Are there degrees of rancidity? Is a rancid oil really rancid or just
stale? My wife has infinite degrees of olfactory sensitivity (I can't
get away with anything). She's always declaring my cooking oils
stale, almost stale, very stale. My canola oil has no scent; my peanut
oil, a slight hint which she would probably call stale. My grapeseed
oil is a little stronger than my peanut oil--not a bad scent, just
kinda there. Okay smell is very subjective; mine is barely jective.
But is a "bad" or rancid oil really bad? Do it make you want to slap
yo mamma?

"stark" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Are there degrees of rancidity? Is a rancid oil really rancid or just
> stale? My wife has infinite degrees of olfactory sensitivity (I can't
> get away with anything). She's always declaring my cooking oils
> stale, almost stale, very stale. My canola oil has no scent; my peanut
> oil, a slight hint which she would probably call stale. My grapeseed
> oil is a little stronger than my peanut oil--not a bad scent, just
> kinda there. Okay smell is very subjective; mine is barely jective.
> But is a "bad" or rancid oil really bad? Do it make you want to slap
> yo mamma?
>

To some people, rancidity is quite noticeable. Some can be stored in the
refrigerator and still be pourable at a moment's notice when you need it.
Try that with a new container and see if your wife notices a difference.

stark wrote:

> Are there degrees of rancidity? Is a rancid oil really rancid or just
> stale? My wife has infinite degrees of olfactory sensitivity (I can't
> get away with anything). She's always declaring my cooking oils
> stale, almost stale, very stale. My canola oil has no scent; my peanut
> oil, a slight hint which she would probably call stale. My grapeseed
> oil is a little stronger than my peanut oil--not a bad scent, just
> kinda there. Okay smell is very subjective; mine is barely jective.
> But is a "bad" or rancid oil really bad? Do it make you want to slap
> yo mamma?

I've never heard of "stale" oil, although I would
imagine if that were a possible condition of oil it
would mean the oil was less flavorful and flatter tasting
than "fresh" oil.

Rancid oil is oil that has a nasty bitter taste.
I don't think you can smell it unless it is very
rancid. I know I have never been able to "smell"
rancidty. If I'm a little suspicious of the oil I
usually take a taste to check it out. In the
distant past I would try smell the oil and it would
smell fine but then I would cook with it and the
food would taste of rancid oil. Blecch!

Kate


--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

Kate Connally > wrote in news:f36un8$sj$1
@usenet01.srv.cis.pitt.edu:

> I've never heard of "stale" oil, although I would
> imagine if that were a possible condition of oil it
> would mean the oil was less flavorful and flatter tasting
> than "fresh" oil.
>

Stale oil might be oil used too much...where it has been used to too high a
heat...repeatedly in a french fryer or been submitted to over use cooking
too many differing food items so the basic taste isn't of just nuetral oil
anymore.

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

It'll be a sunny day in August, when the Moon will shine that night-
Elbonian Folklore

hahabogus > wrote:

>Kate Connally > wrote in news:f36un8$sj$1

>> I've never heard of "stale" oil, although I would
>> imagine if that were a possible condition of oil it
>> would mean the oil was less flavorful and flatter tasting
>> than "fresh" oil.

>Stale oil might be oil used too much...where it has been used to too high a
>heat...repeatedly in a french fryer or been submitted to over use cooking
>too many differing food items so the basic taste isn't of just nuetral oil
>anymore.

I use cooking oil (other than olive oil) so seldom that while it
doesn't go rancid, the smoke point drops. At that point there's
no point in using it -- it smokes as easily as olive oil, doesn't
taste as good and is not as healthful.

I've had this problem with both safflower and canola oil. So I've made
a recent switch to grape-seed oil for any high-temperature frying;
we'll see how that goes.

Steve

On May 25, 12:19 pm, Buddy <why.wood.yew@bother> wrote:

>
> Someone might have mentioned it because I missed the rest of this
> thread, but I heard on a cooking show that if your oil smells like
> paint, it's no good anymore, so toss it. It won't kill you, but it will
> flavor things the wrong way.
>

Thanks. If rancid oil smells like paint, I can handle that.