If you make every effort to buy British food, well done. You’re supporting our country’s hard-working farmers, most likely enjoying fresher, more nutritious produce as a result and are doing your bit to reduce food miles.
But when you stir-fry those Sussex-grown brassicas or whip up a salad dressing to drizzle over home-grown lettuce, are you using a locally-produced vegetable oil? If you’ve discovered rapeseed oil, the answer is most likely to be yes, for this is widely produced in the UK. One of my favourites is Sussex Gold, which is produced by farmer John Ford at Priors Byne Farm in the Adur Valley in West Sussex. This oil has been produced since 2007 as part of the Priors Byne’s diversification programme. The bright yellow rapeseed flowers appear in late spring and harvesting takes place in July.
As well as boasting local credentials, rapeseed oil is a really versatile addition to your store cupboard. It is perfect for many cooking uses and has wonderful health benefits. It contains the least amount of saturated fat of any oil – less than half that of olive oil. It also has ten times more omega-3 than olive oil. This essential fatty acid helps to reduce cholesterol and help maintain heart and brain function, and joint mobility. Rapeseed is also a good source of vitamin E which is excellent for the skin.
With its mild, sometimes nutty, flavour, rapeseed oil is perfect for use in salad dressings and mayonnaise, and can be used instead of butter in baking. With a high smoke point, it can be heated to very high temperatures without spoiling. This makes it suitable for stir-frying, shallow frying and roasting.
Sussex Gold is prepared without heat or chemicals, and the entire process from growing to bottling takes place on the farm. After the rapeseed is cleaned it is put through a cold press. Nothing is added or taken away, ensuring that the oil extraction is completely natural. If you like an oil with a bit of character, do seek out cold-pressed oils as the commercially produced ones are often stripped of their flavours.
Tags: oils
