Macnut Oil

[RiceGuy]

Hi everybody.

I've read about how macadamia nut oil is supposed to be even better than olive oil, and apparently doesn't spoil as fast. However, I know many Celiacs are allergic to tree nuts. Though I am not currently aware of any such allergy for me, stuff keeps showing up So, I'm hesitant to try anything new these days. I want to boost my nutritional intake as much as I can, but safely. I'm also not fond of tree nuts in general, so if it has a strong "nutty" taste I probably won't like it anyway.

So before I go the expense, I was hoping to have some unbiased opinions on taste, reactions, etc.

[eKatherine]

  RiceGuy said:

Hi everybody.

I've read about how macadamia nut oil is supposed to be even better than olive oil, and apparently doesn't spoil as fast. However, I know many Celiacs are allergic to tree nuts. Though I am not currently aware of any such allergy for me, stuff keeps showing up So, I'm hesitant to try anything new these days. I want to boost my nutritional intake as much as I can, but safely. I'm also not fond of tree nuts in general, so if it has a strong "nutty" taste I probably won't like it anyway.

So before I go the expense, I was hoping to have some unbiased opinions on taste, reactions, etc.

It's a bland oil. You definitely need to keep it refrigerated, I have heard that it does go rancid quickly at room temperature, while I have found olive oil to be quite stable. I don't know about reactions, as I don't react to tree nuts.

[RiceGuy]

Thanks for the response!

You say it's bland - does that mean you tried it?

I have been digging for info on this oil, and found there are other brands which are inferior - lighter and less nutritious/flavorful. That would also account for the shorter shelf-life. Olive oils go rancid quickly if not kept out of the light and refrigerated, and I'd tend to refrigerate any oil just to maximize the freshness anyway.

The MacNut brand has an expiration date stamped on the bottle, so I'd hope that is at least some indicator. The ones I found have a year to expire. I've never been able to keep olive oil nearly that long. I'm going to refrigerate whatever I end up using from now on though.

[eKatherine]

  RiceGuy said:

Thanks for the response!

You say it's bland - does that mean you tried it?

I have been digging for info on this oil, and found there are other brands which are inferior - lighter and less nutritious/flavorful. That would also account for the shorter shelf-life. Olive oils go rancid quickly if not kept out of the light and refrigerated, and I'd tend to refrigerate any oil just to maximize the freshness anyway.

The MacNut brand has an expiration date stamped on the bottle, so I'd hope that is at least some indicator. The ones I found have a year to expire. I've never been able to keep olive oil nearly that long. I'm going to refrigerate whatever I end up using from now on though.

I have found olive oil keeps well in a closed cupboard for a year or more. The expiration date on the macadamia nut oil is for shelf life - until you open it. Then you should keep it refrigerated, as with any vegetable oil. Perhaps I was going under the assumption that all nut oils go rancid quickly, as some do.

Macadamia nut oil, like macadamia nuts, has little flavor. I bought mine for cosmetic purposes, so I didn't eat much of it.

[RiceGuy]

  eKatherine said:

I have found olive oil keeps well in a closed cupboard for a year or more. The expiration date on the macadamia nut oil is for shelf life - until you open it. Then you should keep it refrigerated, as with any vegetable oil. Perhaps I was going under the assumption that all nut oils go rancid quickly, as some do.

Macadamia nut oil, like macadamia nuts, has little flavor. I bought mine for cosmetic purposes, so I didn't eat much of it.

A year for olive oil?!? Keeping it in a closed cupboard was what I was doing, and though I typically go through the bottle fairly quickly, the last 1/4 or so I can tell it's not so fresh. A 32 oz bottle may last about 2-3 weeks for me. If I happen to not use it for a few weeks, the rest of the contents is noticeably less than desirable, and I generally have to throw it away unless it started out very new and fresh. Even then I can't use the entire thing.

Anyway, thanks for the insight into the flavor. As with olive oil, the grade varies from brand to brand, and I imagine from year to year as the quality of the harvest changes. But if it doesn't have a strong nut flavor, then I'll probably like it just fine. I tend to like very very weak flavors. It doesn't take much of anything. I rarely ever put any spices on my food at all, and I don't think my meals are boring or bland.

The stuff I've read on it says that the shelf life is aided by the antioxidant levels, which are apparently very high. Again, I don't need it to sit for very long once I open it, but if the oil went rancid fast even before opening, I'd hope they wouldn't suggest such a long shelf life. So, that's the basic idea I'm going on - if it can last a year or more in the warehouse, then it may remain fresher than olive oil while I use it. Plus it's supposed to be healthier.

Maybe it's all hype, but I guess I'll find out...