Safflower Oil

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Bastard Saffron Saffron Thistle

Safflower Oil is a flavourless, colourless oil that, when refined, has a very high smoke point (up to 450F / 232C.) Unrefined Safflower Oil will smoke at 225F / 107C.

The oil can be used for cooking or salad dressings. Commercially, it is used a great deal to make margarine from.


Safflower

The Safflower Plant is a member of the thistle family. Above ground it can grow up to 4 feet tall (1.2 metres.) Below ground, it will produce a taproot that can go down as far as 12 feet (3.5 metres.) It produces flowers that can be yellow, gold or orange. The seeds are used to make oil.



Nutrition
Safflower Oil is very low in saturated fat. It lacks, however, the vitamin E that many other oils have, and is outclassed by other oils such as canola which have a higher level of monounsaturated fat, while safflower has a higher level of polyunsaturated.

Storage
Goes stale quickly owing to high level of polyunsaturated fats. Stays liquid when chilled.

Also called:
Carthamus tinctorius (Scientific Name); Carthame, Huile de carthame, Safran bâtard (French); Färberdistel, Färbersaflor, Safloröl (German); Cartamo, Falso zafferano (Italian); Aceite de cártamo, Alazor (Spanish); Cnicus (Roman) Top...