Shortening

[Larkspeed]

First off just let me point out that I live in The Netherlands.

I have a few recipes that are from the US and they call for "Crisco Shortening" Now I realise that Criso is just a brand name but I have a problem.

You can't buy Shortening here so I need to find a substitute to use in the recipes.

Now I read the very technical and helpful answer in another thread about substituting butter and using less liquid due to the water content in the butter.

This runs me into another problem. Dutch butter contains less water than US butter, I don't know by how much, so that means that the amounts given in that thread are no longer valid.

So really my question is what can I use here in The Netherlands as a substitute for shortening?

I am hoping there are a couple of dutchies here that have solved this problem and can share their findings

[babetoo]

maybe lard, not sure but someone will come along that knows.

babe

[Larkspeed]

You can't buy Lard here either.

Plus Lard is rendered animal fat where shortening is Vegetable fat so in the case of cakes and such I don't think it would affect the taste in a very good way :)

[VeraBlue]

Can you get your hands on margarine?

[Larkspeed]

Margarine is available everywhere :)

[VeraBlue]

well, then...that would be my suggestion, margarine.

[Larkspeed]

Margarine is again higher in water content so a direct substitution would not work

[Jeff G.]

1 cup butter or margarine can be substituted for 1 cup shortening. When using shortening in place of butter or margarine, 1 tablespoon milk or water for each 1/2 cup shortening used may need to be added. DO NOT substitute vegetable oil for shortening when recipe calls for melting the shortening.

[suziquzie]

What are you making that the water content is going to make such a huge difference? I guess I would just try it with whatever is available and tweak it from there.

[Andy M.]

IF you melt the butter and cook off the water as you would to make ghee, then you would be left with essentially 100% butter fat and that would equate to the 100% fat in the shortening.