Can you freeze Crisco?

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Crisco should freeze at about -4° to -10° F (-20° to -23.5° C) or a little lower. But freezing will not stop it from going rancid, but if properly packaged can retard the oxydation rate.

Put the room temp Crisco in "freezer" grade plastic bags and squeeze out as much air as you can (to remove as much of the oxygen as possible) and then seal. This is basically a 2-point chemical reaction - oxydation requires oxygen and heat - the more you can remove of both, the slower the reaction. This will not stop oxydation (fat going rancid) but it will retard it a bit. Sorry scott123 - Crisco doesn't defy oxydation - it simply retards it due to hydrogenation ... which is where Trans Fats come into play - and gets into a chemistry discussion we've already had.

Now - as for substituting butter for shortening ... yeah, you could - if you're willing to accept the changes in texture. Butter has a low (and very narrow range) melting point - shortening has a higher broader range melting point. In something like cookies - replacing the shorting with butter in a cookie recipe will result in a cookie that spreads more, is dryer, flatter, and crisper. In cakes - it can mean a difference in the moistness, texture and tenderness of the crumb. In something like a pie crust - if you want both flakey and tender - you need both butter and shortening.
 
Thanks, Michael in FtW,

Your explanation on the differences between using butter Vs shortening makes a lot of sense-----and I guess that is why bacon (which is mostly fat) will even go rancid in the freezer eventually.
 
Michael in FtW said:
Crisco should freeze at about -4° to -10° F (-20° to -23.5° C) or a little lower. But freezing will not stop it from going rancid, but if properly packaged can retard the oxydation rate.

Put the room temp Crisco in "freezer" grade plastic bags and squeeze out as much air as you can (to remove as much of the oxygen as possible) and then seal. This is basically a 2-point chemical reaction - oxydation requires oxygen and heat - the more you can remove of both, the slower the reaction. This will not stop oxydation (fat going rancid) but it will retard it a bit. Sorry scott123 - Crisco doesn't defy oxydation - it simply retards it due to hydrogenation ... which is where Trans Fats come into play - and gets into a chemistry discussion we've already had.

Now - as for substituting butter for shortening ... yeah, you could - if you're willing to accept the changes in texture. Butter has a low (and very narrow range) melting point - shortening has a higher broader range melting point. In something like cookies - replacing the shorting with butter in a cookie recipe will result in a cookie that spreads more, is dryer, flatter, and crisper. In cakes - it can mean a difference in the moistness, texture and tenderness of the crumb. In something like a pie crust - if you want both flakey and tender - you need both butter and shortening.



Your suggestion on "freezer" bags for Crisco also brings to mind vacuum seal bags, which would get all of the air out of the bag first, then seal it up tightly.

Since air is the chief cause of food spoilage, and opens the door for mold, mildew and other spores to thrive, I think the vacuum seal bags will also prolong the life of Crisco in the freezer.

Hydrogenation is also a process used in making oleomargarine. The veggie oil that's in it. Health analysts have diagnosed it to be very unhealthy, and suggest moderate use.:ermm:

Butter, on the other hand, has animal fat and must also be used in moderation. But with butter, you get that pleasent buttery taste - something that you just can't get with margarine!:chef:


~Corey123.
 
I'd humbly suggest you do not freeze Crisco. Use it up , leave it out in your closet, and leave valuable refrigerator space for important things, like lobster tails, giant shrimp, sashimi-quality tuna and smoked salmon.

Not EVERYTHING needs to be frozen - only perishable goods.

FYI - I've had a tub of Crisco in my closet for 6 weeks. Room temperature. I used some on Friday, and it was fine.
 
Dear Clive,

Can I please send my refrigerator/freezer to your place? I would love to load up on the lobster tails, giant shrimp, sashimi, quality tuna, smoked salmon, etc., if I could find it here (Kazahstan) without giving up my first born children. Ha!!!!!! You wouldn't believe the prices of seafood here. Dining out is very expensive. Crisco is not to be found here or any solid shortening for that matter that I know of. We are only allowed so many trips out of the country so what we bring in basically has to last about 6 months to a year depending where you go.
 
I too am a butter fan when it comes to baking. I wondered
how long Crisco lasts.... guess I better toss mine... well over
a year or 2 old. thanks for all the info
 
**** yeah!!! You're welcome!

When I make the 7-up cake or any other, I DO NOT substitute it. You just can't get that same great buttery taste in baked goods with margarine!!

Same with vanilla and lemon extracts. There is just no cutting corners and going to cheap flimsy products when it comes to baking cakes and cookies!!!

Julia Child NEVER used the fake stuff either! She once said that if you're going to cook or bake anything at all, use only the finest ingredients.


~Corey123.
 
spread a little bit of crisco on a soda biscuit. You'll soon know if it's rancid. Don't chuck it out till you're sure!!
 
Andy M. said:
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?

Are you really getting green and blue fuzz on your old sour cream? The first time you open it?

How often do you clean your fridge?
 
Michael in FtW said:
Sorry scott123 - Crisco doesn't defy oxydation - it simply retards it due to hydrogenation ... which is where Trans Fats come into play - and gets into a chemistry discussion we've already had.

Sorry Michael, but I didn't say that Crisco never goes rancid.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines 'defy' as:

To oppose or resist with boldness and assurance

Hydrogenated oil boldly resists oxydation. If stored in a cool, dark place, it's good for at least a year, probably two. No, it's not forever, but within the perspective of the age span of other oils/fats, a year or two is a very long time.

If someone is purchasing crisco and lettting it sit around for years, maybe they should ask themselves if they really needed to purchase it in the first place.
 
scott123 said:
Are you really getting green and blue fuzz on your old sour cream? The first time you open it?

