Vegetable shortening

What is vegetable shortening? About the ingredient vegetable shortening. Including 2,100 recipes with vegetable shortening, nutrition data, where it's found, and video.

Contents

1. About
2. Nutrition facts
3. Where found
4. Food group
5. Weights & measures
6. Recipes2024
7. References
8. Related

About

Vegetable shortening similar to animal derived shortening such as butter or lard, it is cheaper to produce; originally, lard was far cheaper and edible oils came at a higher cost.

Shortening also needs no refrigeration, which further lowers its costs and increases its convenience, especially for people who live in countries without refrigeration.

As a substitute for butter, it can lengthen the shelf life of baked goods and other foods. With these advantages, vegetable shortening gained popularity, as food production became increasingly industrialized and manufacturers sought low-cost raw materials. Vast government-financed surpluses of cottonseed oil,corn oil, and soy beans helped found a market in low-cost vegetable shortening.

Health concerns

Vegetable shortening has become the subject of some health concerns due to its traditional formulation from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which contain trans fat.

Trans fats have been linked to a number of adverse health effects. Usage of shortening lacking trans fats has grown. 

Substitution

1 cup + 2 tablespoons of butter may be a substitution for 1 cup of vegetable shortening; butter has extra water content when compared to shortening.

Coconut butter may also be used and is viewed as a healthier substitution for vegetable shortening

Recipes using vegetable shortening

There are 2024 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 2,024 recipes

Created: April 30, 1999 Last updated: over 4 years ago