The fall harvest inspires many of us to make fruit pies. Although I myself prefer to make piec rusts with butter, I know that many believe that the perfect flaky pie crust requires vegetable shortening.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of vegetable shortenings on the market are made with hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils (also known as trans fats).

Hydrogenated oils are artificially hardened, and there are many concerns about the havoc they may play in the body, including atherosclerosis and cancer. They also appear to raise serum cholesterol levels almost as much as saturated fats do.

Another concern is that if too many trans-fatty acids are ingested, they interfere with essential fatty acid function.

Wouldn’t an organic vegetable shortening free of hydrogenated oils be terrific? Browsing through my local health food the other day, I was delighted to see just such a product from Spectrum Naturals, as well as organic margarine that is trans fat free. The shortening is also 100 percent Third Party Certified Organic, non-GMO, cholesterol free, contains less saturated fat than butter, and tests show that it is as good or better than leading national brands of shortening. And non-GMO.

You use organic vegetable shorting just like conventional shortening.