How often do you clean your fridge?


My comment was directed at yours that the expiration date on sour cream was ridiculous. It's not. Sour cream will go bad, in my experience, shortly after the expiration date.
 
VeraBlue said:
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??



It's usually the FORWARD cargo hold that's not heated, and it is used to tranport things like seafood, meat, flowers, veggies and fruit.

At least on the 757.


~Corey123.
 
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I decided to toss out the things I have always heard about hydrogenated oils (shortening) and spent a few hours researching this to find a better answer ... I must admit that the conventional wisdom I grew up with (stuff I heard and took for fact without evidence) does not match up to scientific fact.

Hydrogenating oil neither delays, defys or boldly resists oxydation - I too thought it dalayed oxydation. Apparently all hydrogenation does is alter the oil so that it is solid at room temp (that's where the transfats play a part), incorporates about 12-20% air, raises the melting point and range, and changes it's baking qualities.

Apparently, shortening will go rancid (oxydize) at the same rate as the oil it was made from. It's legend for prolonged keeping abilities are apparently based on a comparison of it to butter.

Now, the following is based on the Crisco FAQ webpage ... and several "survivalist" websites:

Shortening and vegetable oil will last about 2 years (unopened) on the shelf, 1 year after opening.

Refrigeration may extend the shelf live by 15% (a month or 2 maybe). Freezing may increase it by a month or two longer. Well, in theory, it should.

Shortening that has a really long shelf life (about 5 years) will include antioxidents like Butylated Hydroxy Anisole (BHA) and/or Butylated Hydroxy Toluene (BHT) - (chemistry lesson on these here). Unfortunately - Crisco doesn't contain these - I couldn't find any "home cook" based shortenings that contained either. Really large food product producers usually add them during processing ... although some producers who make shortening for the professional baking market, such as Bunge Foods, will incorporate it into some of the speciality shortenings they produce ... which are sold in 50-lb blocks.

So - to revamp my thinking and suggestions for expatgirl:

Buy Crisco in the 1-cup/3-stick packs (20-oz) and freeze until needed. This should prolong the shelf life a little - and you're not opening more than 1-cup at a time.
 
When I attended the Culinary Arts training program, the high shool where the actual hands-on training was, the bakery chef DOES use shortening in the 50-lb blocks.


~Corey123.
 
Michael, thank you for so concise a summary of hydrogenated fats etc. I found that really useful.

Corey, I didn't read the whole thread, but I suspect in a training kitchen the 50lb blocks would go pretty quickly. 1 Class of 30 would be using 10 lbs just to make a pie each. If you have more than one class per day, well there you go.
 
Michael in FtW said:
Hydrogenating oil neither delays, defys or boldly resists oxydation - I too thought it dalayed oxydation.

From the Imperial College of London (bold mine)
In order to convert the liquid linoleic oil (and its triglyceride) into soft solid margerine, hydrogen is bubbled through the oil in the presence of a nickel catalyst under fairly mild conditions (175-190°C, 20-40 p.s.i.). Hydrogenation in this way does a number of things. Firstly, hydrogen attaches to some of the double-bonded carbons, increasing the saturation level. In doing so, the molecules lose some of the rigidity associated with double bonds and so are able to flex. This allows them to pack closer together, raising the melting point, and turning the oil into a solid fat. The removal of some of the reactive double bonds in this way also reduces the chances of attack by oxygen, so that the fat becomes rancid much less readily, increasing its shelf-life.
From History of Soy Oil Hydrogenation and of Research on the Safety of Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (bold mine)
Hydrogenation can serve either or both of two important functions. First, it can be used to improve the flavor stability and keeping qualities of an oil, especially by reducing or removing the content of highly reactive (triunsaturated) linolenic acid, thus preventing much of the oxidative rancidity and off-flavor development that might otherwise occur, especially after the oil is used for frying. An unhydrogenated oil turns rancid by picking up oxygen at sites of unsaturation; hydrogenation blocks this by adding hydrogen at these points.
From Wikipedia (bold mine)
Since partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are more reasonably priced than animal source fats, they are available in a wide range of consistencies, and have other desirable characteristics (eg, increased oxidative stability (longer shelf life))
 
Andy M. said:
My comment was directed at yours that the expiration date on sour cream was ridiculous. It's not. Sour cream will go bad, in my experience, shortly after the expiration date.
Sour cream was invented to perpetuate the life of cream. By souring the cream, the acidic environment becomes inhospitable for strains of mold/bacteria attempting to take root/grow.

In all of my 39 years, I've never seen fuzz of any color on sour cream. If you are encountering spoiled sour cream, it could be one of a few reasons.

1. An unclean refrigerator. Mold/bacteria in a dirty fridge will contaminate food very quickly.

2. The container was opened, partially used and then left for a long time (past the expiration date). Opening the container exposes sour cream to airborne contaminants. Dispensing it with a spoon introduces potential contaminants as well. Once opened, a container of sour cream should be used in a reasonable amount of time.

For unopened sour cream in a reasonably clean refrigerator... the expiration date is ridiculous/completely arbitrary/has zero foundation in microbiology/food safety.
 
Besides suggesting that my refrigerator is unclean/dirty, are you suggesting that sour cream cannot become moldy...ever?
 
Freezing Items

When ever I see a question on freezing any thing I always ask myself, "Did we have this in the Antarctic?" I spent a year there in 1957 and ALL of our food was frozen for most of the year, except what we ate.

Another thing I will do is look at the frozen food section in the grocery store.

Enjoy,
Charlie
 
Thanks all of you--I feel like I'm back in Chemistry class and when you get right down to it that is what food IS all about-- the chemical reactions taking place----I have really learned so much from all of you. Many thanks again for the info!!
 

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