Ingredient Information

Function

Vegetable shortening is a generic term for a fat that is in solid form at room temperature and is used to make a crumbly pastry. Vegetable shortening is used in piecrusts, cookies and cakes. It is a semi-solid fat with a high smoke point; it is considered safe for frying foods. It is often used in grilling foods and greasing kitchen pans and accessories. It is usually a hydrogenated fat, and is used in place of butter or lard. Vegetable shortening needs no refrigeration and is virtually flavorless.

Other Use and Industries

Vegetable shortening is used in various industries as a greasing agent.

Health Effects

Vegetable oil is 100% fat. It is most always hydrogenated, which converts unsaturated fats to fatty ones. Hydrogenated fats and oils have been linked to adverse health conditions like heart disease. Vegetable shortening has 115 calories per tablespoon, and is void of any nutrients like carbohydrates or proteins. Its source of fats is most often cottonseed, corn or soy, which unless stated as organic may have been treated with chemical pesticides.

Vegetable shortening should not be consumed by those allergic to corn or soy.

Origins

Vegetable shortening is a hydrogenated fat that was first discovered in 1897. A chemist employed by Proctor and Gamble used cotton seed oil to create a soap, but it looked so much like lard that it was tested as a food ingredient. This new product was called “Crisco,” which is a modified word for the phrase "crystallized cottonseed oil." It was cheaper to produce than lard and needed no refrigeration so its popularity increased as a food ingredient. A hydrogenated product, it comes from vegetable oils and fats that are treated with hydrogen, which converts unsaturated fats to fatty ones. The hydrogenation process is not usually carried to completion, with only some of the multiple carbon bonds reduced, resulting in a semi-solid fat.