Stir-frying: how much of the oil evaporates?

Stir-frying: how much of the oil evaporates? - Free stock photo of baking, boiling, chef

When you're stir-frying or sauteeing, I'm sure some of the oil get evaporated due to high temperature. How much of the original oil evaporates? Since I suppose it depends on the kind of oil, temperature and duration, can you give example for several typical cases? (for example, vegetable oil, medium heat, 15 minutes, etc)

How does this affect the nutrition and energy calculation? For example if 50 grams of vegetable oil contains ~400 kcal, how much calories does some food cooked with that much oil has?



Best Answer

The boiling point of most cooking oils is much higher than their smoke points. The boiling point of olive oil, for example, is around 300°C (572°F), which is hotter than the temperature of a pan on a typical residential range/cooktop. With that said, alcohols and esters which make up the flavor and fragrance of the oil will have lower boiling points and will therefore evaporate. That should not significantly alter the nutritional content of the oil. Furthermore, much of the perceived loss of oil is likely due to a combination of absorption of the oil into the items being fried, and also due to splatter. The latter cannot be easily quantified due to its connection with the cooking vessel and the technique of the cook.




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Stir-frying: how much of the oil evaporates? - Back view crop unrecognizable person pouring olive or sunflower oil into frying pan placed on stove in domestic kitchen



Does frying oil evaporate?

As oil breaks up before it boils, there is no oil evaporation. You can destroy oil by heating it, because it will turn into something different than oil. You can also burn it by heating it in the presence of oxygen, and this is what happens when you see smoke coming from your pan.

How much does oil evaporate?

Evaporation is a very important process for most oil spills. In a few days, light crude oils can be reduced by up to 75% oftheir initial volume and medium crudes up to 40% oftheir volume. Heavy or residual oils will only lose about 5% oftheir volume in the first few days following a spill.

How much oil do I need to stir-fry?

Put a small amount of oil (1-2 tablespoons) in your wok. You won't typically need much oil - you're stir frying, not deep frying. At this point, you'll also want to add any seasoning and/or spices you're using in your dish.



How much COOKING OIL to use in stir-frying? Are you using too much or not enough? A guideline.




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