Mr. Rawles;
Yesterday I was in my local Costco store doing some shopping for my prepper pantry, and I noticed something new that Costco is selling, a vegetable oil blend. It’s labeled as “Mediterranean Blend” and is a mixture of canola, olive, and grapeseed oil. It may be attractive to value-conscious preppers, because the cost per liter is low; $2.97 a liter vs. Kirkland (Costco’s house brand) olive oil for $5.97 a liter.
Beware of this oil. According to Mary Enig, Ph.D., who is the current world authority on trans–fatty acids, Canola Oil is actually derived from the rapeseed, a member of the mustard family. Rapeseed is generally unfit for human consumption and was once more commonly used as a pesticide and lubricant, among other things. Because of its high sulphur content, Canola Oil goes rancid easily, and baked goods used with the oil will rather quickly develop mold. Gross!
The fact that it does go rancid easily means that Canola Oil is not fit for storage food; it just won’t keep. The canola oil in this “blend” make the whole bottle rancid. The low price may be attractive, but what good is that if it all goes bad? – C.H.R.
JWR Replies: In the Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course I mentioned that Olive Oil as the best choice for preppers to store. When purchased in plastic bottles (as sold at COSTCO), it can be stored frozen for at least eight years and still safely used.