![\"oil](\"http:\/\/permaculturenews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Oil-in-non-stick-frying-pan.jpg\")
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Note:\u00a0Before we begin, I\u2019d like to say that this article is not arguing the virtues or lack thereof of plant-based oils, nor is it promoting them over the use of animal-based fats, such as butter or lard. Rather, it is meant to bring us one step closer to producing for ourselves something most of us use commonly, both in a better way for our health\u2014grown organically, rendered simply\u2014and the health of the environment. In other words, there is no need to get snarky. Surely, we all realize that neither butter nor duck fat are the best choice for salad dressing.<\/p>\n
On the road to self-sufficiency, there are lots of everyday items we run across that seem either impossible or too far-fetched for home production. In some cases, this is true: One can\u2019t very well grow rice in England or wheat in the tropics, so the right answer is probably to minimize or cut out the use of certain things with regards to what can be produced locally. Such is life, and such is the case with cooking oil.<\/p>\n
There is a lot to be said for choosing the right cooking oil for the job, and culturally, we certainly go through our trends: Olive oil is good for your health, vegetable oil is clogged arteries in a bottle, and on it goes. Truth be told, no oil in and of itself is likely the best choice for our health, but sometimes they fit the bill: salad dressings, the occasional plate of chips, or even a little skin moisturizing.<\/p>\n\n![\"Herbed](\"http:\/\/permaculturenews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Herbed-Olive-Oil.jpg\")
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