what is shortening

[philbo38]

Does anyone know what shortening is? I know it is a form of fat for cooking ,but is it Lard Margarine or butter.I have been looking at some American recipies and i'm unsure which to use.

[zgma]

I believe shortening is highly hydrogenated vegetable oil.  Very bad for you.  It's common in old-fashioned recipes.  I think you could substitute any of the above for it... I usually substitute butter.

[natalie_1982]

Mama's little baby loves shortening, shortnening.... I always thought of biscuits when I sing that song, never occurred to me to be anything else.

[ursula62]

It's white fat, like lard, or vegetable shortening (trex, cookeen). Used in short crust pastry. In general, butter was used for sweet or flaky pastry.  Although these days, people use either and it doesn't really matter.

[philbo38]

Thanks for the replies i might have a go at some of the recipies.

[Kay]

Shortening is suet is'nt it?

[Kingaroo]

shortening can be any kind of fat that's hard at room temperature -- butter is the richest and most luxurious but noecessarioy the best for all uses.
Lard (pig fat) is mandatory for pie crusts in the southern US.
Suet is beef fat.
Crisco brand hydrogenated vegetable oil is a very popular cheap shortening in the US, probably like English Trex and Cookeen?

[LJoski]

Yes, shortening is hydrogenated oil. Very bad for you. It was invented around 1925. It was not made for consumption. It was made as a binder for soap!  Then someone thought they were smart by putting it into our foods. It's a PLASTIC substance. It would be like keeping the plastic wrap on your cheese and eating it. For cooking..use real butter. For deep frying foods, use lard. Yes lard. Foods do not absorb lard which means your body does not either.

[club]

good question i had a look on the web to see where u could by it and i found it on a site called cooks ingredients i typed in Google search where to by shorting. its that easy realy