Organic Vegetable Shortening for Pie Crusts

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.

Read more: Food, All recipes, Desserts

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Natasha S.

8:27PM PDT on Apr 24, 2013

Thank you!

April 24
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Val M.

3:20AM PDT on Apr 23, 2013

Thanks

April 23
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Elena B.

1:57AM PDT on Apr 23, 2013

Thanks for postng.

Tim C.

12:25PM PDT on Apr 12, 2013

April 12
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Jennifer C.

5:22PM PDT on Sep 20, 2012

Thanks.

September 20
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Danuta W.

2:06AM PDT on Aug 20, 2012

Thank you for sharing.

August 20
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Kathleen L.

5:58AM PST on Jan 25, 2012

I'm excited about this. Since I'm old as dirt I've made the journey from using lard (old country girl) to shortening and sometimes butter. Now that I'm getting older in my old age... I'll go looking for this stuff. Hope it measures up and is worthy of my squash pies!