Is coconut oil suitable for pan frying?
Frying involves submerging a food in hot oil.
The ideal temperature is around 350-375°F (176-190°C).
When a food is submerged in oil of this temperature, its surface cooks almost instantly and forms a type of “seal” that the oil cannot penetrate.At the same time, the moisture inside the food turns into steam, cooking the food from the inside. The steam also helps to keep the oil out of the food.If the temperature is too low, the oil will seep into the food, making it greasy and sickening. If the temperature is too high, it can dry out the food and oxidize the oil.
Studies have shown that even after 8 hours of continuous deep frying at 365°F (180°C), its quality does not deteriorate .
The smoke point of coconut oil is 350°F, about the same as butter. For your reference, here is a list of the smoke point of various fats.
Pan-frying with coconut oil is fine at low to moderate temperatures. If you really like to crank up the heat like I do much of the time, I would recommend a fat with a higher smoke point, such as ghee.
It’s out of question that whether you can use coconut oil for pan-frying or not. Most important is whether you like taste and smell of food which you are going to prepared in coconut oil?? Some people like it while some found that its smell is a kind of strong smell. Anyone can able to judge that certain food prepare in coconut oil. No doubt it’s a good alternatives to your regular sunflower or soybean oil but its regular use is not recommended as coconut oil has cholesterol-forming precursors in higher amount. Not good for health. Yes you can use this oil for pan frying……………
