Rapeseed Oil crop

During the months of May and June, the landscape isbrightened by large fields of small, bright yellow flowers, balancing on a tall stem and swaying in the gentle breeze and on exploring closely your attention is drawn to the definite hum of bees working endlessly to harvest this rich crop of strong nectar. This is Rapeseed.

The flowers turn to a green bud when the crop is ready to be harvested, usually by the end of August and the beginning of September. This bud is rich in healthy oils; Poly unsaturated fats omega 3 & 6, Mono unsaturated fats omega 9, great for the heart rhythm and lowering cholesterol levels.

In the processing these buds are pressed to extract the valuable oils which are then made into Rapeseed Oil products for cooking and green dressings. The remains of the bud contain high protein and are generally fed to livestock. However, Wicklow Rapeseed Oil Company is developing a high protein bar as snack bar for the health conscious consumer.