Oils, Fats & Vinegars

Different oils suit different cooking methods, mainly because of how they behave at high temperatures.

For high-heat cooking (frying, roasting at high temperatures):

• Refined coconut oil, rapeseed oil and sunflower oil have higher smoke points and hold up well
• Avocado oil also has a high smoke point and a mild flavour that doesn't dominate a dish

For dressings and low-heat use:

• Extra virgin olive oil has a lower smoke point and a stronger flavour, better suited to dressings, drizzling or gentle cooking rather than high-heat frying
• Flaxseed and hemp seed oil shouldn't be heated at all — they're best used cold, added after cooking or in dressings

Using a strongly flavoured, low-smoke-point oil for high-heat frying can mean it starts to smoke and burn before your food is properly cooked, affecting both flavour and texture. Keeping one higher-smoke-point oil for cooking and a good extra virgin olive oil for dressing covers most everyday kitchen needs.

These terms describe how the oil was processed, and they matter more for some oils than others.

Cold-pressed means the oil was extracted using pressure and minimal heat, rather than heat or chemical solvents. This generally preserves more of the oil's natural flavour and colour.

Extra virgin is a grading specific to olive oil, indicating it's from the first pressing and meets specific quality and acidity standards — the least processed, most flavourful grade.

A few practical points:

• Cold-pressed and extra virgin oils are generally better suited to dressings and finishing than high-heat cooking, since their flavour is more pronounced and can be affected by heat
• "Extra virgin" only applies to olive oil — "cold-pressed" can apply more broadly
• Refined oils are more processed, with a more neutral flavour and typically a higher smoke point, suiting high-heat cooking

Neither is universally "better" — it depends on what you're using the oil for.

The mother is a cloudy, cobweb-like collection of natural yeast and bacteria strands that forms during fermentation — it's what's left in unfiltered apple cider vinegar.

With the mother: unfiltered, slightly cloudy, and often described as having a more robust flavour.

Without the mother: filtered and clear, with a more consistent appearance bottle to bottle.

Practically speaking, whether it matters comes down to:

• Appearance and texture preference — some people simply prefer the cloudier, less processed look
• Cooking use — both work equally well in dressings, marinades and recipes; the mother doesn't meaningfully change how the vinegar performs
• Shaking before use — vinegar with the mother often benefits from a shake, since the sediment can settle

Neither version is inherently superior for everyday cooking — it's largely a matter of preference rather than a functional difference.

No — they're related but distinct products, and it's a common point of confusion.

Coconut oil is the whole oil extracted from coconut flesh, containing a mix of different fatty acids, including both MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) and longer-chain fats.

MCT oil is a more concentrated, processed product — it isolates specific medium-chain triglycerides and removes the rest, resulting in a lighter, flavourless liquid oil.

Practical differences:

• MCT oil is flavourless and liquid at room temperature, making it easy to add to drinks like coffee without changing the taste
• Coconut oil is solid at room temperature (below around 24°C) and carries a distinct coconut flavour, suited to baking and cooking
• MCT oil isn't suited to high-heat cooking, since it's typically used cold or in warm, not hot, drinks

If you want the flavour and cooking versatility of coconut oil, use coconut oil. If you want a neutral-tasting liquid oil specifically for drinks, MCT oil is the more targeted choice.

Not every oil needs refrigeration, but a few genuinely benefit from it once opened.

Oils worth refrigerating after opening:

• Flaxseed oil — high in polyunsaturated fats that oxidise (go rancid) faster at room temperature
• Hemp seed oil — similarly delicate and best kept cool once opened
• Nut oils like walnut oil, for the same reason

Oils generally fine at room temperature:

• Olive oil, coconut oil, rapeseed oil and sunflower oil are more stable and can be kept in a cool, dark cupboard

A few general signs an oil has gone rancid: a noticeably sharp, bitter or "off" smell compared to when first opened, or a dull, stale taste when used. Checking the "best before" or "use within X months of opening" guidance is more reliable than guessing based on appearance alone.