Rapeseed Oil Benefits challenge feedback thread – chance to win supermarket gift cards!NOW CLOSED

[AmeliaMumsnet]

Here's what RapeseedOilBenefits.com, a not-for-profit campaign aiming to inspire people to use this cooking oil, say about the challenge:

“Did you know rapeseed oil, sometimes labelled vegetable oil, is a healthy choice of cooking oil? It contains less saturated fat than other commonly used cooking oils and fats (e.g. approx. 50% less than olive oil). Recent UK dietary and nutrition surveys estimate that as a nation we’re eating too much saturated fat so we need to look for ways to cut down. Current UK government guidelines advise cutting down on all fats and replacing saturated fat with some unsaturated fat. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats such as rapeseed oil in the diet has been shown to lower blood cholesterol, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. It’s also a rich source of vitamin E.

Rapeseed oil is the only commonly used culinary oil that can be widely found both grown and bottled in the UK. It's also produced in other countries in the EU and worldwide. It comes in two forms: artisan cold-pressed and refined, which is often labelled vegetable oil. As well as its nutritional benefits, it’s competitively priced and has many culinary benefits, like its excellent, light, non-greasy flavour profile, and its versatility – from crispy roast potatoes, to healthier baking, to vibrant salad dressings.

Struggling to keep up your New Year’s resolutions? Give rapeseed oil a try, involve your family too if you can, and add your feedback here to be entered into a prize draw."

Here's what's involved:

~ Official testers (those already selected by MNHQ) who add a comment here between Monday 13 March and Sunday 2 April can win a £250 supermarket gift card

~ Non-official testers (open to all UK MNers) who add a comment here between Monday 13 March and Sunday 2 April can win a £150 supermarket gift card

• The challenge is to buy two bottles of rapeseed oil – one refined, often labelled 'vegetable oil' and usually in plastic bottles, and the other labelled 'cold-pressed' and often in glass bottles – and then use them in place of your normal cooking oil for two weeks and tell us what you think by adding your feedback here. Involve your family too if you can. If you already use rapeseed oil, feel free to take part in the challenge too, as Rapeseed Oil Benefits would like to know what you think also, to help them inspire others to use this cooking oil.

• If you have any questions about rapeseed oil go to RapeseedOilBenefits.com and check out the Guide to Rapeseed Oil pages and the FAQs, or use the Contact Us form. To help you get cooking with rapeseed oil, try these delicious Recipes created by professional home economists and dietitians, designed to show that healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring – it can be surprisingly good!

Please add your feedback below 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, photos, recipes, tips or ideas you have too – we'd love to hear from you at various stages of the challenge.

Thanks
MNHQ

Closing date: Sunday 2 April. Winners will be selected at random from all posting a comment: one ‘official’ tester and one ‘non-official’ tester – prizes as above.

Please note: posts on this thread may be reproduced by Rapeseed Oil Benefits (AHDB).

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

It may be healthier to eat, but what about the respiratory effects of growing more of it? I can always tell when I drive past a field of rape as my airways feel more constricted, and I know this isn't uncommon. it can be horrific to live next to.

Official tester here

Have bought and tried Tesco finest cold pressed rapeseed oil, and then Tescos own vegetable oil.

Love both of them, especially the veg oil for frying - no smell!!

I already knew the health benefits and had tried rapeseed a long time ago, but not recently.

I will deffo be going back to rapeseed as I love the flavour and the colour of the cold pressed oil makes a gorgeous looking (and tasting) vinaigrette.

I will be trying out some more recipes this weekend.

Thanks for the opportunity MNHQ!

We use both already but not testers. I find it fries well when making breaded chicken and fish. No smell or burned bits at the edges. In salad dressing it gives a subtle nutty flavour and golden colour.It's often cheaper than olive oil but not so nice for dipping breads in as my oh loves to do(not me!). We knew the benefits already and will continue to use.

I used my oil to cook some onions for dinner tonight - can't say I particularly noticed much difference but it did the job.

I was planning to make a lemon and lime drizzle cake using a recipe I found on one of the manufacturers websites, but my DD insisted on eating the yoghurt it needs so that will have to wait till tomorrow!

Well only just realised after starting this testing that a lot of vegetable oils are raped oil and turns out I have been using it for a long time. However have never used cold pressed oil so am currently waiting for spiced sweet potato wedges to finish crisping in the oven after being dissed with the cold pressed rapeseed so watch this space. Just wanted to say Wow what a price difference though !!

OMG have made fabulous carrot cupcakes today
Here's the recipe .....

4 carrots peeled and grated
2 eggs
7oz caster sugar
30ml buttermilk
125ml Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 oz chopped walnuts
6 oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 170C
In a bowl whisk together carrots, eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla and walnuts.
In another bowl sieve flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger.
Stir flour mixture into carrot mixture until well mixed.

Divide batter into cupcake cases, filling each 3/4 full.
Bake on middle shelf - 20/25mins
Allow cupcakes to cool completely before icing.
For icing mix 50g butter, 180g cream cheese and 200g icing sugar until smooth.
Wait until cakes are cooled and pipe icing.

