What is Peanut Oil?
Peanut oil, which may be called groundnut oil in the UK, is a highly desirable oil for deep-frying. It is made from the legumes called peanuts, and it is known for its high smoke point, the point at which the oil begins to give off smoke and start to burn. Refined peanut oil, the type you’d buy in most grocery stores, has a smoke point of 450 degrees F (232.22 C). Others oils comparable to peanut oil in this respect include ghee, sesame oil, refined safflower oil, extra light olive oil, and most versions of canola oil.
You’ll find peanut oil used quite a bit in the US, especially to fry French fries or make fried chicken, and most experts on deep frying turkey recommend it as the oil of choice. It also has numerous applications in Asian cooking. In authentic Asian cooking, especially in places like China, the peanut oil used is less refined, retaining a little bit more of the protein of the peanut and producing a stronger peanut flavor. Most US shelf brand versions of peanut oil, unless they are sold as organic, tend to filter out much of the taste of the peanuts, and all of its protein.
This is good news for people who suffer from peanut allergies. In most cases, food prepared in filtered peanut oil does not provoke an allergic response, because the allergy to peanuts tends to be to proteins contained in them. If you have a strong allergic response to peanuts, you should check with your doctor first, but in general, you may not have an allergic reaction to the oil. However, if you are frying things in organic peanut oil, or visiting a country that uses a less refined version of it, you could be allergic to it.
When most people think of oils used in cooking, they definitely want to know the calorie content and composition of the oil. A tablespoon (approximately 15 grams) of peanut oil has just under 120 calories. One tablespoon provides 21% of the daily recommended intake of total fats, has 2.28 grams of saturated fat, 4.32 grams of polyunsaturated fat, and 6.24 grams of monounsaturated fat. The saturated fat in this serving size counts for 11% of the US Daily Value of saturated fat intake.
From a nutritional standpoint, many oils are considered superior to peanut oil, but peanut oil remains a popular choice. If you’re looking for a good substitute, the smoke points of canola and extra light olive oil are comparable, and from a health perspective they both are much higher in monounsaturated fat. There are a few other oils that make worthy substitutes.
However, when you use peanut oil sparingly, especially unfiltered or organic types, you can get that wonderful rich taste of peanuts. In salad dressing for instance, it can be delicious. Though all oils should be used with caution, peanut oil is just as worthy as some, and better than others, and many love its taste and its ability to produce terrific fried foods.
Written by Tricia Ellis-Christensen
