Sunday, May 15, 2011

Aceites y grasas comestibles

There are three methods for extracting vegetable oils from plants. The relevant part of the plant may be placed under pressure to "extract" the oil, giving an expressed oil. Oils may also be extracted from plants by dissolving parts of plants in water or another solvent. The solution may be separated from the plant material and concentrated, giving an extracted or leached oil. The mixture may also be separated by distilling the oil away from the plant material. Oils extracted by this latter method are called essential oils. Essential oils often have different properties and uses than pressed or leached vegetable oils. Macerated oils are made by infusing parts of plants in a base oil a process known as maceration.
Although most plants contain some oil, only the oil from certain major oil crops [1] complemented by a few dozen minor oil crops[2] is widely used and traded. These oils are one of several types of plant oils.
Vegetable oils can be classified in several ways, for example:
  • By source: most, but not all vegetable oils are extracted from the fruits or seeds of plants, and the oils may be classified by grouping oils from similar plants, such as "nut oils".
  • By use: oils from plants are used in cooking, for fuel, for cosmetics, for medical purposes, and for other industrial purposes.
The vegetable oils are grouped below in common classes of use.

Contents

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[edit] Edible oils

[edit] Major oils

Sunflowers, the seeds of which are the source of Sunflower oil.
These oils account for a significant fraction of worldwide edible oil production. All are also used as fuel oils.

[edit] Nut oils

Hazelnuts from the Common Hazel, used to make Hazelnut oil.
Nut oils are generally used in cooking, for their flavor. Most are quite costly, because of the difficulty of extracting the oil.

[edit] Oils from melon and gourd seeds

Watermelon seed oil, extracted from the seeds of Citrullus vulgaris, is used in cooking in West Africa.
Members of the cucurbitaceae include gourds, melons, pumpkins, and squashes. Seeds from these plants are noted for their oil content, but little information is available on methods of extracting the oil. In most cases, the plants are grown as food, with dietary use of the oils as a byproduct of using the seeds as food.[24]

[edit] Food supplements

A number of oils are used as food supplements, for their nutrient content or medical effect.

[edit] Other edible oils

Carob seed pods, used to make carob pod oil.
Coriander seeds are the source of an edible pressed oil, Coriander seed oil.

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