Many people know about flaxseed and even use it to treat gastritis or as a laxative. It is also a raw material for the production of linseed oil, which is not as popular as sunflower or olive oil, but is not inferior to them in the amount of useful substances.
Useful properties of flaxseed oil
- Linseed oil contains oleic, linoleic, stearic and palmitic acids, which are polyunsaturated fatty acids.
- It contains vitamins C, E, folic acid, estrogen-like phytohormones, as well as enzymes, protein substances, mucus.
- This oil has an anti-inflammatory, analgesic and enveloping effect, so it is used for gastric ulcers, gastritis, enteritis and colitis.
- Vitamin F, which is essentially a mixture of polyunsaturated fatty acids, has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system and blood circulation.
- Flaxseed oil is used in cosmetology, adding to various creams and masks.
- It is added to food or used separately from food to maintain health and beauty.
But before you buy a bottle of flaxseed oil, you need to know some of its features.
How to choose high-quality linseed oil
- Linseed oil under adverse conditions deteriorates quickly, becomes rancid. If it was stored in the light or at elevated temperature before purchase, then such oil should be discarded.
- It is also not worth buying oil in a large container, because after opening it can be stored without loss of taste and nutritional qualities for more than a month.
- A bottle of linseed oil should be made of dark glass so that the product is not exposed to light.
- It should not contain any additives, flavors or preservatives.
How to store flaxseed oil
Flaxseed oil differs from other vegetable oils in a large amount of fatty acids, which, in contact with air, quickly thicken. When this occurs, polymerization, the surface of the oil dries quickly and is covered with a thin, durable film.
In which container to store flaxseed oil
- So that the oil does not dry out, it is stored in a well-closed container. For this purpose, hermetically closed bottles with a narrow neck are best suited.
- Oil tanks should be made of opaque glass so that the sun's rays do not start the oxidation process, in which the oil will run down.
- To prevent light from entering the oil, it is stored in a dark cabinet away from heating appliances.
- Do not use plastic containers, otherwise harmful substances from plastic may pass into the product.
- For storage, it is best to use small containers filled with oil under the neck. If there is little oil left in the bottle, it should be poured into a more suitable container.
At what temperature is stored linseed oil
- Flaxseed oil is well stored at room temperature, if it is not higher than 23 °.
- Some housewives put butter in the fridge. But in this case it will thicken and it will be difficult to get it out of the bottle. To return the oil to its former appearance, it must be left at room temperature for a while. But you cannot heat the flaxseed oil, because during heat treatment it deteriorates.
- If it is hot in the room, the oil can be stored in the refrigerator by choosing the warmest place, for example, in the door.
The shelf life of flaxseed oil
Oil in a closed original packaging is stored no more than one and a half years.
If the bottle is already open, the oil poured into it must be used within one month, otherwise it will then become a completely useless product.
Mistress of the note
- Flaxseed oil can be used for dressing salads and other cold dishes.
- This oil can be used as a separate product for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and to maintain immunity. The daily dose for an adult should not exceed 1 tbsp. spoons.
- It should not be used for frying and other heat treatment, as carcinogenic substances that are harmful to health appear in it.
- Meals seasoned with linseed oil should not be left not only the next day, but even for several hours, as the product is oxidized and becomes bitter, thereby deteriorating the taste of the dish.
