I have spent a lot of time putting Three Farmers Camelina Oil through my test kitchen. An oil made from an ancient oilseed originating in Northern Europe and Central Asia now being grown and pressed by Canadian farmers? I just had to try it.
An oil that is full of Omega-3 & 6 is best used at room temperature if you want the healing benefits so I used it as an olive oil replacement in my roasted garlic hummus.
Normally when I make this hummus, Reg is all over it and can not stop eating it. He had a couple of bites and stopped. I had some and wondered if I had messed up the recipe. It just did not taste the same. It was OK but the oil clearly changed the flavour.
This truly puzzled me. The more time I spent with this oil, the more the scent of it started to bother me. I barely have a sense of smell so this was a new phenomenon for me. I have to strongly disagree with the press release. It is not light. Its fragrance is strong and very earthy.
Next I used it again as an olive oil replacement in our favourite salad dressings. The first one was the sundried tomato and garlic dressing I make for spinach salads. Thankfully there was so much garlic in it that the smell was almost masked. Almost.
The next time I wanted to test it with Reg again (the aforementioned dressing is way too potent for Reg!) so I made his favourite salad dressing with just balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey and the oil. Reg said, “It smells green!” It also tasted green. Really green. The smell and flavour change did not bother Reg but it bothered me.
OK fine! Salad dressings are out when it comes to this oil for me so let’s test it as a cooking oil with a high smoke point. I used it to make my Beef, Black Beans and Rice dish, a dinner I have been making for over a decade. It tasted the same. Now there are loads of strong ingredients in that dish but I was happy that I could cook with it.
Then a few nights ago I made my spicy noodles. It tasted completely different! Damn it!
I have no doubt that Three Farmers Camelina Oil is a high quality cold-pressed stable oil, chock full of super healthy elements that are good for me. I want to like it but can not get over the smell or how it changes the flavour of food. So weird because Reg and our friend Jen had no issues with the smell at all. It appears to just be me!
It changed the flavour of food a lot and really infused with it. If you like earthy fragrances to your salads and dishes, you will LOVE this oil! This will absolutely be the oil that you are looking for. Sadly, it just is not the oil for me. And I know I will be missing out. Stupid nose and tastebuds!
You can find Three Farmers Camelina Oil in these retail stores and online here.
No doubt that this oil is super healthy and good for you, thanks for the review because who knew ancient oilseeds were used to make super healthy oil. So many fantastic new products out there.
But alas, I think you have the Bloodhound genes like me, I can taste and smell a lot of things most can’t and yes, it can make some flavours a little more overbearing than others. So while the oil may not bother most, I can see how it could possibly be a little off-putting to the more sensitive nose and tastebuds.
What a fantastic review!
The photos you took are so lovely!
It is amazing what the farmers are doing these days, Ava. Just wish I could appreciate it like a lot of people can. It’s so funny because normally I have zero sense of smell. Reg is the one with the sensitive nose but not in this case.
Thanks so much Emily, I tried so hard! 🙂 I am glad the photos reflect my efforts.
i have tried several different camelina oils… they are very different… like any plant, the soil it’s grown in changes the aroma and flavor… take coffee for instance, some are very acidic and winy (makes me feel sick), where others like kona coffee are very earthy because of the volcanic ash in the soils… i prefer the earthy coffees like kona because of that reason… i think that is why kona is so revered by a majority…
and i like the camelina oils grown in nutrient rich, organic soils (like CamelinaGold)…. they have a warm, nutty flavor that cannot be replicated just anywhere…. the camelina grown in many other places loose that nutty, earthy flavor that blends so wonderfully with balsamic vinegar… i also like to use the CamelinaGold seeds to add a crunch to my salads… the good thing about camelina is it does not need to be ground to access the nutrient like you would need to do with flax seed..
my favorite is a brand called CamelinGold… it is gown locally in ritzville, wa…i say that for a reason because i have tried so many… i also use camelina seeds as you would use chia or flax seed to make raw-vegan crackers… you do not need to grind the camelina seeds, just soak them… they do not leave that bitter aftertaste that flax and chia often do, and the cost is much lower and the shelf life is much longer…
speaking from a person on a budget… i prefer the CamelinaGold oils and seeds because of flavor/aroma over other brands… and i really benefit from the fact that the oil has a 2 year shelf life where flax oil is a month or two shelf life (i cannot afford to waste foods)… not to mention that the cost of CamelinaGold is significantly lower…
hope this helps.. 🙂 much good health to you all..!
One might almost think you represent CamelinGold with your review.. you only mention the BRAND name 5 times.. :p
Actually it’s only 3 times within the review.
Holy moly! Saw the episode of Dragons Den and was impressed. Then saw the Three Farmers product here in Calgary at various organic stores. Was in search of a store closer to us to purchase it, started googling this camelina oil and long behold came upon your site and thank-u thank-u and thank-u for the update on the camelina gold. sounds like my kind of oil!
Peg, I am so glad that you came across my site and that it helped you discover this is the oil for you! I live for these kinds of comments. Enjoy!
I have tried two brands of Camelina oil: H&B Oils Center and Sulu. The H&B had the typical odor, but the Sulu has almost no smell or taste at all. Also thickens slightly when cold, unlike the H&B which remains thin…
Thanks for letting me know that their Sulu oil has little to no smell or taste at all, that is promising!