Happy National Ag Week! Today we are talking about Canola. This is by far one of my favorite crops that we grow. I grew up in southeast ND and Canola wasn’t grown down in that area of ND. I knew very little, if anything, about the crop when I got married and moved up here. Canola is kind of like a hidden gem of northeast ND. I love it! Not only is it beautiful when it blooms, but one of the main things that can be made from it, Canola oil, is a great choice for your pantry. We will look more at why this is later on in this article. For now, let’s look at where the name comes from. Canola was first produced/developed in Canada. “Can”- “Canada” – “ola” – “Oil Low Acid.” Therefore Canola. The name is a mash up of Canada and oil low acid. I guess if you wanted you could call it what our little girl did last summer when we would do family crop checks – ‘nola. Ha, it was cute.
So why is Canola oil so good for you? It is high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which are deemed the “healthy fats.” (Saturated fats are the ones that you want to limit, its easier to get too many saturated fats in your diet.) In comparison to many popular oils, Olive oil, Soybean oil, Peanut oil and Coconut oil, Canola oil is the lowest in saturated fat. What are some other benefits of Canola oil in your pantry? Canola oil has a high flash point (meaning the temperature at which it begins to smoke is high) and is mild and clear which makes it very versatile. You know the recipes that call for vegetable oil. Canola oil would be just as good or better to use in its place. Have you ever cooked with Canola oil?
It just so happens that last year we were working on harvesting Canola on our anniversary so we loaded up our 2 kids and rode in the grain cart for a while. It was a tight squeeze but totally worth it and a memory I cherish! One of the reasons I love the farming lifestyle is the ability to sometimes include the whole family in the work that is being done. An excellent learning opportunity!
I hope you have learned something new about Canola! You should look for it next time you are grocery shopping! If you want to learn more about how Canola is grown check out my blog, thefarmchicken.com . Thanks for reading!
Mariah Nienhuis | TheFarmChicken
