How To Make Shortening/Vegetable Shortening

Veg Shortening

Vegetable shortening is a key ingredient in many recipes, as it provides the fat required to hold baked goods together and you can use it for frying. Although vegetable shortening can be helpful for cooking, that doesn't mean it's a healthy food. Vegetable shortening offers little more than a large dose of fat with few other nutrients, so it is best consumed in moderation

Many of the foods that rely on shortening for texture -- such as pastries and pies -- should make only occasional appearances in your diet. Not only do they have all the nutritional downsides associated with shortening, they can also contain large amounts of sugar. Select recipes that call for healthier fats, such as canola oil, or use applesauce in place of fat in your cooking for a healthier meal.

What Is It??

A solid fat made by hydrogenating vegetable oil, shortening is virtually flavorless and odorless. It is used in place of butter or lard, especially in baking. Though it adds none of the flavor or richness of butter, it can help make pie crust flaky, produce more stable icings , and keep cookies from spreading too much as they bake. For frying, vegetable oil is a much healthier choice, as hydrogenation creates trans fats and leaves none of the beneficial polyunsaturated fats of the liquid vegetable oil.