Why You Should Add Grape Seed Oil to Your Cooking

English: A bottle of Trader Joe’s brand grape seed oil. Photo taken in the United States, with an E5200 digital camera. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Grapes have been harvested by man since the beginning of time, yet the use of Grape Seed Oil did come about till the 20th Century. Grape Seed Oil is a wise choice in cooking and meal preparation and many top chefs prefer it over other oils. Here’s why:

High Smoke Point – Grape Seed Oil has a high smoke point making it a good choice for sautéing, stir frying or baking. You will appreciate this aspect because it is able to retain its flavor even at high temperatures. Grape Seed Oil has a smoke point (around 420 F) higher than other oils, such as olive, corn or sesame.

In the Kitchen – Grape Seed Oil is an excellent ingredient in salad dressings, mayonnaise and light sauces. Grape Seed Oil contains fatty acids and antioxidants which help prevent the forming of harmful products due from excessive frying.

Health Benefits – Grape Seed Oil is a healthy alternative to traditional cooking oils such as butter or margarine. It is rich in polyunsaturated fats that improve blood cholesterol levels, and can decrease your risk of heart disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, polyunsaturated fats can help prevent diabetes.

Grape Seed Oil is also rich in antioxidant vitamins E, C and beta carotene. These help in the fight against cancer, and protect the body against substances that are harmful to cells, organs and tissues. The anti-aging properties found in Grape Seed Oil are beneficial to the skin, hair and cut down on the appearance of wrinkles.

Here is a cool recipe for making a sauce using Grape Seed Oil. This works really well on steamed fish, chicken or vegetables. The recipe was lifted from Timothy Ferriss’s “The Four Hour Chef.” A book I highly recommend you buy.