Also known as: Tela canola, Enney kanola.
Description:
Canola oil is made at a processing facility by slightly heating and then crushing the seed. Almost all commercial grade canola oil is then refined using hexane. Finally, the crude oil is refined using water precipitation and organic acid, "bleaching" with clay, and deodorizing using steam distillation. Canola oil is a key ingredient in many foods. Its reputation as a healthy oil has created high demand in markets around the world, and overall it is the third most widely consumed vegetable oil in the world.
Commonly used in:
It is used in baking cookies and quick bread,
stir-frying, and deep frying. The oil has many non-food uses, and often
replaces non-renewable resources in products including industrial lubricants,
biofuels, candles, lipsticks, and newspaper inks.
Health benefit:
It is very low in saturated fats. It contains
omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids at 2:1 making it as one of the
healthiest cooking oils. The oil is especially rich in mono-unsaturated fatty
acids (MUFA) like oleic acid that help to lower LDL or "bad
cholesterol" and increase HDL or "good cholesterol" in the blood
that protects against heart attacks and strokes. It contains valuable amounts
of the anti-oxidant, vitamin E.