How Does Cottonseed Oil Hold Up in Deep Frying?
Cottonseed Oil Americans have used cottonseed oil for cooking since the 1800s. By the 1940s, soybean oil began to replace cottonseed oil for its 10 to 15 percent lower price margin, but cottonseed oil in commercial sales still remains with one-third of the 877 million pounds (in 2007) going to snack food makers. Its demand by commercial fried food makers has prevented cottonseed oil from being widely available to consumers, but products made with it populate the aisles at grocery stores and the menus at restaurants. Stability Pressed from seeds of cotton leftover from the ginning process, cottonseed oil contains a higher percentage of saturated fats than other oils, 23 to 28 percent. This contributes to its cooking stability and long shelf life due to its delayed rancidity. Oils become rancid with exposure to oxygen, water or food particles. The higher the percentage of saturated fats in an oil, the longer it takes before it degrades and turns rancid. Degradation in cooking oil from ra
