Sunflower oil: what do we know about it?

In the distant 1829, a peasant from the Voronezh province, invented a method of obtaining oil from sunflower seeds. The church then ranked the new product to a number of lean. At that time people did not even realize that it would take about two hundred years and sunflower oil would become so popular that its reserves would be practically in every house. Preparing something in a frying pan or trying a recipe for a new salad, we do not think about this unique product. It's time to fill the gaps in knowledge.

How to make sunflower oil

The technology for manufacturing this product is quite simple: in the beginning, the seeds are cleaned in the rush-fan compartment, where the nuclei are separated from the husks. Then the nuclei arrive on the rollers, which they crush into the crutch. The latter passes in the braziers heat treatment, and then enters the compartment with the press. There, press sunflower oil is obtained from it, which still needs to be filtered, and the remaining press enters the extraction plant, where an additional 20% of the product is obtained from it. In order for the obtained sunflower oil to take on a familiar form, it subsequently undergoes a purification and refining process, using methods such as centrifugation, sedimentation, hydration, bleaching, deodorization and freezing.

Composition

Depending on what stages of processing and spinning the final product has gone through, this or that percentage of vitamins, fatty acids, phospholipids and other substances turns out. From the ratio of palmitic, arachine, linoleic, stearic, oleic and myristic acids, phosphorus-containing, waxes and volatiles, as well as vitamins A, D, E, in which the composition includes the beneficial qualities that sunflower oil has. GOST R 52465-2005 defines the exact criteria for the first grade, but we will not go into details. We only note what distinguishes the main types of sunflower oil and why they are better suited.

Product Varieties

The most useful is considered to be raw sunflower oil, which is obtained after the first pressing and subsequent filtration. It has a pleasant smell and taste, and in its composition stearines, phosphatides, tocopherols and other useful components are completely preserved. If it persists long enough, it begins to grow dull and bitter. It is best used for salads and cold dishes. Hydrated sunflower oil is obtained by heating to 60 ° C and passing hot hot water through it . As a result of this procedure, protein and mucous substances remain in the sediment, and the product ceases to grow turbid. At the same time, this process leads to a weakening of the smell and taste and a less intense coloring. Refined oil is obtained by treating the product with alkali, thereby removing fatty acids and phospholipids from the product. It is clear that the benefits from it will be even less, but it is considered an excellent choice for putting out and frying. For the preparation of dietary products and baby food, refined oil is used, which has been deodorized. It has almost no aromatic substances, which contributes to its long storage. Finally, there is still frozen oil. All wax-like substances are removed in it, because of what it turns out to be transparent and ceases to cloud on cooling. As it is easy to see, to say that this or that species is the best sunflower oil, it is impossible. It all depends on what and how it will be used.