What Kind Of Shortening Do You Use????
Decorating By susanmm23 Updated 6 Apr 2005 , 3:51am by Ladycake

The shortening i have says its made from prepared meat!!!!! GROOOOOSSSSS........ I have always stayed away from this stuff but i bought some trying to make icing. DId i get the wrong one???? Is there other kinds out there. I mean i dont know what else it would be made from but just the thought is sooooo GROOOOOSSSSSS

The shortening i have says its made from prepared meat!!!!! GROOOOOSSSSS........ I have always stayed away from this stuff but i bought some trying to make icing. DId i get the wrong one???? Is there other kinds out there. I mean i dont know what else it would be made from but just the thought is sooooo GROOOOOSSSSSS
I use a product called Sweetex

Yeah, you got the wrong one! Don't get rid of it, though. Use it in crusts for meat pies and other stuff instead of normal shortening. Yum!
I use Crisco; it's what my SO gets for me on store runs. Next time you're out, look for "vegetable" on the label, and check the ingredients list if you're still unsure.
Illy

My SIL just called me about a week ago to ask me that same question. She had also accidentally bought the meat one. NO, no, no...gross is right! I would not like icing made from meat fat. Use it to fry your pork chops or chicken fried steak (you can tell I'm in the south--LOL). I use Kroger brand vegetable shortening. Cheaper than Crisco but just as good. I'm convinced it's the same stuff like a lot of store brands. Different label, same contents (ingredients are exactly the same). This is not true for Walmart's vegetable shortening which is softer than Crisco and an off-white color so don't buy that.

My SIL just called me about a week ago to ask me that same question. She had also accidentally bought the meat one. NO, no, no...gross is right! I would not like icing made from meat fat. Use it to fry your pork chops or chicken fried steak (you can tell I'm in the south--LOL). I use Kroger brand vegetable shortening. Cheaper than Crisco but just as good. I'm convinced it's the same stuff like a lot of store brands. Different label, same contents (ingredients are exactly the same). This is not true for Walmart's vegetable shortening which is softer than Crisco and an off-white color so don't buy that.
Yummy Fryed chops and chicken... and I am not from the south but you did for get the fryed potatoes.....
Ok I am not convinced that they are the same store brand shortening and crisco for most other things I would agree with you but but but... LOL .. NOT Shortening....

I knew I was forgetting something! Fried potatoes !
You're right Ladycake...I don't think Crisco would be filling store brand containers. They are made using the same ingredients though. I love my Kroger brands...always as good as the name brands with the exception of ketchup and laundry detergent. They just haven't figured those out yet.

I knew I was forgetting something! Fried potatoes !
You're right Ladycake...
Cant forget them if your having pork chops... LOL .. I guess that is what you get when your married to an Okie Guy... LOL
OH I know that they are not putting crisco in your store brand container ... I have never tried the Krogger one but I have tried some other store brand shortenings and they are really grease and they are grite (sp) But your right there are some good off brands and there are some bad off brands... LOL


Oh yuck! Animal fat, for icing!! Yuck! I use Crisco too. I have never seen Sweetex before, where would I find that?
For a fundraiser at church before the girl I was working with bought the store brand shortening, and it was a lot softer than Crisco.. the icing did not turn out as good. That was Wal-mart brand though.
Melissa


Hmmmm, I shop at Hy-Vee and I use their off brand which is a lot cheaper than Crisco and I"ve had no problems with my icings. It works just as well.
Now I have not come across a generic pop tart that is anywhere even close to the real deal - DOWN WITH GENERIC POP TARTS! YUCK!

I use Sweetex.
A friend of mine worked for the company that manufactured Kroger brand shortening years ago... he was a lab tech.... it's not Crisco in disguise.
I use lard for chicken and dumplings (the southern kind- not lumps of dough), meat pies, fried chicken and such. I use 1/2 vegetable shortening (Crisco) and 1/2 butter for fried potatoes and fried cabbage.

I just use Crisco...haven't wanted to jinx myself by trying something else, since this works just fine.
Where would I find Sweetex? What is the difference in it and crisco?

I just use Crisco...haven't wanted to jinx myself by trying something else, since this works just fine.
Where would I find Sweetex? What is the difference in it and crisco?
http://www.chefswarehouse.com/Catalog/DisplayDetail.aspx?prd_id=GS235
This is where you can find sweetex... the taste it so much better with the sweetex I use to use crisco all of the time and then someone gave me some to try and I have not gone back... its not as greasey tasting and lighter....

RIght now I am using crisco sticks.... but I do want to try some sweetex once I am able to.....never seen the other shortening made from meat you said??? UGH that sounds bad!


