In case your oil was cooked, bleached and deodorised earlier than it even reached your pantry, how “recent” can or not it’s? Most grocery store seed oils (customary rapeseed/canola, soybean, sunflower) are RBD oils—Refined, Bleached and Deodorised—engineered to be pale, odourless and shelf-stable. Handy? Positive. Scrumptious and nutrient-rich? Not a lot.
Chilly-pressed oils are the alternative: pressed, not processed. No solvent washes, no bleaching clays, no 200-plus-degree steam baths. Simply the seed, squeezed—so that you style the plant and hold extra of its naturally occurring goodness.
Extremely-processed oils 101 (RBD… it’s as enjoyable because it sounds)
The same old journey for commodity seed oils:
- Solvent extraction (typically hexane) after cooking seeds to wring out most oil.
- Degumming & neutralising to strip out gums and free fatty acids.
- Bleaching with activated clays/carbon to take away pigments (and, alongside the way in which, some antioxidants).
- Deodorising—high-temperature steam below vacuum to wash smells and flavours.
Finish outcome: a near-colourless, “impartial” oil that behaves the identical each day of the yr—as a result of a lot of what made it distinctive has been ironed out.
What refining quietly takes away
- Color & character: Bleaching removes chlorophylls and carotenoids—the pigments that give oils their golden/inexperienced hues and antioxidant chew.
- Fragile vitamins: Excessive-heat phases (particularly deodorising) can cut back heat-sensitive compounds like some tocopherols (vitamin E).
- Course of artefacts: Heavy processing can create tiny quantities of trans isomers and refining by-products (e.g., 3-MCPD esters, glycidyl esters). Regulators set limits and the business works to minimise them—however it’s a reminder that aggressive processing adjustments meals.
TL;DR: you achieve uniformity and shelf life; you lose aroma, color, and among the seed’s native micronutrients.
Plot twist: a few of these oils began within the engine room
Earlier than “canola” was bred for the desk in Canada within the Seventies, rapeseed oil (its ancestor) had a special day job. It clung to steel in moist environments higher than different oils, so it was prized as a lubricant for steam engines and ships, and used for lamps. Solely after plant breeders dramatically lowered erucic acid and bitter compounds did “canola” change into the edible staple we all know at the moment. Historical past doesn’t make canola “dangerous”; it simply exhibits how far we needed to re-engineer a plant oil to make it palatable at scale.
So… why go cold-pressed?
As a result of cold-pressed is nearer to the seed:
- Extra of the native compounds: Higher retention of pure antioxidants and plant sterols; actual color and aroma.
- Actual flavour: Nutty, inexperienced, peppery—regardless of the seed grew, you style.
- Fewer industrial steps: No solvent extraction, no bleaching earths, no high-temp deodorising.
Use cold-pressed oils the place they shine: dressings, dips, drizzling, ending, and delicate warmth. Save blow-torch sears for a separate high-heat workhorse.
Cook dinner smarter: one pan, two oils
- Excessive-heat jobs (sear, deep-fry): select a secure, high-oleic oil designed for warmth.
- Every thing else: make flavour your buddy—cold-pressed hemp seed oil, extra-virgin olive oil, cold-pressed rapeseed (sure, it exists and tastes wildly higher than the commodity stuff), walnut or flax for no-heat ending.
Why we price cold-pressed hemp seed oil
Hemp seed oil brings a clear, nutty flavour and a good looking green-gold hue. As a result of it’s cold-pressed, you retain extra of what makes it particular—recent aroma and naturally occurring antioxidants—which is strictly why we don’t bleach or deodorise it.
use it:
- Whisk into vinaigrettes, drizzle over roast veg and grain bowls, or swirl into soups after cooking.
- Retailer within the fridge (or a cool, darkish cabinet) and revel in inside 8–12 weeks of opening.
- Skip the deep-fryer—hemp is a ending hero, not a chip-shop oil.
Label hacks: spot the actual deal
- If it doesn’t say “cold-pressed”, “virgin” or “extra-virgin”, assume refined.
- Select darkish glass, verify the press/best-before date, and retailer cool.
- Count on actual color and aroma—impartial ≠ higher.
- Chilly-pressed rapeseed is a factor—and it’s scrumptious. Don’t confuse it with the usual refined bottle.
Backside line
RBD oils are sensible at being… invisible. If that’s the transient, they nail it. However in order for you flavour, freshness and fewer industrial detours, go cold-pressed—and use the best oil for the best job. Your cooking will style higher, and your pantry will look quite a bit much less like a chemistry set.
Sources (regular hyperlinks)
Rapeseed historical past & canola breeding (industrial makes use of → edible oil):
https://www.canolacouncil.org/
https://www.canadianfoodfocus.org/
(Common background on low-erucic canola and historic makes use of.)
