5 More Unexpected Uses for Crisco (2024)

FAQs

5 More Unexpected Uses for Crisco? ›

The product was first created as an alternative to lard, which had a bad reputation in the early 20th century, but Crisco eventually developed a bad reputation of its own, due in part to the large amount of trans fats.

It can be rubbed on exposed skin for protection against the cold. When melted into an oil, the shortening is helpful as fuel. When soaked into a piece of cloth, melted shortening will act like a candle. The empty can is useful in melting snow for drinking water.

They use Crisco in a pinch.

Run out of facial moisturizer? No worries, you can use vegetable shortening from the pantry. "It provides a relatively allergen-free and highly emollient moisturizer for parched skin," says Dr. Melanie Palm, board-certified dermatologist with the American Academy of Dermatology.

After rejecting the names "Krispo" and "Cryst" (the latter for its obvious religious connotations), Procter & Gamble called the product Crisco, a modification of the phrase "crystallized cottonseed oil".

As a hydrogenated oil, Crisco is loaded with trans fats. Trans fats have a chemical structure that our bodies have trouble recognizing, and they create free radicals in the body.

Net sales of Crisco shortening and cooking oil jumped nearly 23% in the second quarter, mostly driven by price increases that owner B&G Foods passed to cover “extreme” cost increases for ingredients like soybean and canola oils, the company said in its most recent earnings call.

This shortening can be used instead of butter or margarine in cooking and baking, or it can be combined with either one (or both). Among other things, it's known for making good pies with a flaky crust, cakes and cookies soft, and frosting fluffy.

Invented as a possible substitute for lard (pork fat) to be used in soap making, Crisco was introduced by Procter and Gamble in 1911.

Vegetable shortening is a white, solid fat made from vegetable oils. In the UK it is sold under the brand names Trex, Flora White or Cookeen. In the US Crisco is the best known and there is also an organic solid vegetable shortening made by Earth Balance.

But the positives of using Crisco for hair are a definite plus. Vegetable shortening, including the Crisco brand, contains fatty acids and often times Vitamin E which is great for hair. Those who have tried this treatment discovered their hair stays tamed and smooth for days, if not weeks.

What can you do with old Crisco? ›

Coconut oil is a healthier alternative to shortening. It contains medium-chain triglycerides, while shortening is typically made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil and may contain trans fats. However, shortening can be useful for specific baking applications like making pie crust.

CRISCO can be stored for up to 1 year after opening and should be stored at room temperature. This product is suitable for vegetarian diets and is Halal and Kosher certified.

Information. The Food Marketing Institute's FoodKeeper recommends storing unopened solid shortening, such as Crisco shortening, at room temperature for 8 months. After opening, store at room temperature for 3 months for best quality.

Made from vegetable oils — often soybean, cottonseed, or palm oils — vegetable shortening is a vegetarian alternative to lard. Introduced as Crisco to consumers in 1911, it became a popular "healthy" choice, though research now shows there isn't too much difference between the two when it comes to nutrition.

Shortening is a type of fat used in cooking and baking. It's typically made from hydrogenated vegetable oil and has a long history of use in American kitchens that dates back to the early 1900s. However, shortening has fallen out of favor in the past few decades because of its high trans fat content.

What doomed Crisco? While it's true that Crisco had much less of the saturated fats found in lard, coconut oil, and palm oil, those "healthy" trans-fats have since been linked to clogged arteries and heart disease, making the product a whole lot less appealing to consumers.

One of the main reasons, besides its edibility, that allowed Crisco to be used as a lubricant was its viscous, tactile quality, almost slimy, especially in its shortened form. In fact, various websites and books on gay sex suggest that it is one of the few lubricants that doesn't wear off, its slippery but also sticky.

By the late 20th century lard began to be considered less healthy than vegetable oils (such as olive and sunflower oil) because of its high content of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol.