Take the RapeseedOilBenefits.com challenge: non-testers add your feedback - you could win a £150 voucher NOW CLOSED

[KatieBMumsnet]

Did you know rapeseed oil, sometimes labelled vegetable oil, is one of the healthiest and most versatile cooking oils you can buy? That's the message from RapeseedOilBenefits.com, a not-for-profit campaign that aims to inspire people to use this cooking oil.

Take part in the RapeseedOilBenefits.com challenge and add your feedback here by to be entered into the prize draw:

~ Official testers (those selected by MNHQ) can win a £250 supermarket voucher of their choice
~ Non-official testers' who add a comment can win a £150 supermarket voucher of their choice

The challenge is to buy two bottles of rapeseed oil - one labelled 'vegetable oil' and the other labelled 'cold pressed' - and then to use these in place of your normal cooking oils for two weeks and tell us what you think. (If you already use rapeseed oil, feel free to take part in this challenge too.)

If you have any questions about rapeseed oil, go to RapeseedOilBenefits.com to ask the nutritionist and check out their guide to rapeseed oil FAQs.

Do try their easy and tasty recipes while you're there.

Please add your feedback here on the following:

~ Let us know what you think of rapeseed oil and if you knew about the benefits already or not

~ Have you tried out any RapeseedOilBenefits.com recipes? How did you and your family find them?

~ Please add any other comments, recipes, tips or ideas you have too - we'd love to hear from you at various stages of the challenge

Thanks

MNHQ


Please note comments made on this thread may be reproduced by Rapeseed Oil Benefits (AHDB)
Closing date: 19 August 2013, winners will be selected at random from all posting a comment: either a tester or non tester - prizes as above.

[MimsyBorogroves]

We made the cheese scones today and DS was fascinated as to how the oil and milk didn't mix. Good little science lesson.

I was impressed by how well they came out without butter, though it proved to me I need a new baking tray as they stuck horribly to the bottom.

[GlobalWarning]

~ Let us know what you think of rapeseed oil and if you knew about the benefits already or not

I was briefly aware of rapeseed being better for you thanks to Hugh Fearnly. He uses it in his carrot cake recipe, so we have tried that already!
I did read the site and am quite amazed at the benefits of rapeseed. And where I live there are fields of it!!

~ Have you tried out any RapeseedOilBenefits.com recipes? How did you and your family find them?

We made carrot cake and the cheese bread recipe off the site. I was really impressed with both and super easy to make. Tonight we are having turnkey thigh burgers and salad so will let you know! Sure it will be fine, we make turkey burgers a lot, but usually with olive oil, so looking forward to the substitute.

~ Please add any other comments, recipes, tips or ideas you have too - we'd love to hear from you at various stages of the challenge

I do recommend HFW's carrot cake. Uses whole meal flour and rapeseed oil and carrots and honey. So it is somewhat healthy

[MrsMeow]

I haven't received my voucher yet - is anyone else still waiting? I'm dying to get going, starving reading all these yummy recipe ideas! :)

[Glitterfairys]

Well I got the oils on Saturday and have used used them quite a bit so far. On Saturday I made hasselback potatoes and used the vegetable oil . My dh and df loved them and finished the lot between them
On Sunday I made a salad dressing using Mr Hugh's Cold-Pressed Rapeseed oil. I really liked it and preferred it to the olive oil version I would normally used as it doesn't seem to have the "tangy" after taste olive oil sometimes has which I'm not too keen on.
Last night , I made cornbread and used the veg oil instead of butter /marg and was pleased with it.Just as nice and still had a soft texture to it which we like.I'm impressed so far and going to try a cake from the website later on this week

[Piffpaffpoff]

I've been using Rapeseed oil for ages now, instead of olive oil. Partly because the brand I buy is grown locally and I feel quietly virtuous for reducing my food miles!

I just use it for cooking where I would have used groundnut or olive oil. I have discovered its ok to use in a wok which is good as it means I dont need two bottles of oil. I don't notice any real difference using it other than it can colour things a bit yellow - white breadcrumbs on fish cakes or chicken nuggets for example.

[smilingthroughgrittedteeth]

I got my voucher yesterday and picked up a bottle of each in Tesco.

I used the cold press oil to make a garlic oil to drizzle on homemade pizza, it was really tasty and didn't leave an after taste like olive oil.

this morning I used the vegetable oil to make pancakes and was impressed that it didn't take as long as sunflower oil to heat up.

will be trying some scones tomorrow

[poopoopoo]

I used the vegetable oil to fry fish for dinner, worked a treat. I suppose the health benefits or nutritional value would be the only reason to buy the more expensive cold pressed oil. Though I can't say I have ever before purchased cooking oil for its nutritional value! But when you come to think of it, I do buy supplements of Omega 3 and 6, which perhaps are not necessary if you regularly use a healthy nutritional oil for cooking?????

Apparently the skin care market use a CO2 extraction method to obtain oils which retain even more active plant properties.

