What To Do With 50Lbs Of Shortening??? Storage?
Decorating By kellertur Updated 19 Apr 2009 , 6:19pm by favrtdtr
I just received a 50lb cube of shortening for much cheaper than buying it in the 24oz tubs I can find locally, but I have NO idea how I'm going to store this stuff!!! 
It's wrapped in a large, plastic bag, in a cardboard box...
I put some of it in an empty 20lb Satin ice container, but there is still 3/4 of a box left in my dining room, in a box, in my husbands chair. 
(we have to keep moving it...) Shortening is HARD to "scoop".
Any brilliant ideas please? I'm not one to store my ingredients in the cellar (aka: dungeon), unless it's wrapped and going into my freezer.
Thank you... 
Funny, I was going to ask the same thing. I'm on the same boat as you. I got a deal on some high ratio stuff and it's packaged just like yours. I heard someone say freeze it in small bags (3-5lb) to it's easier to use than freezing the whole block, but I would like to hear a bit more on that.
Like everybody else has said. I know it is a pain to do. I weigh out 3 pound burger-shaped patties. Then I wrap it in plastic wrap, several times. Then I put the patties in large plastic bins that seal. I label the bin with the date and product name. Then I put the bin on a shelf. I don't freeze just the shortening.
It last a few months in my shop. I use it up. Sometimes I make icing and freeze the icing. But I chill the patty before I unwrap it to make it easier to drop in to my big mixers. Weigh it out to match your recipe.
I just received my 50 lb box today. Cut it up , wrapped in wax paper, foil and freezer bags. I asked the head baker at safeway and he said will freeze just fine.
uhhhh....
i "scoop" what I need and then grab the bag adn squeeze out all the air... tie with rubberband, and then tape the box shut. It sits in my pantry...
I have been looking for containers (tupperware) that will hold the exact amount I need per icing recipe.. but haven't gotten around to that. Would make things go quicker... and easy to move.
I live in FL and I don't freeze it. I have had it for about 6months and no problems. I make sure I use a clean scoop everytime and look for spoilage. so far im good to go!
But am I missing something?!?! Can I not store it like this?
I buy my high ratio shortening in 50 lb blocks and divide it up between 2 5 gallon plastic buckets. I got my from the bakery at Food City. They actually gave them to me for free. These buckets work great. See if Wal-mart or some of the other bakeries will give you 2. They get their icing in these buckets. Hope this helps.
I have been portioning it out into the amount needed for a batch of icing or I put it into ice cream tubs, wrap or top off with saran wrap and pop into the freezer. I've done this for 2 years and have had no problems. I just do cakes for friends and family so I don't go through it fast enough to sit on my shelf for a year or so. What I find amazing is how much the price for 50# had gone up in just a year. The first time I bought a box of Sweetex - $62! The next year it had jumped to $92!!
My husband converted one of the walk-in closets (I'm an empty nester) in my house to a "cake closet" for me with lots of shelves for storage. My 50lb box of Sweetex is sitting on the floor in that closet and I just go scoop up what I need when I need it.
I bought a rubbermaid container about the size of the 50# box and I store it in there. I have an ice cream scoop that is 1/3 cup so I just scoop out what I need and replace the lid. It looks something like this http://www.rubbermaid.com/rubbermaid/product/product.jhtml?prodId=HPProd100259
May I ask a silly question, related to this storage issue? I'm assuming if you guys are going through that much shortening, you're also going through a ton (literally?) of powdered sugar. How do you store that?
I just decorate a few cakes here and there for fun, and find myself going through quite a bit of it anyway, and this thread made me wonder about the powdered sugar too...
thanks
uhhhh....
i "scoop" what I need and then grab the bag adn squeeze out all the air... tie with rubberband, and then tape the box shut. It sits in my pantry...
This is EXACTLY what I have been doing for years.
What's with all the freezing and portioning out of 50 freakin' pounds of shortening? Good Lord! LOL
It's just fine at cool room temperature in its original packaging.
Thank God for my digital scale ~ I scoop out what I need, measure by weight, and close the box.
May I ask a silly question, related to this storage issue? I'm assuming if you guys are going through that much shortening, you're also going through a ton (literally?) of powdered sugar. How do you store that?
