In the spring the plant bolts, reaching a height of 3 to 5 feet and produces bright yellow flowers. The plant matures in mid to late June in southern Indiana and early to mid July in northern Indiana. The small, spherical, dark-colored seed weighs 50 pounds per bushel. In the fall of 1988 the FDA permitted the name canola or canola oil to be used as the generic name for low erucic acid rapeseed oil. This development resulted in a significant increase in the importation of canola oil.
Canola oil is a high quality vegetable oil used as both a cooking oil and a salad oil.
The increasing demand for canola oil is caused in part by a health-conscious consumer trying to avoid high levels of cholesterol and saturated fatty acids. Like all vegetable oils, canola oil contains no cholesterol. Preliminary investigations indicate that canola can be successfully grown in Indiana. These investigations have shown that some precautions and care must be taken to permit success with the crop. Selection of the site or field on which to produce canola is very critical.