Walnut oil
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Walnut oil is oil extracted from English walnuts (also known as Persian walnuts). It is about 50% linoleic acid, an essential omega-6 fatty acid. Walnut oil is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids which are also essential to human nutrition.
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[edit] Culinary use
Walnut oil is edible and is generally used less than other oils in food preparation, often due to high pricing. It is light-coloured and delicate in flavour and scent, with a nutty quality. Although sometimes used for pan frying, most chefs do not use walnut oil for high temperature cooking, as heating can remove some of the oil's flavour & nutrition and produce a slight bitterness; instead it is used primarily as an ingredient in cold dishes such as salad dressings, where its flavour more easily comes through. In addition, the antioxidants present in the oil are easily destroyed in cooking.
Most walnut oil is produced in France[citation needed], though there are also producers in Australia, New Zealand and California.
[edit] Artistic use
Walnut oil was one of the most important oils used by Renaissance painters. Its short drying time and lack of yellow tint make it a good oil paint base thinner and brush cleaner. However, the paint film it produces is considered by some to be inferior to that of linseed oil.
Commercially, walnut oil has become harder to find; demand is often low, and stock can become rancid if stored in bright, warm or ventilated containers.[1] Instead of walnut oil, many artists and stores sell linseed oil, poppyseed oil, and safflower oil as replacements. Recently, the problem of rancidity has been solved with the introduction of commercial alkali refined walnut oil paints and mediums.
Walnut oil is favoured by some woodworkers as a finish for implements that will come in contact with food, such as cutting boards and wooden bowls. When creating your own oil & wax wood finish, walnut oil is an excellent choice, due to its edibility and resistance to oxidation (going rancid). It should be combined with beeswax in a mixture of 1/3 oil to 2/3 beeswax.[2]
[edit] Use in power generation
With the recent increase in the use of biomass, walnut oil is now used in limited amounts as a liquid form of biomass in power generation. Often it is blended (mixed) with HFO (heavy fuel oil) for use in larger power stations as a way of reducing environmental impact while allowing the older, less efficient power stations to remain open in the faceof ever-tightening emissions regulations.
In the United Kingdom, burning walnut oil makes a power station eligible to claim ROCs (renewable obligation certificates).
[edit] References
- ^ "Walnut Storage and Selection". Homecooking.about.com. 2010-08-09. http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodstorage/a/walnutstorage.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
- ^ Erik Schimek. "Finishing with Walnut Oil and Beeswax". Erikorganic.com. http://www.erikorganic.com/green/finishing-with-walnut-oil-and-beeswax/. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
