You’ve probably heard a lot about canola oil of late, both for good and bad. Most bad news does not have a solid scientific basis. On the other hand, the many health benefits of this oil are well studied. As for whether the oil will brown your food, yes it will, if you use it to fry your food, or on a barbecue or roast.
Canola Oil Health Benefits
Canola oil is extracted from canola seeds. Canola plants are recognized as safe for human use by the FDA. Much of the bad rap that canola has likely stems from the fact that it is a hybrid of the rapeseed plant, which posed health risks to both animals and people. Rapeseed oil has high levels of a chemical: erucic acid, which is toxic in large amounts. However, canola is not the original rapeseed, and scientists created it using an outdated process of selective breeding to remove erucic acid. Among the advantages, it is low in saturated fat gives one of the highest proportions of monounsaturated fat
golden effect
Whether it will brown the food, and how brown the food will actually get, will depend on the cooking method you are using. This oil will not have any excessive or unusual browning effects on things like frying, sautéing, and baking. But, if you choose to drizzle a roast with canola oil, fry something in it, or use it for your barbecued steaks, yes, it will make them nice and golden. It is a light oil and does not have a significant browning or coloring effect in baked goods, salad dressings, or cold dishes. However, if you fry your food, maybe French fries or fried chicken, it will definitely turn brown.
depth of gilding
You can control the level of brown, or depth of color, by controlling how long and at what heat you fry something. As with most oils, frying something in canola oil causes the fried food to slowly develop an outer crust that is crispy, golden, or brown. This effect is universal and is caused by any oil you may use to fry food. Similarly, the roasting or roasting process itself will brown your food, no matter what oil you use.
Effect on stall food
Another concern you may have is whether this oil will affect rancid foods or cause them to go rancid and brown sooner. Canola oil generally does not make food brown or rancid any faster. But rancid food originally cooked in canola oil can give food an unusually strong rotten odor. The oil also tends to turn rancid and brown if stored for too long, so buy it fresh when you want to use it, or store it for up to two months in a cool, dry place.