Can you freeze Crisco?

[expatgirl]

Does anyone know if you can freeze Crisco (solid shortening)? I have to bring mine in a suitcase as you can't get solid shortening here. Thanks for any info that you may have.

 

[philso]

no problem there, expat. i buy butter in bulk when it's on sale and freeze it all the time. on the other hand, unless you're expecting it to melt for some reason, there's no real need to.

 

[VeraBlue]

It is my understanding that it won't freeze, it may solidify a bit more, but it won't freeze. If you put it in a suitcase, most cargo holds are not heated, so it shouldn't matter. Just double wrap it in plastic.

Can't someone ship it to you??

 

[Corey123]

I've never done it, but I don't think that it would hurt.


~Corey123.

 

[expatgirl]

Thanks for all your replies---I just wanted to save what Crisco I had left by freezing it--I don't bake a whole lot but when I do (brownies and cookies) it's nice to have it on hand. I wished that I could have it shipped over here, VeraBlue, but we're lucky to even have a magazine sent over here and if it's People Magazine it will be stolen most of the time. Ha! So thanks for the input.

 

[Corey123]

And BTW, I had to throw away a can of store-brand shortening because it stayed out in the hall and got stale.

But whenever possible, I DO keep it in the fridge.


~Corey123.

 

[Andy M.]

No need to freeze it. According tot he Crisco website it can be kept at room temperature.

 

[Corey123]

But for longer storage, it should at least be kept in the fridge, especially if it's not used regularly.

It WILL eventually go bad if allowed to sit out too long, and I believe that it DOES have an expiration date printed on the can's label.


~Corey123.

 

[Andy M.]

If you choose to refrigerate it rather than storing it at room temperature, I'm sure it won't be harmed.

Do you refrigerate vegetable oil?

 

[expatgirl]

Thanks y'all---I'll at least put 2/3 in the fridge and 1/3 in the freezer and see what happens---I know that it will only last about a year (I'm almost there) if left on the shelf without going rancid. You guys are great!!!!!!

 

[philso]

anything with high oil content will eventually go rancid, especially after being opened. that said, something like shortening is usually ok for about 1/2 year or so at room temp. i don't use shortening much, other than greasing pans, so a small container lasts pretty long. summers can get pretty hot and humid here, and i have had shortenings go bad stored at room temp. it takes like maybe a year or so, though.

expatgirl - for some reason i was thinking you wanted to freeze it in order to bring it on the plane, which is why i said that there was no real reason to. shortening will generally be fine in the fridge for at least a year, and indefinitely in the freezer.

as far as baking goes, i always use butter. i don't think that there is that much of a health factor advantage. i tend to just try and limit fatty foods in general. butter makes a better quality (flakier) pie crust. also, to my thinking, i wouldn't butter my toast with crisco, so why use it for other things?

 

[Corey123]

My cakes and cookies, when I make them, are usually all-butter ones.


~Corey123.

 

[expatgirl]

anything with high oil content will eventually go rancid, especially after being opened. that said, something like shortening is usually ok for about 1/2 year or so at room temp. i don't use shortening much, other than greasing pans, so a small container lasts pretty long. summers can get pretty hot and humid here, and i have had shortenings go bad stored at room temp. it takes like maybe a year or so, though.

expatgirl - for some reason i was thinking you wanted to freeze it in order to bring it on the plane, which is why i said that there was no real reason to. shortening will generally be fine in the fridge for at least a year, and indefinitely in the freezer.

as far as baking goes, i always use butter. i don't think that there is that much of a health factor advantage. i tend to just try and limit fatty foods in general. butter makes a better quality (flakier) pie crust. also, to my
thinking, i wouldn't butter my toast with crisco, so why use it for other things?

Dear Philso,

Sorry for the confusion-----I will go ahead and substitute butter for recipes that call for Crisco and not worry about stuff going rancid in the future. Thanks again!!

 

[scott123]

All fats, Crisco included, will absorb odors. Freezer odors are some of the worst tasting odors one can come across. If you don't believe me, melt an old ice cube and drink it. Nasty!

I wouldn't recommend freezing Crisco. It's engineered to defy oxidation. I'm sure the expiration date is completely arbitrary and probably only calculated to drive more sales. It's like the expiration date on sour cream- ridiculous.

Store it in a cool place and it'll be fine for a lot longer than a year.

 

[Andy M.]

...It's like the expiration date on sour cream- ridiculous...

So if my sour cream is beyond the expiration date, I should just scoop out the green and blue fuzzy parts and use the rest?

I agree that if the Crisco smells OK it's still good beyond the date. I do not believe the date is arbitrary. It's probably geared to storage under the worst possible cinditions with a safety factor built in.

If it's rancid, You'll be able to tell. If it smells OK, it's good to go.

 

[Corey123]

If you choose to refrigerate it rather than storing it at room temperature, I'm sure it won't be harmed.

Do you refrigerate vegetable oil?

Umm, as a matter of fact, yes, I did.

But it was olive oil, and olive oil tends to congeal (solidify) when cold. So I just try to keep it in a cool dark place away from heat and the sun.

The hall get pretty cold in the winter, so that's sort of like a fridge to keep the oil cool and rancid-free.


~Corey123.

 

[Andy M.]

My point was that Crisco is vegetable oil as is olive oil. If you don't refrigerate one, don't refrigerate the other.

 

[Corey123]

I use olive or canola oil only.


~Corey123.

 

[NightsinCalifornia]

I mean how long do you intend on freezing crisco ? Honestly if you are looking for a long, long haul..then you can't. It will go bad. However, if you want a short term solution you can do anything...

So, I gues you can freeze crisco..

 

[Corey123]

I've never froze shortening of ANY brand.


~Corey123.