Is Lard and/or Butter Considered Shortening?

[Michelemarie]

I am making a cake that calls for shortening - I have lard and butter. Will one of these do the trick?

 

[Andy M.]

The butter should work in place of the shortening.

Neither lard nor butter are considered shortening but they can sub for one another in some cases.

 

[Michelemarie]

Theres my knight in shining armour - you always come to my rescue - thank you!!!!! I will use the butter! Once again, thank you!

 

[Andy M.]

Maybe you should wait until you taste the cake...

 

[Michelemarie]

I have never had this cake before. You see, my grandmother passed away a couple of months ago. I was honored when I was giving all her recipes - alot of them handwritten. Dad and I were going through them one day and he said he loved her applesauce cake - I don't ever remember tasting it. Mom said she hated it. Anyways, I was also given alot of grandma's cake pans and dishes and such. She had a special pan to make this cake in. In addition, I was given her apron. So tomorrow morning, Andy, I will be in grandma's apron making her cake in her pan from her recipe in her own writing. It took me a while to get to this point, but I am quite excited. Thanks for letting me share!

 

[Alix]

Michelemarie, lard simulates shortening more closely in baking. BUT butter has better flavour. Why don't you go 1/2 and 1/2?

 

[Andy M.]

That's is wonderful. What a great way to 'spend some time' with your grandmother. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Bigjim68]

I was making cornbread a couple of days ago and where the recipe called for shortening, which I never have, I substituted butter. This was the best cornbread I have ever tasted, largely due to the butter flavor. For cooking, I use unsalted butter. Salt can always be added, never taken out. I buy a pound of unsalted butter, put it in the micro or heat it on the stove, cool it, and remove the solids. This way it does not burn when heated. The cornbread, though, just had a stick of unsalted butter.

 

[Caine]

What I find unusual, or funny if you will, is applesauce is quite often substituted for shortening in cakes to reduce the fat content.

 

[stassie]

So.... I have a really silly question! What is shortening?

I think it might be a NZ thing, but any baking recipe I have calls for butter or oil.

 

[Andy M.]

Shortening is vegetable oil that has been treated (hydrogenated) to be a solid at room temperature rather than a liquid. It ontains no cholesterol, being vegetable in origin but is loaded with trans fats which are also considered to be harmful.

The most common American brand is Crisco.

 

[stassie]

Right... thanks

I think we have something called Kremelta here - usually tucked away in a corner of the baking section.

 

[Katie H]

Shortening is vegetable oil that has been treated (hydrogenated) to be a solid at room temperature rather than a liquid. It ontains no cholesterol, being vegetable in origin but is loaded with trans fats which are also considered to be harmful.

The most common American brand is Crisco.

The Crisco folks have now developed a non-trans fats version of Crisco.

 

[Andy M.]

Right... thanks

I think we have something called Kremelta here - usually tucked away in a corner of the baking section.

Kremelta appears to be solidified coconut oil and is sold in brick form. Shortening is softer and sold in a can with a plastic recloseable lid. A conbination of shortening and lard is recommended as a sub for Kremelta.

 

[stassie]

Kremelta appears to be solidified coconut oil and is sold in brick form. Shortening is softer and sold in a can with a plastic recloseable lid. A conbination of shortening and lard is recommended as a sub for Kremelta.

How interesting

Out of interest, I'll keep an eye out to see if we have anything like real shortening when I next visit the grocery shop!

 

[Chausiubao]

According to wikipedia shortening is hydrogenated vegetable oil

Hydrogenation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So its like margarine.

 

[ErikC]

According to wikipedia shortening is hydrogenated vegetable oil

Hydrogenation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So its like margarine.

So the question now becomes: what is the difference between shortening and margarine?

 

[Andy M.]

Shortening is 100% fat - all hydrogenated oil. Margarine is a combination of hydrogenated oil, water, food coloring and who knows what else.

 

[Robo410]

shortening is a generic term for a fat solid at room temp which can be worked into flour to form a dough that cooks up flakey due to short layers between pockets of the fat which when cooked crisp the dough. Lard is rendered pork fat, butter is churned milk, smaltz is rendered chicken fat etc etc all specific fats. Most shortening is a vegetable fat from non edible but non toxic plants such as cotton seed. As it is plant matter it is parve and acceptable for use in all households with any combination of foods. Recently, the big food cos have been making it trans fat free (less than 1% measurable)

 

[padre]

Following directions on the Maseca bag, I use 2/3 cup of vegetable shortening (beaten until fluffy) to make a batch of tamale dough.

They suggest shortening or lard. I used Crisco w/ 0g Trans Fat.

With "I am not a doctor" disclaimers assumed, should I be looking out for substitutes?