Enjoy.

Hey girls,
I am set for the challenge. I just got my rapeseed oil bottles, one refined and the other cold pressed. I got a bottle of Mazola and Hillfarm as it was on offer.
I have made a salad dressing with the refined one and it works really well. I am a convert as it adds something new. I added it to some mustard and it gave some nutty flavour to the salad. The kids like it too.

My cake was a success.
Have made vegetable risotto with the cold pressed oil, very nice. I have also used the refined oil for roast potatoes which were better than usual, less oily and fluffier than with my usual olive oil. Have been raving to family and friends about how brilliant the rapeseed oil is. I really didn't expect to be this impressed!

I got these two.

Made roasties from the cold pressed one and they were lovely and crispy. Used it to stop my sausages sticking to a tray too. Lots less greasy.

Hope the photo posts. Will report back soon

Photo

Very unofficial tester here (ie haven't bought any specifically for this, but have used both types in the past).

Like others, didn't realise that a lot of generic vegetable oil was rapeseed. Have eaten it in the past (DP uses it for frying as it is what he is used to) and don't mind it. Prefer the taste of olive oil but am quite happy to use vegetable oil if necessary.

Have tried a couple of 'proper' rapeseed oils and really don't get in with them. I have tried on a number of times to like them as I know it is supposed to be good for you, but I just don't like the taste. And I can spot it in other foods, for example shop-bought croutons that have been fried in rapeseed oil.

If anyone can recommend one that has less of a flavour I'll try it, as I would like to incorporate more into our diet.

I have been using rapeseed ail for some time now and find it is great for all round cooking, it makes great roast potatoes and when used in a spray bottle a little goes a long way

Official tester here. Didn't notice any particular benefits or differences with cooking, but am won over by the health benefits and chance to support British farming.

I've made a creamy pork and mushroom dish for dinner tonight using my rapeseed oil. The onions fried nicely in the oil and didn't start to catch on the bottom of the pan as sometimes happens when I've used other oils.

I made a salad dressing today using the cold pressed oil.

However I haven't made one myself before, so can't compare - but it did taste good.

Am using oils with abandon this week :)

I've made Banoffee Muffins today and they are delicious and definitely a recipe that I will make again.
Have made a vinaigrette dressing with the cold pressed oil and there is no discernible difference between making it with the rapeseed oil and the olive oil I usually use.
Will definitely continue to use the rapeseed oil not only because of cost but also in support of British farmers.

I have made chilli con carne tonight using Mazola rapeseed oil and it turned out great. I used very little to cook the onions. It is great and it feels lighter than sunflower oil.
Anyway, the chilli was delicious and I am happy to use rapeseed oil as an alternative.

Official tester: Haven't found any huge difference other than no smell when cooking. Daughter did say she preferred the fried onions on her hot dog buns done with this oil rather than the usual sunflower oil I use. Will def be carrying on using them as the children seemed to eat more of their meals when this was used compared to normal but that might just be me over thinking things lol

Not a tester. We regularly use rapeseed oil in cooking. Despite trying to use it as a replacement for Olive Oil my DH can always tell the difference!

Mellow Yellow is a regular on our shopping list.

This not for profit campaign telling you how good rapeseed oil is, is funded by the cereals and oilseeds division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.

If you google something like 'better alternatives to rapeseed oil (or canola oil as its know in the us) or "is rapeseed oil / canola oil good for you" you will find other information.

If you look at this link, for example, authority nutrition, it is an evidence based site and in the text are clickable links to the scientific studies that the article is based on, so you can go and read the actual research papers.

Isn't Mazola corn oil, hence the name? Vegetable oil is rape seed oil. I generally use this as not too keen on sunflower oil. Benefits are healthy fatty acid profile and high flash point, so gets hot enough for frying. Unrefined is great for dressings.

Fried eggs in the refined rapeseed oil this morning.

Tasted good - of egg - not oil.

I don't make a habit of eating fried eggs but did so for the sake of the product test

Official tester

I used my rapeseed oil (the flashy cold pressed stuff) on Friday night to cook for a dinner party, I did both vegan curry and chicken curry and both turned out lovely, no one mentioned anything different about them.

I also used it as a drizzle on hummous and a salsa I had made, all delicious. I think I'm a convert!

Tester: Today baking with Mazola rapeseed oil

I have been busy experimenting with the rapeseed oil, and I have used it to make bread and brownies today. It is delicious and it works really well for baking.
The Mazola rapeseed oil is also a cheaper alternative to olive oil. I am definitely going to keep on using after the challenge.

Egg and bacon tonight fried in a little refined rapeseed oil (Tesco veg oil) It tasted of egg and bacon and was nice. I usually use olive oil or butter, but couldn't really discern any difference. Last night used the posh stuff with salmon and olives and lemon and that was really tasty, but not too sure it was the oil flavour coming through particularly, more the other ingredients. I will be trying some of the recipes next...