in the same batch of peanut oil without mixing flavors. Because of this, peanut oil is a convenient option when the user doesn’t want to have to replace the oil between foods.
While the convenient and varying peanut oil uses make it a popular choice for cooking, peanut oil also offers a variety of health benefits compared to other oils. Peanut oil health benefits include things like boosting heart health, lowering blood pressure, protecting skin, boosting immune systems, and controlling cholesterol levels.
Not only do peanut products, like pure peanut oil, offer a unique, scrumptious flavor, there are many benefits of eating peanuts and peanut products. So next time you’re considering which type of cooking oil to buy or what kind of sandwich you want, remember all of the benefits peanut products can offer.