I just decorate a few cakes here and there for fun, and find myself going through quite a bit of it anyway, and this thread made me wonder about the powdered sugar too...
thanks
I buy 50 lb bags of Domino's 6x powdered sugar from Sam's and just use a large ladle to scoop it out. I measure everything by weight so I buy in bulk and store in original packaging in a cool, dry place.
What's with all the freezing and portioning out of 50 freakin' pounds of shortening? Good Lord! LOL
It's just fine at cool room temperature in its original packaging.
I don't have a pantry. I'd rather not have a 50lb box sitting in my dining room (right off my kitchen) when potential clients walk in. I'm just trying to find clever ways to store it, so I thought of those buckets Satin Ice comes in. Freezing isn't an option for me.
I haven't had much luck "scooping"- takes forever, and my concern was dust, hair, etc. getting into the box (forced hot air registers for heat).
Needless to say, I have a small house, with very little storage. I'd rather my home not look like "Wholesale Depot".
I learn something new everyday! I have never heard of a house without a pantry. I guess storage of bulk items would be an issue!
If you use a large stainless steel serving spoon, scooping shortening is a breeze. I roll that spoon across the shortening like I'm scooping ice cream and can generally come up with a cup and a half per scoop. 
The Satin Ice buckets seem perfect for your purpose, unless it imparts that plasticky (new word LOL) smell into the shortening. I just opened a new 20 pound bucket a few minutes ago and got hit with that lovely Satin Ice smell. LOL
I have been portioning it out into the amount needed for a batch of icing or I put it into ice cream tubs, wrap or top off with saran wrap and pop into the freezer. I've done this for 2 years and have had no problems. I just do cakes for friends and family so I don't go through it fast enough to sit on my shelf for a year or so. What I find amazing is how much the price for 50# had gone up in just a year. The first time I bought a box of Sweetex - $62! The next year it had jumped to $92!!
Wow, when I saw the prices you quoted I thought for sure you had to live in Canada. I pay $38 for 50lb of hi-ratio shortening from a local baker's supply wholesaler.
I thought that was a lot, but I guess it's pretty cheap in comparison to what you're paying. Wow! 
Is that the price including shipping? I can just go pick mine up so I don't have to pay shipping, maybe that's the difference?
I leave mine in the original box also, but I have a room dedicated solely to baking stuff/supplies.
for 50 lbs. high ratio I use a heavy duty rough neck tote. with a snap hidge lid. It sells tight is easy to get to.
for power sugar and granulated sugar and flour I use the rubbermaid
christmas wrap containers they are tall and skinney holds a fifty lb. bag nicley has a great snap on lid that seals tigh.
I purchase gallon size containers of watkins vanilla reg. and clear itis so much cheaper in a gallon jug. then I put a pump on the top and it sits on the self ready for use.
the health dept. love the idea said it would keep everything cean and sanatary.
Deb, I pay about $30.00 (plus shipping), my "dealer" is a few states away. I was buying Spectrum, organic shortening at a whooping $7.89/24oz!!! This is the same quality ingredients at a fraction of the cost. Now I know why my costs just weren't adding up... I was spending TOO much.
I really like the metal spoon aproach... it's like scooping "icecream", you say? I'll have to try that, and wear a "soda jerk" hat while I'm at it! (Eggcream, anyone?) ---> no eggs involved.
I use about 2.25 lbs for sugarshacks BC recipe for a 4.5 KA. I think someone once said 1 cup of HRS weighs 7 oz?
I can't convert my scale to weigh in just ounces.. it converts to lbs automatically. Anyway....
I don't have a "pantry" really. Basically my parents kicked me out of the kitchen for storing cake stuff. I get the Utility room off the kitchen with the big freezer. I will take what I can get! haha.
For my PS and Flour, sugar, I use these big plastic barrel looking things. (They hold pork rines usually.. ) I just haven't found nice ones with nice sealing lids elsewhere, but when I do I will upgrade
I am moving out on my own soon and don't really have money for cake supply stuff right now
annez- for powdered sugar storage:
I've seen bakers with the 1,2, or 3 compartment plastic containers (very deep) on wheels in a metal frame, they held flour, 10X, and sugar. They had them used at my local restaurant supply store for over $100! A friend of mine thought of using bins (that look just the same) from a pet store chain that hold large amounts of dog food -works like a charm! It probably needs a plastic liner, but they are rectangle in shape and very deep, so wouldn't take up as much space on the floor.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009YYR9W/?tag=cakecentral-20
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