Forgotten linseed oil? Due to the boom of Italian olive oil and enriched seasoning oils in recent years, a type of oil has been forgotten that actually deserves much more attention: the versatile linseed oil. Read more about the health benefits of linseed oil as well as its uses in the kitchen here.
Linseed oil: healthy and versatile
Extracted from the seeds of flax, linseed oil is not only a healthy and tasty addition to any kitchen, but is also used for wood preservation, as a dye and preservative, and in cosmetic products. Doesn’t sound very tasty? But it is. Because with its extraordinary nutty, slightly hay-like taste, linseed oil is a real alternative to the eternal olive or sunflower oil. Since linseed oil should not be heated, there are numerous linseed oil recipes for salads, cold dishes and cottage cheese.
Linseed oil: omega-3 fatty acid supplier.
Due to its very high content of omega-3 fatty acids, linseed oil is not only tasty, but also brings many health benefits: it is said to have a positive effect on cholesterol levels as well as the immune system, to help with depression, hyperactivity, during menopause and even cancer therapy, and to be good for the skin and all other organs. The intestinal flora also benefits from the mucilages present in linseed oil. As a home remedy, the versatile oil has long been used for coughs as well as hoarseness. All around, linseed oil has a healthy effect.
Production and storage of linseed oil
Linseed oil is made from flax seeds, the ripe seeds of flax. For this purpose, the flax seeds are either hot or cold pressed. More gently is the cold pressing, because here most vitamins as well as nutrients are preserved and so the linseed oil becomes really healthy. Regardless of how it is pressed, however, the high-quality natural product has one disadvantage: Due to the high content of omega-3 fatty acids, it oxidizes quickly on contact with air and becomes bitter. Linseed oil therefore has a relatively short shelf life of about two months. It should be stored in a cool as well as dark place, preferably in the refrigerator and at best even in the freezer. Because of its low melting point, linseed oil can easily be stored at temperatures as low as -20 degrees without becoming hard.
Use of linseed oil
However, linseed oil tastes best when it is very fresh, so it is recommended to always buy small bottles of the golden-yellow liquid. Even if the nutty taste is not everyone’s cup of tea, you should have tried the healthy oil at least once. Given the many different recipes with linseed oil, we have prepared both a classic for the inexperienced and a more exotic dish for die-hard linseed oil fans. The recipes are each designed for two people.
Classic: linseed oil with cottage cheese and jacket potatoes.
Because of its nutty flavor, linseed oil goes particularly well with lightly sulfuric foods such as cheese, fish, yogurt, eggs or cottage cheese. A traditional recipe from Lusatia and the Spreewald is linseed oil with jacket potatoes and herb curd. It requires only a few ingredients as well as about 30 minutes of time.
- 6 medium potatoes
- 500 g curd
- 1 onion
- 1/2 cup milk
- Fresh chives
- 4 tablespoons linseed oil
- Salt and pepper
Peel the potatoes and boil them in salted water. Meanwhile, stir the curd with the milk (alternatively sour cream) and linseed oil until creamy. Chop the onion and chives and add, season with salt and pepper. Peel the cooked potatoes and serve with the curd. It goes well with a fresh salad – of course with linseed oil dressing.
Healthy and exotic: fruit salad with linseed oil.
Especially in winter, it is not so easy to get enough vitamins and nutrients. This fruit salad offers a real vitamin bomb with tropical fruits, nuts and linseed oil. In addition, it is at the same time a delicious alternative to chocolate and chips.
- 1 apple
- 1 pear
- 2 tangerines
- 1 orange
- 1 grapefruit
- ½ mango
- 30 g walnuts (without shell)
- 1-2 tablespoons linseed oil
First peel the orange, tangerines and grapefruit and remove the white skin between the pieces. The tangerine slices may completely in the salad, orange and grapefruit pieces are cut once in the middle. The juice that comes out should also end up in the salad if possible.Then thoroughly wash the apple and pear, pit them and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Peel, core and chop the mango. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Coarsely chop the walnut kernels and sprinkle over the fruit. Finally, mix the linseed oil into the salad according to taste. Enjoy your meal!
