Where is canola oil grown

One of the most widely grown crops in Canada, canola plants produce beautiful small yellow flowers which develop into pods, resembling pea pods. Once harvested, canola seeds are crushed to release the oil contained within the seed. Canola grown in Canada belongs to the Brassica napus B. Cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are also part of this same botanical family.

Learn more about the history of canola seed development. The name canola is a contraction of Canada, where canola was developed, and ola, referring to oil. Canola oil has the lowest saturated fat content of all common vegetable oils. Its light texture, taste and high smoke point make it a versatile choice for home and commercial kitchens.

The solid parts of canola seed are processed into canola meal, an efficient protein source for dairy herds, livestock, poultry and fish. Canola meal has the potential to be a plant-based protein for human diets, as well. There is a strict internationally regulated definition of canola that differentiates it from rapeseed, based upon it having less than two percent erucic acid and less than 30 micromoles of glucosinolates. Oilseed products that do not meet this standard cannot use the term canola.

High erucic acid rapeseed acreage, although still grown, is now confined to production under contract for specific industrial uses, including environmentally friendly lubricants.

Canola oil has generated a lot of research interest into its potential health benefits because of its low level of saturated fat, high monounsaturated fat and good balance of omega 3 and 6 fats.

Click here for a directory of canola oil-related nutrition research. CanolaInfo Where is canola grown? Canola is different from rapeseed In the early s, canola was developed using traditional plant breeding techniques to significantly reduce the levels of erucic acid and glucosinolates that were found in the parent rapeseed plant.

Canola oil also has the most omega-3 fat of any cooking oil and is a good source of vitamin E. Canola oil is:. Its smoke point, the temperature at which it begins to smoke and degrade, is one of the highest of all cooking oils at F C. This is well above ideal deep-frying temperatures F or — C. Canola Oil is Versatile Canola oil remains free flowing in the refrigerator, so vinaigrettes, marinades, and salad dressings can be poured right out of the fridge.

Canola oil is light, clear and has a mild flavor ideal for baked goods. It blends easily with other ingredients to produce a moist product with soft texture. Reduce trans and saturated fats in your baking by replacing the solid fat or melted solid fat with liquid canola oil. Not only will you reduce the total fat by up to 25 percent, but you will also replace the solid fat with liquid canola oil, which is lower in saturated fats and contains no trans fat. Use this chart to help you convert your recipes.

For the 25 th anniversary of SaskCanola, we created an award to honour outstanding individuals who have been instrumental in the success of the Saskatchewan canola industry over the years.

The recipients of this award have made distinguished and exceptional contributions of knowledge, education and ongoing efforts to promote canola. Learn more about each of the esteemed recipients of the Canola Influencer Award below.

Click here to learn more about Wilf and his contributions to the canola industry. Click here to learn more about Zenneth and his contributions to the canola industry. Click here to learn more about Bill and his contributions to the canola industry. Click here to learn more about Keith and his contributions to the canola industry.

The Canola Story There are three articles on this page that tell the story of canola. Canola becomes a crop Canola — the healthy oil Canola Influencers.

Canola becomes a crop Authored by Dr. Canola — the healthy oil Canola oil is heart healthy, versatile and affordable. What is Canola? Canola is a plant - a member of a large family called crucifers. Included in the Brassica family, canola is related to kale, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and mustard. Crucifers are easy to identify as their four yellow flower petals form the shape of a cross. It is a cool season crop and grows particularly well on the Canadian prairies, where hot days and cool nights allow it to develop its unique fatty acid profile.

The yellow flowers produce narrow seed pods about 5 cm in length. There is an average of 60 to pods per plant. Each seed pod contains from 20 to 30 tiny round seeds, about 1 mm in diameter. After harvesting, the seeds are crushed to release the canola oil. Canola oil is used all over the world. It is the number one cooking oil used in Canada and Japan, and the number two oil in the United States and Mexico.