The Formulation of Vegetable Oils


There are different categories of oils: virgin oils (only from mechanical processes), refined oils or blends (mixture of a virgin oil and a refined oil).

Virgin Oils

These oils are only obtained through mechanical production processes. They do not undergo any processing and do not contain any additive. There are two different categories of virgin oils :

- Virgin oils obtained by cold-pressing that do not undergo cooking, such as our hempseed oil. In general, this process is used when one desires to preserve the "fresh" flavors and aromas of certain seeds or nuts.

- Virgin oils obtained by cooking and pressing that have the distinction of having toasted flavors and aromas, such as our walnut oil. This process is used for most "dried" fruit in order to enhance their gourmet flavors.

Virgin oils are of very high quality because they are exclusively derived from mechanical processes, which preserve all the naturalness of the fruit from which they are extracted. However, virgin oils from dried fruit or seeds are fragile and therefore require specific storage conditions. It is also recommended to use them cold or after cooking to retain all of their distinctive flavors and nutritional value.

Refined Oils

These oils are acquired through refining operations that eliminate the undesirable oleic acidity, odors and tastes as well as the dark color characteristic of crude oil. Thus, the neutralization, discoloration and deodorization steps produce an oil with a very low oleic acidity, a clear color as well as a neutral taste and smell.

Blending a Virgin Oil and a Refined Oil

The blending of a virgin oil and a refined oil make it possible to obtain a wide range of taste through its varied flavor intensities according to the blends. It is important to know that such a blend of vegetable oils will always be composed of oils from the same fruit. For example, for a subtle taste, Guénard offers its blend of 50% virgin walnut oil and 50% refined walnut oil.