Seed & Nut Oils

Seed and Nut Oils: Cold-Pressed Speciality Oils for Finishing and Flavour

There is a specific corner of the cooking world where olive oil is the wrong answer. Drizzled over vanilla ice cream, that is not olive oil territory. Tossed through a cress-and-walnut salad, not olive oil. Stirred through a steaming bowl of lentil soup at the table, olive oil would be fine but a tablespoon of Styrian pumpkin seed oil would be better. These are the bottles that go in the corner of the cupboard and quietly do jobs no everyday oil can.

This collection covers our cold-pressed seed and nut oils, sourced direct from European producers and refillable in our Stamford, Lincolnshire shop. Four active bottles cover the range most British home cooks will ever need: one from Austria, one from France, one from Asia via Germany, and our cold-pressed walnut. Free UK delivery on orders over £75.

Why Seed and Nut Oils Sit in a Separate Category

Unlike extra virgin olive oil or cold-pressed rapeseed, most seed and nut oils have low smoke points and delicate aromatics. They are not everyday cooking oils. They are finishing oils, salad dressing oils, and drizzle-at-the-table oils. Cooked above about 160 to 170 °C they lose the flavour and nutrition that make them worth buying. Used correctly, they are some of the most interesting bottles on any proper kitchen shelf.

The other thing that sets this category apart is concentration. A teaspoon of walnut or pumpkin seed oil carries more aromatic impact than a full tablespoon of olive oil because the flavour compounds are denser and less diluted by neutral triglycerides. Small bottle, big flavour, frugal use.

The Four Oils in This Collection

Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil

Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil. £23.25 per 250 ml. The hero of the collection. Styrian pumpkin seed oil, or Steirisches Kürbiskernöl, is a protected-origin product from the Austrian region of Styria, made by roasting and then cold-pressing the seeds of a specific hull-less pumpkin variety. The result is a deep green-black oil with an intense nutty-toasted aroma that is unlike anything else in the kitchen.

Uses: drizzle over vanilla ice cream (the classic Austrian dessert), over pumpkin or squash soup, on a warm goat's cheese salad, stirred into yoghurt with honey, over a carpaccio of beef, or simply as a final flourish on roasted Hokkaido pumpkin. Never heat. Store upright in a cool dark cupboard.

Guidance on healthy fats and the nutritional profile of seeds and nuts is maintained by the British Heart Foundation. Pumpkin seed oil is high in unsaturated fats and contains vitamin E and phytosterols, though the main reason to buy it is the flavour, not the supplement case.

Walnut Oil

Walnut Oil. £15.50. Cold-pressed walnut oil is the classical French salad oil for the seasons when leaves get sturdier and salads get heavier. It is the only oil that properly partners blue cheese. A teaspoon whisked into a red-wine vinegar dressing with a little Dijon transforms a plate of beets, walnuts and chicory into something worth a weekend lunch.

Uses: Waldorf salad, endive and blue cheese, cress with poached pear, lentil salads, beet salads, drizzled on roasted root vegetables, and folded through a pasta with wilted spinach and parmesan. Also exceptional in walnut cake, banana bread, and any baking where you want the nut flavour to carry through. Smoke point around 160 °C; not for frying.

Hazelnut Oil Vierge

Hazelnut Oil Vierge. £27.50. Deep gold in colour, intensely hazelnut-aromatic, cold-pressed "vierge" grade, which means first-press, unfiltered, unrefined. The French take this oil seriously and use it in both savoury and sweet cooking, most famously in a vinaigrette with sherry vinegar or a good French red wine vinegar.

Uses: drizzle over steamed green beans, lightly sautéed vegetables, fish fillets, or roasted chicken. Mix into vinaigrettes for bitter leaves (chicory, frisée, radicchio). Whisk into chocolate ganache for praline truffles. A tablespoon in a Dauphinoise sauce lifts the whole dish. Smoke point around 160 to 180 °C; finishing only.

Ginger Sesame Oil

Ginger Sesame Oil. £13.75. The only oil in this collection that can handle some heat. Our ginger-infused sesame oil has a higher smoke point than the unroasted pressed seed oils and can be used for wok cooking, stir-fries, and quick pan-frying at moderate heat. At the table, it doubles as a finishing drizzle for Asian dishes, an aromatic addition to dumpling dipping sauce, or a stir-in at the end of a miso soup.

