The story of J. LEBLANC nut oils is the sort public relations firms love to invent. But there is nothing "invented" here. Except for adding electricity, Huilerie J. LEBLANC has changed little since 1878, the year it was founded. It is still run by a Leblanc, Jean-Charles, grandson of the founder. It is still located in the southern most village of Burgundy, Iguerande and it still manufactures the highest quality, small-batch, handcrafted nut oils in France ... if not the world.

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J. LEBLANC starts with the careful selection of the absolute highest quality whole nuts available, grown on many of the same farms that J. Leblanc has been doing business with for generations. For each batch of oil about fifty-four pounds of nuts are ground into a paste using the huilerie's original granite mill. The paste, resembling the texture of peanut butter, is then transferred to a roaster, which toasts the paste for about ten minutes while being stirred constantly to assure an even roast. The roasted paste is then transferred to a mechanical press where it is divided in half and separated with filter cloth. The oil is expressed at 22,000 pounds of mechanical pressure. After pressing the oil rests from seven-to-fourteen days to allow sediment to settle before bottling. Production is about 300 liters a day. The oils are pure, unadulterated, unfiltered and unrefined.

J. Leblanc nut oils are made to order.
One of the most important facts about Huilerie Leblanc's production is not the "how" but the "when". Because Huilerie Leblanc has no large storage facilities, or refining capabilities, production takes place when orders come in - assuring the very freshest nut oils. It's a difference you can taste - in their clean, bright, deep flavors. It is a difference you can appreciate with their longevity. Keep the nut oils refrigerated after opening, and they're usually good for a year!

Eating J. LEBLANC nut oils is the best part of all!
It has been said that the true contribution of French cuisine was the idea of adding layers of taste and texture to dishes. Artisanal nut oils, like J. Leblanc's, support this idea fully. Nut oils are often referred to as "seasoning oils": because of their low smoke point they are not generally used for sautéing or cooking, but rather in finishing dishes. Nonetheless, you will find many a recipe, written by wonderful and knowledgeable chefs, using nut oils for sautéing in order to set a subtle base flavor.

Nut oils can really spruce up your salads.
Nut oils can be used for salad dressing with quality vinegar such as champagne, Banyuls, sherry or raspberry vinegar. The usual ratio is three parts oil to one part vinegar.