How many times can frying oil be reused?

Can olive oil be reused? And the sunflower? What consequences does its degradation have when heating it? What are the main recommendations of health organizations? We will tell you how many times can frying oil be reused.

Olive oil is a Mediterranean delicacy rich in healthy nutrients and with a multitude of positive health properties. When cooked, many people throw it away the first time, wasting its potential for second uses.

A center of the Superior Center for Scientific Research (CSIC) explains that the investigations carried out to date reveal that it can be used in up to 25 frying cycles without problem if not heated to more than 180 degrees. Of course, it should be olive oil that is not extra virgin, and it is important to filter it each use to remove stumbling blocks and solid food remains. The OCU also endorses this number of safe uses.

Alternatively, high oleic sunflower oil can also be used, which also provides heat resistance qualities. In general, conventional sunflower brands generate more toxic aldehydes when heated, so some experts stress that sunflower oils should not be used more than three or four times, according to a study conducted at the Faculty of Pharmacy of Vitoria. and flax generate much more toxic aldehydes than olive when heated to 190ºC in industrial fryers.

According to AECOSAN, the food health agency, under ideal conditions any oil should never be reused, although this recommendation is parallel to not eating overcooked meat or eating too much toast.

What happens when we use the oil too many times?

High temperatures promote degenerative processes and interact with the organic matter of food: free radicals are formed that accelerate aging and cellular oxidation, fatty polymers that the liver cannot process and that increase the risk of cardiovascular problems, acrylamide appears if foods too high in sugars are cooked …

It is essential to discard the oil when a lot of smoke comes out of the pan due to the appearance of toxins, as well as choosing to throw it out in the event that it presents a dark tone or a thick density. Do not forget to strain it using a fine strainer; do not keep it in the pan or deep fryer. It should not contain water   -as it causes it to sizzle and accelerate its decomposition- and it must be kept in a cool and dry place.

From the OCU they recommend that, to keep well during 25 frying, it must be away from light and heat  to avoid rusting or straightening. Do not fry more than 180º and not much at a time. -about 150-200 grams per liter of oil-. Also, don’t wait for the oil to cool down between batches of food.

Never mix different types of oil or new ones with used ones. Of course, never throw it down the drain: a single liter of oil can contaminate 1,000 liters of water. Go to the relevant clean point or even go ahead and make your own homemade soap. In its recycling it is used to make biodiesel.

Even if you reuse the oil, you should know that olive oils degrade from the first to the second use, losing antioxidants, polyphenols and oleocantal.

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