Does anyone use solid shortening anymore?

[True2marie]

When I grew up, most grocery stores sold Crisco. Crisco was the white solid goo (lard) my mother used to fry chicken and make pie crusts. As for me, I cannot remember ever buying a bucket of Crisco. I use liquid oil.

Does anyone use solid shortening anymore?

 

[MyDigitalpoint]

I got some cans of Inca, which is a Mexican brand of solid vegetable lard that looks much like Crisco, available where Mexican groceries are sold.

When the time to cook and bake on my own came up, I tried to use many of those brands that our mothers used to cook, but sadly between monopolies and oligopolies, most of those companies have made brands change quality, bran labels, original formula or simple disappear.

Not sure what happened to Crisco, last time I saw it was about 6 years ago.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

my mother-in-law does which is great because it is dairy free (the UK version of the one she uses is, that is) and means that I can actually eat her cakes & pastry.
I generally make up my own using a dairy free margarine, or purchase a normal puff-pastry block which by happy co-incidence happens to be suitable for vegans so meets my dairy-free need.

 

[Alex H]

my mother-in-law does which is great because it is dairy free (the UK version of the one she uses is, that is) and means that I can actually eat her cakes & pastry.
I generally make up my own using a dairy free margarine, or purchase a normal puff-pastry block which by happy co-incidence happens to be suitable for vegans so meets my dairy-free need.

I thought all margarine was dairy free?

 

[OhioTom76]

We used to use the butter flavored Crisco all the time in cookies, as well as to grease bread pans when making zucchini or banana breads. I never bought the stuff myself when I moved out on my own. I try to steer clear of all hydrogenated fat these days. I've even heard that lard is better than hydrogenated fats, and even butter itself.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I thought all margarine was dairy free?

nope - far from it. most actually have buttermilk added to them to make it more like butter! Even "Flora Original" and "Bertolli" have buttermilk in them and most margarines are the same.

Mind you even bread usually has skimmed milk powder added to it nowadays to make it 'richer' and 'creamier' so I even have to check the ingredients on bread before I can eat it! Something as simply as a jam sandwich is a nightmare! (Jam can also have butter added - but that is usually on an issue with homemade jam where it has been added to prevent the 'scum' from forming). I have even found dairy products in some brands of salt & vinegar crisps!

 

[Shellyann36]

Yes I do still use it for pie crusts. I grew up with my family using it for all of the frying and for biscuits as well. My Granny's biscuits were light and fluffy and to die for. I wish I could make some like hers. I guess perhaps I should try using some Crisco and they might turn out like hers.

My family lived in the country and they kept hogs for food purposes. My Granny cooked with lard from the hogs up until the point when Grandpa died and the family no longer kept hogs. After this happened she switched to Crisco. I was not even born before my Grandpa died so I am unsure as to how the lard biscuits compared to the Crisco biscuits. It is an interesting thought that I will have to pick my Mama's brain about.

 

[MyPaperBleedsInk]

If anything, I use it for pie crusts or apple bar crusts since that's what my mom's recipe calls for. Other than that, I don't think I've seen it used in anything else that I've had.

 

[sillylucy]

My grandmother does when she makes tortillas. I recently came across a recipe that called for shortening and I moved past it because I don't even know where to buy it near me. I haven't seen it at my local grocery stores.