Shortening
It is a semisolid fat used in baking. It makes foods crumbly. It doesn’t smoke as easily as butter or oil, and it is 100% fat. Butter is 80% fat. It works by stopping long gluten polymers from forming in the food. It does not need to be refrigerated. It also is cheaper than butter. It can make foods last longer.
It is any fat that is a solid at room temperature and used to make crumbly pastry and other food products. Although butter is solid at room temperature and is frequently used in making pastry, the term “shortening” seldom refers to butter, but is more closely related to Margarine.
Shortening: The Crumbly Pastry Secret
Key Points:
- Definition: Semisolid fat used in baking to create crumbly textures.
- Composition: 100% fat, unlike butter (80% fat).
- Function: Prevents the formation of long gluten polymers, resulting in crumbly foods.
- Benefits: Doesn’t smoke easily, doesn’t require refrigeration, and is cost–effective.
- Versatility: Used to make various food products, extending their shelf life.
- Comparison: While butter is solid at room temperature, the term “shortening” is more associated with margarine.
- Economic Advantage: Cheaper alternative to butter.
Since the invention of hydrogenated vegetable oil in the early 20th century, “shortening” has come almost exclusively to mean hydrogenated vegetable oil. Modern margarine is made mainly of refined vegetable oil and water, and may also contain milk. It shares many properties with lard: Both are semi–solid fats with a higher smoke point than butter and margarine. They contain less water and are thus less prone to splattering, making them safer for frying. Lard and shortening have a higher fat content compared to about 80% for butter and margarine. Cake margarines and shortenings tend to contain a few percent of monoglycerides whereas other margarines typically have less. Such “high ratio shortenings” blend better with hydrophilic ingredients such as starches and sugar.
Since the invention of Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil in the early 20th century, it has come almost exclusively to mean Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil. It shares many properties with lard: Both are semi–solid fats with a higher smoke point than Butter and Margarine. They contain less water and are thus less prone to splattering, making them safer for frying. It has higher fat content with lard compared to about 80% for butter and margarine.
While similar to Lard, it was much cheaper to produce. It also requires no refrigeration, which further lowered its costs and increased its appeal in a time when refrigerators were rare.
Difference Between Saturated, Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
A short dough is one that is crumbly or mealy. The opposite of short dough is a “long” dough or dough that stretches. Vegetable shortening (or butter, or other solid fats) can produce both types of dough; the difference is in technique. To produce a short dough, which is commonly used for tarts, it is cut into the flour with a pastry blender, pair of table knives, fingers, or other utensil until the resulting mixture has a fine, cornmeal–like texture. For long dough, it is cut in only until the pea–sized crumbs are formed, or even larger lumps may be included. After cutting in the fat, the liquid (if any) is added and the dough is shaped for baking.
All Purpose Vegetable Shortening produced without partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils is superb for light frying and baking, and excellent for use in Cookies, Cakes, Biscuits, Pie Crusts, Pastries and Bread Making.
Conclusion:
An essential ingredient in baking, shortening contributes to both texture and shelf life, making it a popular choice in the culinary world.