ORGANIC Canola Oil

Organic rapeseed oil is considered the most valuable edible oil with a wide range of uses in hot and cold dishes. Its nutty flavour is perfect for salads and can also be used for cooking. Rapeseed oil, also known as canola oil, rapeseed oil or colza oil, is a vegetable oil obtained from the seeds of certain varieties of rapeseed (Brassica napus L. and Brassica rapa L.) that have been approved in Germany since 1973.

The seeds of these cultivated plants are characterised by a very low content of erucic acid (0.0 to 2.0%) and bitter substances (glucosinolates) compared to wild plants. This is what makes rapeseed oil edible for humans and animals.

From the oily seeds of the regionally and organically grown 00 rapeseed, a very valuable vegetable oil (free of erucic acid) is obtained in the first pressing stage at pressing temperatures below 40°C (cold pressing), which also preserves the phytochemicals such as lycopene, one of the carotenoids.

Due to its low content of saturated fatty acids, its high content of monounsaturated oleic acid and its balanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids, rapeseed oil is a highly recommended edible oil for daily use from a nutritional point of view. Cold-pressed organic rapeseed oil will keep for up to 12 months if stored as recommended (tightly closed in a dark bottle, away from light and in a cool place).

Rapeseed from Germany

Anyone who has cycled through the Weserbergland region in late April or early May will have noticed the many yellow fields of rapeseed. But not all rapeseed is the same: we use organically grown rapeseed for our fine, cold-pressed cooking oil. We know for sure that our rapeseed has not been artificially fertilised with manure, sewage sludge or synthetic fertilisers, has not been treated with herbicides or pesticides and has not been genetically modified. That is why, year after year, we sign fixed contracts with certified organic farmers and are happy to pay fair prices - so that we can continue to produce cold-pressed, virgin organic rapeseed oil for you in our oil mill. Our culinary delicacy, which we also call the "olive oil of the north", even surpasses olive oil in its content of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Is rapeseed oil good for frying?

Rapeseed oil is a versatile cooking oil that can be used in both hot and cold dishes. Due to its fatty acid composition, it is also suitable for heating and can therefore be used for steaming or baking. For frying, cold-pressed rapeseed oil should not be heated above 170°C. The nutty taste of rapeseed oil makes it ideal for refining salads, which is why we use a lot of rapeseed oil in our three salad oils - spicy, hearty and fruity.

Know how: Frying with rapeseed oil

If you want to use rapeseed oil for frying, the first thing to do is make sure the pan is not too hot. A temperature of 170°C should never be exceeded. Experience has shown that it is best to heat the pan just before adding the rapeseed oil and then fry the food for three to five minutes at the most. This type of frying is particularly suitable for sautéing and steaming vegetables such as peppers, onions and mushrooms.

Alternatives to rapeseed oil

If you are looking for a cooking oil specifically for frying, we can offer you our wok oil (made from a combination of peanut, sunflower and coconut oils) or our high oleic frying oil. Both oils can be heated to high temperatures, making them ideal for use in a frying pan.

The difference between cold-pressed and commercial rapeseed oil

Virgin organic rapeseed oils are mechanically cold-pressed on small spindle presses at low temperatures below 40 degrees and do not undergo any further treatment such as refining. The quality of the oil depends on the quality of the oilseed. Virgin rapeseed oils contain a large number of phytochemicals. They have a mild, typically nutty flavour and a natural golden yellow colour.

Conventional rapeseed oils are usually refined. This is a physico-chemical process that greatly affects the natural consistency and properties of the oils, as well as their shelf life. The refining of vegetable oils and fats is a processing step after the manufacture of these products according to the principle of hot pressing. Refining removes impurities (e.g. pigments, odours, flavours and bitterness) from the previously produced crude oil (trub oil), which can affect the quality of the products. This mainly affects taste, shelf life, technical processing, odour and colour.

Two alternative refining processes are used.

Chemical refining:

• Degumming
• Neutralisation (deacidification)
• Bleaching (decolourisation)
• Deodorisation (attenuation)

Physical refining:

• Degumming→Decolouration→Bleaching
• Attenuation→Deodorisation→Distillative deacidification

In chemical refining, degumming first removes phospholipids, glycolipids, free sugars and metal ions from the oil. This is done using dilute phosphoric acid. Neutralisation uses caustic soda to remove free fatty acids, which are present in the oil in quantities of 0.3 to 0.6 g per 100 g.

Bleaching with bentonites and fuller's earth removes most of the colouring matter, gums, soaps, trace metals and oxidation products. Steaming involves steam distillation at approximately 180-220°C to remove odour and taste-intensive by-products.

In contrast to hot pressing, where crude oils (trub oils) are refined, cold pressing, which is mainly used in decentralised oil mills, omits this step. In this process, the crude oil (trub oil) is simply filtered.

The by-product of the hot-pressing process is called extraction meal, while the by-product of the cold-pressing process is called press cake. 3-MCPD fatty acid esters are found in all refined, i.e. purified, vegetable oils, although the levels can vary greatly. 3-MCPD was classified as 'probably carcinogenic to humans' by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2011. In addition, oils containing polyunsaturated fatty acids produce so-called trans fatty acids, which have been classified as very harmful to health for many years.

The distinctly nutty flavour goes well with salads. Rapeseed oil's relative temperature stability also makes it ideal for steaming and cooking, baking and frying. Rapeseed oil stays liquid in the fridge, making it ideal for marinating cheeses and antipasti.

Botanical name: Brassica napus L.

Origin:
The freshly harvested, unpeeled 00 rapeseed for our virgin rapeseed oil comes from certified organic cultivation in the region. Organic made in Lower Saxony! In practice, this means that chemical fertilisers, sewage sludge and pesticides (herbicides and insecticides) are not used during cultivation. The farmers' cultivation guidelines prohibit the cultivation of genetically modified varieties of rape. Only organically managed farms supply us with freshly harvested winter and summer rapeseed. Independent organic inspection bodies monitor compliance with the producer guidelines in accordance with BIO VO 834/2007 and VO 889/2008. Products that have been grown and certified in accordance with these criteria may be awarded the BIOSIEGEL.

certification:
The oilseed used for our cold-pressed rapeseed oil comes from controlled organic cultivation certified according to BIO VO 834/2007 and VO 889/2008.

Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 of the European Parliament restricts nutrition and health claims made on foods. As of December 12, 2012, it is no longer permitted to refer to the nutritional and physiological effects of foods and food supplements. (Only the pharmaceutical industry is now allowed to do this. )


READING TIP: If you would like to find out more about vegetable oils, please refer to the following publications and websites:

• www.systemed.de
• Positive things about fats and oils
• www.olionatura.de

Please note:
The (press) legal responsibility for all of the content there lies exclusively with the respective authors or authors/webmasters. We assume no liability for their correctness or their compliance with all relevant legal regulations.