The cooking world is full of countless oils designed to fry, flavour, and elevate your dishes. Two of the most popular oils in the culinary world are the flavourful olive oil and the more neutral vegetable oil.
Most recipes will call for only one, but what if you find yourself short on olive oil and only have vegetable oil to hand? Or vice versa? Is it possible to combine olive oil and vegetable oil for your cooking needs?Â
The simple answer is yes, absolutely. Olive oil and vegetable oil can be easily mixed so long as you consider the proportions you are using so that the flavour of the olive oil does not become overpowering or change the qualities of the vegetable oil too much.
How To Mix Olive Oil And Vegetable Oil
What you need to consider when you go to mix olive oil and vegetable oil is that they have some drastic differences in flavours, smoking points and an array of other features that will be altered once the oils are mixed.
That is why it is best to only start by mixing a little of each oil together at first to see if you like the flavour of the combination before you go and waste a whole expensive bottle of olive oil.Â
In a mug or jar, add around 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Then add 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil directly on top of the vegetable oil. Use a metal fork or spoon to mix the two oils in the mug or jar until they are no longer distinguishable.
A 4:1 ratio is a good starting combination as you start mixing your vegetable oil and olive oil.
However, if you decide that you are not a fan of the flavour of the oil, then you can add a little more of either oil to balance out your mix.
Of course, seeing as vegetable oil is a combination of other oils, it may be that your vegetable oil already includes olive oil, in which case you likely will not need to mix in as much olive oil.
Will Olive Oil And Vegetable Oil Separate Once They Are Mixed?
The good news is that no matter how you intend to use your mix of oils, vegetable oil and olive oil have a similar enough density not to separate.
The same cannot be said for other oil combinations, which is why olive oil and vegetable oil can work so well together.Â
The only reason that the two oils may begin to separate is if you vastly overuse one oil in the mix compared to the other or if you add water to your olive oil and vegetable oil combination – never a good idea!
Differences Between Olive Oil And Vegetable Oil
When mixing any variation of the same ingredient, you should know how exactly they vary so that you can figure out how best to use the final combination.
Olive oil and vegetable oil, while similar, do have some essential differences that will change once they are mixed together:Â
- Smoking Point – Extra virgin olive oil, which is the purest of the olive oils, has the highest olive oil smoke point of 210C. Vegetable oil has a smoke point of up to 230C. This may not seem like a big difference, but 20C does affect how a mix of the two oils can be used.Â
- Flavour – Seeing as olive oil is the result of olives, the oil possesses a unique fruity twist that is strong enough to affect your food. Vegetable oil is one of the most neutral oils out there, so it has next to no flavour.Â
- Uses – Due to their various smoke points, olive oil and vegetable oil have very different uses. Olive oil is mainly used to sauté foods and as a finishing oil. Vegetable oil is used to fry food and used a lot in baking to add fat to recipes in place of butter.Â
Why You Should Mix Olive Oil And Vegetable Oil
Most would think that because of their noticeable differences, there is not a lot of use in mixing olive oil and vegetable oil other than to use up the last little bits of the oils in your pantry before a shop.
However, there are advantages to mixing the two:
Diluting The Flavour
Olive oil has a strong flavour; there is no denying that.
It is why a lot of people avoid using olive oil as they are not sure how it will affect the taste of their food or don’t like how it affects their food.
The intense flavour becomes diluted and easier on the palate by mixing olive oil with a larger amount of neutral oil like vegetable oil. This is ideal if you are still getting comfortable with using olive oil in your cooking.
Stretching Your Wallet
Some olive oils can be affordable, but high-quality olive oils that actually taste nice, like extra virgin olive oil, are a lot to spend your money on if you cook often and will use the oil quickly.
On the other hand, vegetable oil is very affordable.Â
Combining the cheaper oil with olive oil will make it last much longer in the kitchen. And, because vegetable oil has no flavour, it will not affect the expensive taste of your olive oil if you use the correct ratio.Â
Healthy Option
Part of the reason that vegetable oil is so affordable is that it is made using a combination of other oils, making it a very processed ingredient. Not all processed oils are unhealthy, but vegetable oil has very few nutrients as it is so processed.
Olive oil is full of healthy goodness as it is the direct result of pressing olives with very little processing. Mixing the two oils together can add some much-needed nutrients and healthy goodness to your plate without sacrificing your favourite foods.
Olive and Vegetable Oil FAQs
Do you have further questions about combining olive and vegetable oil? Then check these out:
This is not something we advise. Olive oil is not a good oil for deep frying as it has a low smoke point. Instead, try to stick to using only vegetable oil in this case.
Yes! Oils can be a great way to add moisture to a cake, but going in with 100% olive oil can be overpowering on the flavour. You can combat this by combining it with vegetable oil.
Sources
Where we obtain our information and verify the facts in this article:
WebMD
Health benefits and nutritional profile of vegetable oil.
Everyday Health
Health benefits and nutritional profile of olive oil.
Trolley UK
Price comparisons of different cooking oils.
Acacia may be a freelance writer by day, but they are a food fanatic by night. They are always trying out new recipes or finding different ways to elevate classical dishes. But their biggest culinary aim is to educate others on the basics of the kitchen so that they too can enjoy delicious food.