I just use Crisco sticks....I keep both butter-flavored and "regular" (although now I buy the kind with no trans-fatty acids) in the house.
Just beware that if you need a white cake, DO NOT use butter flavor Crisco....it will make your icing a pale yellow color

Just beware that if you need a white cake, DO NOT use butter flavor Crisco....it will make your icing a pale yellow color
If you are going to color your icing, it will make nice muted colors, which is perfect for baby shower cakes. That's what I used for the baby shower cake that is posted the gallery. It made the purple, pink, and yellow much more soft looking which is what you want for a baby shower.

I use Sweetex. A friend of mine worked for the company that manufactured Kroger brand shortening years ago... he was a lab tech.... it's not Crisco in disguise.
I really like the Kroger. There really is no Kroger brand though, it's all made by Bunge. Bunge makes good stuff (ACI winners). They supply a lot of bakeries and retailers. They also supply Crisco. Sometimes when we think of store brands, we think the quality may be lower. Not always true. It just depends on who supplied/made what's in the store brand package.
Butter-flavor Crisco...I've been wanting to try that ever since MrsMissey mentioned her Chocolate BC recipe using it. Sound like it would be rich!

Crisco also. I quit using the sticks, though, when I did my pricing matrix. It figured out that the sticks were about double cost per T than the can. I already don't charge enough--no sense in giving away the farm.
Use the "meat" shortening (aka Lard) for deep fried chicken---yummy!!
The Sweetix looks interesting--but a 50 lb cube would be way too much for me. DH would die if the UPS guy came with 50 lbs of shortening! LOL!
Lisa


50 lbs of shortening is EXTREMELY heavy. I used to work at a Burger King and every once in awhile I had to lift a box of shortening- talk about a killer on the back.
You get your UPS driver to put it in your front door and then you slide it to the kitchen you toss some trash bags on the floor and you get the box on top of that and then you break all 4 sides down and then you slice it and put it in to containers and then toss it in some place cool to store and then your not lifting 50 lbs all of the time just that small container...

You get your UPS driver to put it in your front door and then you slide it to the kitchen you toss some trash bags on the floor
Hehe- this works great if your kitchen is on the first floor - not mine- I have a bi level home, gotta go up the steps to get to it.

You get your UPS driver to put it in your front door and then you slide it to the kitchen you toss some trash bags on the floor
Hehe- this works great if your kitchen is on the first floor

Well m0use looks like your doing yours in the door way of the bottom floor where the UPS guy leaves it and walking the small containers up the stairs... LOL ..


You get your UPS driver to put it in your front door and then you slide it to the kitchen you toss some trash bags on the floor and you get the box on top of that and then you break all 4 sides down and then you slice it and put it in to containers and then toss it in some place cool to store and then your not lifting 50 lbs all of the time just that small container...
That's a good idea...about how big is a 50lb block? I'm trying to picture it.

about 18-20" square.
Vickie and I split it a couple of boxes last year. I always split mine up into smaller containers... no way do I want to deal with that mess. It's shipped in a cardboard box with the shortening in a very large bag inside the box. Can you imagine dealing with the plastic bag over a period of time? Yuck!!
Lisa: When my friend worked for the lab, it was called "Krogo" Shortening. Like I said, this was years ago...

Can you imagine dealing with the plastic bag over a period of time? Yuck!!
Yes, I can because I have had to do it. Yuck is right!!! The bag gets creasy, and then as you are opening and closing the bag, you're hands get greasy...and then the box gets greasy...and before you know it you have shortening all over you. That stuff is a bugger to wash off, lots of soap and as hot as you can stand it water so that you can get the shortening to melt off of your hands.

about 18-20" square.
Vickie and I split it a couple of boxes last year. I always split mine up into smaller containers... no way do I want to deal with that mess.
You two are so lucky to have each other. I hope you count your blessings every day . As for me, I'll have to keep buying it a few pounds at a time. Maybe if/when I start really selling cakes, I'll try the Sweetex. I've also heard that Alpine is good. Have you tried that? Is it same/not as good?

about 18-20" square.
Vickie and I split it a couple of boxes last year. I always split mine up into smaller containers... no way do I want to deal with that mess.
You two are so lucky to have each other. I hope you count your blessings every day

Yes Dawn and I did luck out being able to be friends and all works for us she comes down to my place ever so often cause its eaiser for her to come her then me to go there just one of them things right now and she knows that and dont mind and then we do the retreats and I get her for a whole week and some.... but yes we count our blessings...
Lisa not to be noise or anything but were in the USA do you live??? LOL ...
Have you ever tried the Sweetex???
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