Published on: November 19, 2022
The air outside is feeling more and more crisp each day, orange and red leaves falling to the ground as the wind whips through the trees. The days are shorter, sunlight fleeting fast in the early hours of the evening. Nights spent curling up on the couch with a fuzzy blanket and a cup of hot cocoa start to increase, suddenly feeling like the ideal way to wrap up your day. The holidays are near, a time of year to celebrate and enjoy with loved ones. At the center of these celebrations, you can always find food. Big feasts with everything from sweet to savory, holiday treats peppered into your everyday life, the classics you wait for all year long – these are a crucial part of the experience.
For us at Palm Done Right, we usually have palm oil on our minds. But during the holidays, a time of year so focused on our favorite meals and delectable dessert recipes passed down the family through generations, we know that palm oil can add even to your classic dishes. What makes palm oil the perfect addition to your recipes? What is palm oil anyway, and how does it differ from other vegetable oils? We’ll explore all of that and more so you can make palm oil part of your cooking and baking this holiday season!
Harvested from oil palm trees, otherwise known scientifically as Elaeis guineensis, palm oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the fruit of this plant. Depending on whether the oil comes from the fruit itself or the kernel inside, two different types of oil can be made. The earliest use of palm oil dates back to 3000 B.C. in Egyptian tombs. Historically, the oil has been prevalent in West and Central African cuisine. Originally, this crop was found in Africa, but now, Indonesia and Malaysia account for the highest production and export of palm oil.
Now that you know what palm oil is, you may be thinking, “Sounds like any other vegetable oil.” However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Let’s discuss some of the properties of palm oil that make it different from other similar oils of its kind. This oil is known for its smooth texture and creamy consistency. It has a neutral taste and smell when refined. When unrefined, it has a somewhat nutty taste, often compared to pumpkins or carrots, since all of these reddish-orange crops contain beta carotene. Palm oil has a higher smoke point than many other oils, coming in at around 450 ºF. This makes it ideal for frying and sautéing. At room temperature, palm oil is stable at a semi-solid consistency. With all of these factors being considered, it’s easy to see why palm oil is a great choice when cooking or baking. This is why palm oil is great for home cooking, and it also can be found in countless packaged food products.
In addition to palm oil’s positive qualities in terms of food, this amazing vegetable oil can offer major health benefits. It contains vitamin E, which is an antioxidant – a critical element in boosting the immune system. Antioxidants are also important to brain health, as they can protect the brain from free radicals. In terms of heart health, palm oil can play a role in lowering bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol, which is especially significant for people with heart disease. Finally, palm oil contains beta carotene. This is known to improve eyesight and can even prevent cataracts. Overall, adding palm oil into a balanced diet can have added health benefits of all sorts.
With all these impressive qualities, using palm oil in your holiday cooking and baking seems like an obvious choice. Any recipe containing oil or butter can be altered by switching it out for organic palm oil. For recipes that you don’t want to add a nutty flavor to, you would probably want to opt for the refined oil so you can reap the health benefits without any sacrifice to the flavor you’re looking to achieve. Alternatively, especially for savory recipes, sustainably sourced red palm oil is an excellent option to boost your flavors and add an extra level of richness.
If you’re looking for recipes that already feature this all-star ingredient, check out our recipe blogs.
Interested in adding palm oil to your classic favorites? Looking for a way to enrich your flavors even further while reaping all the benefits palm oil has to offer? Add organic, sustainable palm oil into all your go-to holiday recipes this season. For years, palm oil has gotten plenty of negative press for sustainability issues, but with recent efforts to improve transparency and eliminate deforestation, you can rest assured that using palm oil in your kitchen is a responsible choice. At Palm Done Right, we devote ourselves to changing the palm oil industry for the better so you can enjoy this incredible vegetable oil without any concerns. Discover just how versatile this ingredient can be with Palm Done Right.
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