Vegetable oil having elevated stearic acid content

A vegetable oil, wherein at least about 15% of the triacylglycerols in said oil comprise an oleate moiety at the sn-2 position and palmitate or stearate moieties at the sn-1 and sn-3 positions, and wherein said vegetable oil is selected from the group consisting of corn, sunflower, soybean, and canola oil.

A method of producing a vegetable oil, comprising:

• a) crushing seeds produced by a plant, said seeds having a stearic acid content of about 15% to about 30%, an oleic acid content of about 34% to about 53%, and a polyunsaturated fatty acid content of about 2% to about 6%;
• and
• b) extracting an endogenous oil from the crushed seeds.

A confectionery product comprising a fat component, said fat component having a stearic acid content of about 20% to about 30%, an oleic acid content of about 34% to about 53%, and a polyunsaturated fatty acid content of about 2% to about 6%.

A confectionery product comprising a fat component, wherein at least about 18% of the triacylglycerols in said fat component comprise an oleate moiety at the sn-2 position and palmitate or stearate moieties at the sn-1 and sn-3 positions, and wherein said fat component is derived from canola, soy, corn, or sunflower oil.

A vegetable oil having a stearic acid content of about 15% to about 30%, an oleic acid content of about 34% to about 53%, and a polyunsaturated fatty acid content of about 2% to about 15%, wherein said vegetable oil is canola, corn, soy, or sunflower oil.