[hermancakedestroyer]

I bought the oils yesterday and looked through the recipe booklet at all the tasty recipe suggestions. I liked the look of the Warm bacon, mustard and potato salad and so cooked it for my family tonight. We all thought it was delicious. The recipe used cold-pressed rapeseed oil and I have to say the dressing was delicious. Personally I couldn't tell the difference between olive oil and rapeseed oil. The taste was mild and not overpowering. I am looking forward to trying other recipes

[hermancakedestroyer]

I also suffer with hayfever when driving past the bright yellow fields of rapeseed flowers and am waiting to see if long term use of this oil helps with this allergy.

[sinpan]

What is going on with rapeseed oil? Have they got an ass-kicking marketing team in? Even my elderly aunts are buying it.

Anyway good luck everyone with the campaign - most vegetable oils are good and cooking with vegtable oil definitely makes eating a more pleasurable experience. If rapeseed is having a moment, then that's great because it can be grown locally, and as others have said, is less expensive than similar graded olive oil.

I would be really interested to know if the hay fever sufferers profit from switching - any plans for Rapeseed Oil Benefits to check up on this or maybe even fund some research?

[Fraxinus]

I use vegetable oil for cooking, but this is the first time I have tried cold pressed rapeseed oil for salads and stuff.

I bought it at aldi's

I took my lovely voucher to tesco and bought some wholemealpasta, lentils, pearl barley, canned canellini beans and other things you can't get in my usual shop (aldi).i also got quinoa to do the kebabs with, but my hand refused to get the pine nuts off the shelf after my eye saw the price! I will get some from the weigh house or somewhere.

So far I have to say I haven't noticed the difference. Normally I dress salad in the bowl ( ie: just chuck some salt oil and inegar over it and mix up) but I have a friend staying who didn't want it done that way so I mixed a dressing in a jar. It was ok, and everyone said it was nice, but it's not a proper test because I put mustard in it when I don't normally.

I made a potato salad with bit and pieces in today, and I didn't notice it wasn't olive oil.

[TotallyEggFlipped]

We had some of the cold pressed rapeseed oil (Fussel's) and just used it for dunking bread in this evening with balsamic vinegar. It's really tasty. DH and I both preferred the flavour to olive oil. Will definitely be using it again. Going to try some of the chilli rapeseed oil and garlic rapeseed oil too.
Off to read some of the recipes now.....

[sealight123]

Firstly, thank you ever so much for choosing me to test this product.
Secondly, I have received my voucher, bought my rapeseed oil and have swapped out all of our other cooking oils out with it, without telling my partner may I add. I am not only testing this product but setting up my own little experiment...will he be able to tell the difference?
IT BEEEGGGIIINS!!!!

[GetKnitted]

still going well with the cold pressed rapeseed oil, it went nicely in a leek and creme fraiche pasta sauce last night and again for some shallow fried fish this evening. I haven't yet given it a go with salad, I will probably take a shot at it tomorrow.

I have to say I'm a bit reluctant to use the normal vegetable oil, now that I understand more about the process of manufacturing. Not that I expect the sunflower oil we use is any better, I hope the Olive Oil is, but will probably think twice about using any non-extra virgin.

[snowymum12]

I wasn't chosen by Mumsnet but decided to have a try anyway as I'd heard it was really good for you. I really liked how light the taste was when compared to olive oil and how well it worked within salad dressings. I'm really impressed with the health benefits and would definitely use it again.

[ThatsSoVanquish]

Planned to start Monday but got a d&v bug instead but DP has been using the vegetable oil and is happy with it. Will report back in more detail once able to cook & eat properly!

[Ponders]

I discovered this week that Aldi have 500ml bottles of extra virgin cold pressed rapeseed oil, from Yorkshire, for £1.99

bargain!

(haven't tried it yet, mind)

[PiHigh]

Well we used the cold pressed on for cooking last night and didn't notice any difference with it. I might try a salad dressing with it tonight although I'm not good at making them

[aristocat]

Used the cold-pressed in a salad dressing yesterday. I used

1 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper

and it was very good. A lovely taste - not too strong or greasy.

We ate the salad with Quesadillas which were cooked in the other rapeseed oil.

[WelliesandPyjamas]

I used the oil whilst making rice last night. If I do say so myself, my rice is always delicious and perfectly made this poster has absolutely no modesty but I do often add a sprinkle of veg stock powder or similar to give it a bit of extra flavour. Last night, however, I made it with the cold pressed rapeseed alone and it was really lovely, subtly but noticeable, and gave it a gentle yellow colour too. Definitely repeating that.

[WelliesandPyjamas]

subtly subtle

[thismousebites]

I am in danger if becoming addicted to this cold press oil.
It makes everything look, smell and taste fabulous.
I have made pizza, muffins, stuffed chicken breasts, roasted potato wedges and I even poured it over couscous.
An just about to make some cheesy bread

[thismousebites]

The cheesy bread was yummy.
Lovely golden colour too instead of my usual pale and pasty looking efforts

[MimsyBorogroves]

I'm still loving the taste. It's so much more subtle than olive oil.

Took the idea from a poster yesterday of using it for scrambling eggs - lovely.

I'm going to use it in more scones next week.