What Is Vegetable Shortening?

Vegetable shortening, used for greasing, cooking, grilling and baking, is found in many households around the world. However, many people aren't actually aware of the contents of the white substance. Here are the basics of vegetable shortening.

Origin

In 1911, Procter & Gamble noted how hydrogenation could be applied to foods. Using unwanted seeds from cotton mills, P&G manufactured a vegetable fat out of cottonseed oil. It quickly replaced lard in many U.S. homes.

Contents

Vegetable shortening is made of soybean oil, cottonseed oil, monoglycerides, diglycerides and citric acids.

Flavor

Vegetable shortening has a bland and neutral flavor; it is essentially tasteless.

Use

Shortening is used in recipes that call for fats such as butter, lard or margarine. It blends well with flour, making useful in pastry making. It is also useful for greasing pans before use.

Shelf Life

One of the most appealing aspects of vegetable shortening is its shelf life, which can run up to a year at room temperature.

References

• Guardian; Grease is the word
• Crisco.com
• WhatsCookingAmerica.net; Vegetable Shortening