One variety of canola, a plant in the mustard family.
Canola grown in China
Unprocessed cold pressed filtered canola oil
Canola was once called rapeseed, however; the name was changed because of the connotations associated with the word rape. About that same time, genetically modified canola seed was developed and now has become the only canola planted, except in remote areas. Canola is related to the mustard family and the seeds are very tiny and often spread by the wind. Farmers who do not want genetically engineered canola on their land will have it regardless if they are within a few miles of a GMO canola field. Numerous law suits have been slapped against farmers who were not intending to grow Monsanto's genetically engineered canola, yet it was found in fair prevalence on their land because of the migratory invasive seed.
Canola is not all bad though. For many years, farmers grew rapeseed for the oil and used it in its cold pressed state for fuel. Hmmm, is there a connection between the genetic modification of canola, the oil industry, Monsanto and fuel? Hmmm. When it was grown for fuel, rapeseed was bitter and not fit for human consumption due to a high content of erucic acid, which is somewhat poisonous. In the 1970's, Canadians developed a strain that had much less of the erucic acid and the crop was then given the name Canola and trademarked. It is now the number one oilseed cash crop grown in Canada and the USA. The new milder canola oil was then refined with high heat and solvents to produce a bland, tasteless oil at relatively inexpensive costs and currently, it is found in almost all foods packed or produced with oil. Canola does have many other beneficial uses in its raw state, from cosmetics to biodiesel, however; these are not well explored and somewhat squashed by large corporations.
In Britain, canola oil has achieved a star status under its original name of rapeseed. Chefs there seek the oil for creating savoury dishes because rapeseed oil imparts a cabbagy, musky flavour to foods when the oil is only cold pressed and lightly filtered. Who knew? Apparently it is an acquired taste, though.
Using canola oil in soap creates an excellent bar with highly emollient properties and skin conditioning benefits. When formulated with oils that produce a harder soap, such as coconut or animals fat (lard or tallow), the canola oil soap can be formed into bars and used as household soap. The smell of canola cannot be masked, though, and is not really offensive if one enjoys a woodsy, natural scent. Washing with canola oil soap is a joy with a mild creamy lather being produced easily and the skin left with canola's gentle conditioning properties. It really should be used more and its uses explored. Oh, and canola oil is green, similar to hemp oil, not clear as we see when it is highly refined. This soap is made from organic canola oil grown in China, where GMO's have not take hold yet. A better source would be Romania or somewhere in the European Union, since the heavy metal pollutants in China are present even in organic products.
The humble rapeseed has transformed the soap to a spa delight. Who wouldathunkit?
Canola is not all bad though. For many years, farmers grew rapeseed for the oil and used it in its cold pressed state for fuel. Hmmm, is there a connection between the genetic modification of canola, the oil industry, Monsanto and fuel? Hmmm. When it was grown for fuel, rapeseed was bitter and not fit for human consumption due to a high content of erucic acid, which is somewhat poisonous. In the 1970's, Canadians developed a strain that had much less of the erucic acid and the crop was then given the name Canola and trademarked. It is now the number one oilseed cash crop grown in Canada and the USA. The new milder canola oil was then refined with high heat and solvents to produce a bland, tasteless oil at relatively inexpensive costs and currently, it is found in almost all foods packed or produced with oil. Canola does have many other beneficial uses in its raw state, from cosmetics to biodiesel, however; these are not well explored and somewhat squashed by large corporations.
In Britain, canola oil has achieved a star status under its original name of rapeseed. Chefs there seek the oil for creating savoury dishes because rapeseed oil imparts a cabbagy, musky flavour to foods when the oil is only cold pressed and lightly filtered. Who knew? Apparently it is an acquired taste, though.
Using canola oil in soap creates an excellent bar with highly emollient properties and skin conditioning benefits. When formulated with oils that produce a harder soap, such as coconut or animals fat (lard or tallow), the canola oil soap can be formed into bars and used as household soap. The smell of canola cannot be masked, though, and is not really offensive if one enjoys a woodsy, natural scent. Washing with canola oil soap is a joy with a mild creamy lather being produced easily and the skin left with canola's gentle conditioning properties. It really should be used more and its uses explored. Oh, and canola oil is green, similar to hemp oil, not clear as we see when it is highly refined. This soap is made from organic canola oil grown in China, where GMO's have not take hold yet. A better source would be Romania or somewhere in the European Union, since the heavy metal pollutants in China are present even in organic products.
The humble rapeseed has transformed the soap to a spa delight. Who wouldathunkit?
RSS Feed
