What the Heck Is Canola Oil?

Canola oil is a relatively new product, and if someone tells you they have raised canola plants, they are having fun at your expense! Tune in and learn why!

#canolaoil #rapeseedoil #rapeplant

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Canola oil is a relative newcomer to the grocery shelf. One of several types of “vegetable oil”, it didn’t become available to the American consumer until about 1986.

There is no such thing as a canola plant. Canola oil is actually from rapeseed. The seeds are from the rape plant, which is a member of the Brassica family. Gardeners will recognize other brassicas such as cabbage, mustard greens, and Brussels Sprouts.

The rape plant, rapeseed, and rapeseed oil has been around for a long time, but it’s easy to see that the plant and its products have a branding problem! It’s not only the offensive name but the undesirable characteristics of rapeseed oil that had to be bred out over time. It also has to be processed in a certain way to produce the mild-flavored oil we now know as canola oil.

The Canadian seed oil industry rebranded the product in 1978. “Canola” is loosely based on “Canadian Oil.” It’s become very popular - accounting for about 1/3rd of the cooking oil production in the world!

The journey from rapeseed to finished canola oil is somewhat complex, The basic process consists of separating the seed, then slightly heating it and crushing the seed. The vast majority of commercial canola oil is then extracted using a hexane solvent. This solvent is recovered at the end of the process. Final processing consists of using water and organic acid to remove gumminess and fatty acids. The oil is then filtered and steam distilled to deodorize it.

And there you have it. One of the most successful rebranding stories of all time, right there in your kitchen pantry.

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