what is shortening?

Question

My husband came home with a 42 oz. can of "shortening" to make biscuits. I have always used butter. It says it is prepared from meat fats and vegetable oils with mono- and diglycerides added, BHA and BHT also. Sounds BAD to me! Should I just pitch the rest of the can or is there something else for me to do with it? The biscuits were like hockey pucks.

Answer

You can fry chicken in it which I've heard is good because it's so refined that it doesn't impart a flavor. I only use it to season my cast iron pots and pans. I find the smell sort of off-putting but it does the job. 
You can grease pans with it, use it in cake frosting (gross, but that's what I think is in most commercial frosting). 
Ive heard of it used in biscuits and pie crusts but that sounds icky to me.

Answer

It is also VERY unhealthy
but great for frying
http://www.crisco.com/products/shortening-17
http://www.crisco.com/search.aspx?category=crisco_all&q=crisco++shortening+recipes

Answer

it all depends -- Crisco has been trans-fat free for quite some time, so it's at least a little less healthy. But the OP's "meat fats" shortening would indicate that it's not the Crisco brand.

I've always used shortening for my biscuits, but Crisco brand, and have never had a problem.

It also helps cookies and things rise higher -- I use 50/50 butter and shortening and it makes a great combo of flavor and texture.

Answer

Solid fat

Answer

Shortenings like Spry and Crisco came out a long time ago, I think in the 1930s, and were hailed then as a healthful alternative to lard. If your biscuits came out hard and you used Spray or Crisco, look to another reason (maybe too much flour?) because my grandmother and mother used it for years, and I used it until about 1960-65, to make biscuits and pastry that were just fine. It was also used for deep-frying and for pan-sauteing---it's very good for frying chicken or fish. Every kitchen had a 3-lb can of it.

Answer

Crisco is all-vegetable shortening, mostley soybean oil and also palm oil.

Answer

I know that shortening is technically any fat that is solid at room temp but I dont think I've ever seen shortening that had animal fat in it.

I use it in pie crust for someone who is allergic to cows milk.

I agree with the comment that the shortening probably didn't make the biscuits hard.

Answer

Butter has more water than shortening, so when swapped for butter in your biscuit recipe that was written for using butter that could be the problem. 

I have never heard of shortening with meat and vegetable fats but i'm sure you can use it as one would vegetable shortening. 
The Crisco site has a bunch of recipes, you have to "filter" for those with shortening since they make a number of products. 
Here is their baking powder biscuit recipe
http://m.crisco.com/recipes/breads-and-biscuits/baking-powder-biscuits-2333

You can certainly use it if/when frying. It's good for basically forever stored in a cool dry place.

Answer

Thank you all for your replies. Way more than I can absorb. I'll hang onto the can for a yr. or so in case I get a craving to fry something.

Answer

I agree with several posters here. Technically speaking, any fat which is solid at room temperature is a shortening. This includes lard and even butter (rarely called that..). However, today, shortening often refers to hydrogenated vegetable oil. 

<It says it is prepared from meat fats and vegetable oils with mono- and diglycerides added>

Based on your description, it sounds like a mixture of animal fat and hydrogenated vegetable oil. The advantage of such thing is that it has a much longer shelf life than otherwise. For example, lard and butter have a relatively short life at room temperature (you will rarely see lard and butter store in room temperature for a long time). Yet, upon hydrogenated, they can be stored much longer. Armour Lard is such example.

It is a mixed of lard and hydrogenated lard. It can be stored at room temperature.

"Armour: Lard, 64 Oz:

 Refrigeration not required
 Lard and hydrogenated lard
 BHA, propyl gallate, and citric acid added to help protect flavor"

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Armour-Lard-64-Oz/10449262

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what is shortening?

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