Peanut Oil

Appears in
On Food and Cooking

By Harold McGee

Published 2004

  • About
Thanks to the productivity of the peanut plant in warm climates, peanut oil is an important cooking oil, especially in Asia. It’s made by steaming the peanuts to inactivate enzymes and soften the cellular structure, then pressing them; the oil is then clarified and sometimes refined to remove some of the distinctive flavor and impurities that would lower the smoke point.