Grapeseed Oil

What is it used for? What oil is it similar to?

This is a new oil to me ...

I use grapeseed oil in a similar manner as canola oil. It has a neutral flavor, if any flavor at all, and a very high smoke point.

I've wondered about grapeseed oil, too. If it is as flavorless as eatchicago says, is there any reason to select it over much cheaper canola?

BrendanR wrote:I've wondered about grapeseed oil, too. If it is as flavorless as eatchicago says, is there any reason to select it over much cheaper canola?

I use it the same way as canola; IIRC its smoking point might be slightly higher. More importantly, last time I was at Sam's Club, their 3-liter jugs of grapeseed (they call it GrapeOla, apparently to make the comparison to canola) is priced exactly the same as their EVOO (although they do have cheaper "pure" olive oils).

Apparently, the nutritional profiles are a little different, but both are pretty good compared to some of the other fats out there.

You can find the marketing fluff about GrapeOla (which I would think would also apply to other grapeseeds oils, at least generally), check here.

I once used grapeseed oil out of desperation in a batch of brownies (from a box mix). They turned out fine, but whether because of or despite the grapeseed oil, I know not. I'm not surprised, though, to learn that this oil is considered something of a canola analogue. When I fell back on the grapeseed oil, I thought I had canola in the pantry. Canola is what I typically would have used with the brownies, and based on past results canola also would neither hurt nor harm that dish. (By the way, don't ask why I had grapeseed oil in my pantry. I don't know, and I asked Mrs. JiLS. She didn't know, either.)

I tried to remember why I first picked up grapeseed oil. After a little research, I came across this paragraph from a health journal:

The oil itself has a very high level of antioxidant vitamin E (60-120 mg/100 g), which makes it very stable. Most importantly, grapeseed oil is one of the lowest in saturated and one of the highest in the essential fatty acid, linoleic acid, also known as omega 6.

If memory serves, this translates into meaning that grapeseed oil can help raise good cholesterol levels.

Best,
Michael / EC

The oil itself has a very high level of antioxidant vitamin E (60-120 mg/100 g), which makes it very stable. Most importantly, grapeseed oil is one of the lowest in saturated and one of the highest in the essential fatty acid, linoleic acid, also known as omega 6.

IIRC, one of Dr. Andrew Weil's books (he of the alternative health and bushy white beard) makes the claim that a typical diet gets plenty of omega 6, but needs more omega 3 (from stuff like salmons, sardines, walnuts, flax seeds, etc.); in prehistoric times the ratio of omega 3's to omega 6's was reversed. I still like grapeseed oil, though, and it's rare to go through a few Charlie Trotter recipes or episodes of his TV show that doesn't include a grapeseed reference or two.

I don't use canola. I don't care for the taste and it's not a particularly good oil to pan fry with. I use grapeseed when I don't want much flavor from the oil (say, for sea scallops). Its smoke point is about has high as anything else I've used and that allows me to get a great crust on whatever I'm pan frying.

Thanks for the help.

I am almost out of canola oil and I scored a gallon of grapeseed oil for $1.99. I figured that I could buy it now and determine what to do with it later (g).

Good score for $1.99/gal. Even better if the bottle is protected from sunlight.

Lots of health benefits are attributed to GSO, including a unique ability to reduce bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol...though I admit the signal to noise ratio on the claims is pretty low. Check medline plus for details and qualified articles.

Whole Foods and other health stores charge an arm and a leg, like EVOO....I get my grapeseed oil at a Middle Eastern grocery store (about $3.00 for a liter)

Hi,

I am somewhat prejudiced against canola oil, though I may be affixing the blame on the wrong target. There was one oil I used briefly which was a bear to clean as it really clung to the cooking vessel's surface, is this a characteristic of canola oil? IF not, then do you know what I referring to?