Pressed soy oil is a type of soybean oil extracted from soybeans using a mechanical process rather than chemicals.
Understanding Pressed Soy Oil
According to the extraction methods described, pressed soy oil is produced when mechanical pressing entails crushing the soybeans to extract oil. This physical process involves applying pressure to the soybean material to force the oil out.
This method yields specific varieties of soy oil, notably cold-pressed or expeller-pressed varieties. These mechanically pressed oils are characterized by having distinct flavors compared to oils extracted using other methods.
Mechanical Pressing vs. Solvent Extraction
The reference highlights two primary methods for extracting oil from soybeans:
- Mechanical Pressing: As discussed, this involves physically crushing soybeans. It produces pressed soy oil varieties known for their flavor profiles.
- Solvent Extraction: This method uses a solvent, such as hexane, to dissolve the oil from soybean flakes. After extraction, residual solvent is removed from the oil.
Here's a brief comparison based on the reference:
| Method | Process | Resulting Oil Characteristics (per reference) |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Pressing | Crushing soybeans | Cold-pressed or expeller-pressed varieties, with distinct flavors |
| Solvent Extraction | Using a solvent (like hexane) to dissolve oil | Solvent removed from oil |
Note: The reference does not provide details on the flavor characteristics of solvent-extracted oil.
Key Aspects of Pressed Soy Oil (Based on Reference)
- Extraction Method: Produced by mechanically crushing soybeans.
- Varieties: Includes types like cold-pressed and expeller-pressed.
- Flavor: Characterized by distinct flavors.
Essentially, when you encounter "pressed soy oil," you're referring to oil that was extracted through a physical crushing process, differentiating it from chemically extracted soy oil. It's a product of the mechanical method described for extracting oil from soybeans (link for context, not from reference).