Uses: stir-fried greens, dumpling dipping sauce, ramen or pho finish, cold sesame noodles, dressed cucumber salads, and any time a dish needs that distinctive Asian roasted-sesame aroma.

How to Use These Oils Without Wasting Them

Do not cook with them at high heat

The walnut, hazelnut and pumpkin seed oils in this collection are finishing oils. Their aromatics begin to break down well below the temperature a hot frying pan reaches. Use them off the heat, drizzled at the end, or as a cold-dressing oil.

Store them properly

Cold-pressed seed and nut oils are more fragile than olive oil. Keep them in a cool cupboard away from the hob and from direct light. Some cooks refrigerate opened bottles of walnut and pumpkin seed oil; this is not essential if your kitchen is cool, but it extends shelf life. An opened bottle keeps best within three to four months for walnut and hazelnut, six months for pumpkin seed oil, and up to twelve months for ginger sesame oil.

Pair them with acid and salt

A nut or seed oil on its own on a plate tastes rich and a little heavy. Acid brightens and focuses the flavour. A squeeze of lemon, a splash of sherry vinegar, or a drop of our Aceto Balsamico alongside a flaky sea salt turns a drizzled finish into a proper dressing. For fruit-infused acidity, our Balsamic Stars collection works beautifully with both walnut and hazelnut oils.

Related Collections

• Extra Virgin Olive Oils: our single-estate olive oils from Italy, Greece and Spain for everyday cooking and finishing
• Flavoured Extra Virgin Olive Oils: infused olive oils for additional finishing options
• Other Oils: truffle, curry, chili and speciality cooking oils outside the EVOO and seed-nut range
• All Oils: the full vomFASS oil range in one place
• All Vinegars: acid partners for a proper nut or seed oil dressing

How vomFASS Sources These Oils

Cold-pressed seed and nut oils are niche, small-batch, and made by a handful of specialist producers. We import directly from the Styrian Kürbiskernöl producer in Austria, a family-run hazelnut mill in France, and small cold-press operations for walnut and ginger-sesame. Every oil is available for refill at our Stamford, Lincolnshire shop at a discount to new-bottle prices. The refill concept has been the vomFASS model since 1994. For the sourcing philosophy in full, see our about our products page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cook with walnut, hazelnut or pumpkin seed oil?

No, not in the same way you would cook with olive oil or rapeseed. These oils have low smoke points, around 160 to 180 °C, and their flavour and nutritional profile break down at cooking temperatures. Use them as finishing oils: drizzled at the end, folded into a salad dressing, or stirred into a dish off the heat. Ginger sesame oil is the one exception in this collection; it can handle wok-temperature stir-frying.

What makes Styrian pumpkin seed oil special?

Styrian pumpkin seed oil, known as Steirisches Kürbiskernöl, is a protected-origin product from the Austrian region of Styria. It is made from a specific hull-less pumpkin variety grown in that region, using roasted seeds that are cold-pressed after light toasting. The result is a deep green-black oil with an intense nutty aroma, used in Austrian cooking as a finishing oil on everything from soup to ice cream.

How long do cold-pressed nut oils last once opened?

Walnut and hazelnut oils are the shortest-lived: best used within three to four months of opening. Pumpkin seed oil keeps around six months. Ginger sesame oil keeps up to twelve months. Store all of them in a cool, dark cupboard away from heat. Refrigeration is not essential but extends life in warmer kitchens.

Which oil should I buy first if I cook mostly British and European food?

Walnut oil is the most immediately useful, because it pairs with almost any leaf salad, cheese board, or roasted vegetable dish common in British cooking. Styrian pumpkin seed oil is the second pick if you eat soup regularly or want a distinctive finishing oil. Hazelnut oil is more specialist and worth owning if you make a lot of vinaigrettes or bake frequently. Ginger sesame oil comes into its own if you cook Asian food regularly.

Are these oils available for refill at your Stamford shop?

Yes. Every oil in this collection is available for refill at our Stamford, Lincolnshire shop. Bring your empty vomFASS bottle and we refill from the cask at a discount to new-bottle prices. The refill concept has been the vomFASS model since 1994.

Do you deliver seed and nut oils across the UK?

Yes. Free UK delivery on orders over £75. Standard delivery on smaller orders. We ship to all of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.