Cooking oils have unique properties that make them most suitable for particular cooking methods, such as frying, baking or stir-frying or for use in dressings and vignettes. When substituting corn oil for olive oil, consider factors such as flavor, heat tolerance and nutrition to ensure a successful outcome in the kitchen.
Identification
Corn oil, extracted from the corn kernel, is a mild, medium-yellow color. The refining process removes free fatty acids and phospholipids from the oil, making it resistant to smoking or discoloration. Corn oil is an all-purpose oil used for frying or in salad dressings.
Olive oil varies in color from pale yellow to deep green, depending on the fruit used and the method of processing. Various types of olive oil are best suited to different purposes. Extra virgin olive oil, produced by cold pressing, is strong and robust and is used for cooking, making marinades and vignettes or drizzling on vegetables. Virgin olive oil is low-grade extra virgin oil made with riper olives. Regular pure olive oil is an all-purpose oil with a bland taste. Light and extra light olive oil is a mixture of chemically processed, low-quality oils. Pure and light olive oils are suitable for frying or sautéing.
Smoking Point
The smoking point of an oil is the temperature at which the oil begins to burn and break down, or oxidize. This often results in giving the food an unpleasant taste. Since the result when frying food is best when the oil is very hot, a high smoking point is desirable for the oil you choose. Hot oil causes the natural sugars in food to caramelize and proteins to denature into a thin shell that protects the food from absorbing the oil, making the outside crisp and the interior cooked. Regular inexpensive olive oil, with a high free-fatty acid content, has a high smoking point. Virgin and extra virgin oils should not be used. Corn oil has a high smoking point. If you are searing meat or fish, deep-frying, stir-frying over high heat or sautéing, you should substitute corn oil for virgin olive oil. However, corn oil and regular olive oil will achieve similar results.
Nutrition
Olive oil is comparable to corn oil in its calorie and fat content. Olive oil contains healthier monounsaturated fat; corn oil contains more polyunsaturated fat. Mono- and polyunsaturated fats are recommended by the American Heart Association to lower low-density lipoprotein -- or LDL, the "bad" cholesterol -- and maintain high-density lipoprotein -- or HDL, the "good" cholesterol. Corn oil contains 120 calories per tbsp. Of the total 14 g of fat, 2 g are saturated, 4 g are monounsaturated and 7.4 g are polyunsaturated. Corn oil contains no carbohydrates, fiber, sugar or cholesterol and provides 1.94 mg of vitamin E and .3 mcg of vitamin K per tbsp., according to the USDA National Nutrient Database. Olive oil contains the same amount of calories and total fat. The saturated fat content is 2 g, with 10 g of healthy monounsaturated fat and 1.4 g of polyunsaturated fat. Olive oil provides 2 mg of vitamin E and 8.1 mcg of vitamin K per tbsp.
Taste
Olive oils differ in taste between the regular pure and extra-virgin varieties, and some refined olive oils can leave an aftertaste. Pure regular olive oil is virtually tasteless. More expensive extra-virgin olive oils enhance the flavor of food and are better suited for use in salads, dressings and vinaigrettes; drizzled over cooked vegetables; or brushed onto meat or fish. Corn oil contains flavor compounds containing sulfur and nitrogen that create a mild corn flavor at room temperature. When corn oil is heated, these compounds change and give fried foods a different flavor. Cooks Illustrated reported a test using several oils and found corn oil to have a distinct taste that some found objectionable when used in mayonnaise. Conversely, corn oil enhanced the taste of french fries.
References
- SoyaTech; Corn Facts; Corn Refiners Association
- What's Cooking America: Olive Oil - Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Virgin Olive Oil
- What's Cooking America: Types of Cooking Fats and Oils - Smoking Points of Oils
- USDA: Search the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
- Cook's Illustrated: All-Purpose Vegetable Oils
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