Shortening - BUY NOW

[Charsee]

I couldn't see another thread on this subject so I thought I would address this for a minute. The price of oils is expected to go up between 1-4 percent per year for the next ten years (not taking into account inflation). With corn and soy beans becoming in increasingly short supply the source of oils is quickly depleting. Right now most of us don't use a lot of shortening because it is added to a lot of our food in the form of shortening powder as we buy prepared foods more than in the past. However, as bread gets too expensive to buy we will need more oil...and vegetable oils do not have a long shelf life (1-2 years if you are lucky and keep them in a cool, dark place.). In other words you need oils which have longer shelf lives for your long term storage...such as olive oils (for dressings), coconut oil (for baking and frying) and/or shortening. Shortening does not have the health benefits of the other oils (particularly if it is made from canola oil) but it is more affordable.

However, shortening has gone up in price in the last couple of weeks. You could get a 6 lb. container from Costco a couple of weeks ago for $5.50 and now it is $6.75. At Honeyville they had a 50 lb. square container of shortening in a cardboard box for $46.00 then and now it is almost $60.00.

My sister-in-law showed me her one 50 gallon container (she bought last summer for $25) of shortening and said she was set for her family of 8. My sister just went out and bought 12 lbs of shortening because that is twice as much as they now use in a year. These are people that have a 1-2 year supply of grains...and they think they are set for oils!

How many recipes do you have that don't require oil in the ingredients or in the pan?

If we were ever to be without power and we had to cook using cast iron over fires, could you do that without oil? How much of your food would be wasted burned on the sides of the pan if you didn't have oil to care for the pan?

You need oils to produce important vitamins and to keep your body healthy. My husbands uncle was a german in WWII and came home from the war 70 lbs and loosing his eye sight from lack of oil. The food at that time that was most barterable was vegetable oil.

I checked Sam's Club the other day and their 6 lb. Crisco was still $5.33. I would like to encourage you to get some if you don't have enough oil. Check this price before you go because it will change any day...

How much is enough oil? The church used to sell a 3 lb. container in their month supply kits. So a case of Crisco from Costco (6 cans) should be a year supply for one person.

Again coconut oil (I think I listed good sources on another thread) is better if you can afford it and olive oil can be bought from the Costco and/or Sam's club in bulk containers, and some emergency group buys can get you good prices from where it is produced.

With the dollar loosing value and a lot of food oil coming from other countries it is a good time to buy before the prices go up any more. However, we have been told not to go into debt to get these things...so please be wise in what you buy.

I don't think that you are going to be able to find any shortening for under a dollar a pound. So if you know of another source besides Sam's please share it. I know in the recent case lot sales the 3 lb containers were $3.20.

[prairiemom]

I ditto that. Our SP is a grains/commodities PhD bigwig at the local land grant university here and he's been saying for months that the wheat prices are going to go down this fall/late summer--don't buy wheat right now in a panic. BUT processed foods--oil, shortening, sugar, molasses, pasta, etc are going to go up and those prices will never come down--once they're up, they're up for good. (He also warned everyone last fall that the bulk order we placed, for 15?/lb, would be the last good prices you would see. Unfortunately, only a dozen or so families took advantage of the bulk order.)

[TheSwally]

How long will shortening store for?

[Charsee]

According to Crisco, two years but it is generally accepted that it will last 5+ years if kept in a cool, dry place. I have some that was stored in an enclosed storage shed that was in the 80+ degrees for a month a couple of years ago and is still good. Some people report they have shortening that is 10+ years old and still usable.

[Abinadi]

I stopped using shortening years ago. I became concerned with what was in it.

Abinadi

[Kenneth]

Anyone try that dry shortening? I saw it for the first time at Lins along with dry honey which I did buy.

[Charsee]

I don't think very many people do use shortening much anymore. I prefer to use coconut oil but at $25+ per gallon I can't afford a year supply for my family...ya know? However, it is the cheapest of what stores the longest, and if things hit the fan, I'm not going to care if it is the healthiest...:)

The shortening powder works well for mixes. You usually add 1/2 water to 1/2 powder for the equivalent of shortening. I don't know that you could use this for frying since no one has that I have asked. It is much easier to use when baking. I don't know how it compares with prices but:

50 lbs of shortening form Honeyville is $60.

50 lbs of shortening powder Walton Feed and others is usually about $90

I also do not know how long shortening powder lasts compared to shortening.

[momof4]

Where is your source for the coconut oil?

[phylm]

According to Crisco, two years but it is generally accepted that it will last 5+ years if kept in a cool, dry place. I have some that was stored in an enclosed storage shed that was in the 80+ degrees for a month a couple of years ago and is still good. Some people report they have shortening that is 10+ years old and still usable.
Charsee-- I have had the same experience. Crisco that I had had for a couple of years was stored for the summer last year at high temps. It is still okay. Hope this helps. phylm
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[kamoil]

I buy my Coconut Oil from www.tropicaltraditions.com (http://www.tropicaltraditions.com) . I beleive they are having a buy one get one free right now. Sometimes it is worth it to buy a months subscription to their "Healthy Buyers Club", but you will have to do the math.

This is the email I received today;

ORGANIC EXPELLER PRESSED COCONUT OIL GALLONS: BUY 1 GET 1 FREE ENDS SUNDAY!
Tropical Traditions Organic Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil is a high quality refined coconut oil that is certified organic. This oil is processed the "old" way by what is called "physical refining." The modern way of processing coconut oil is by chemical extraction, using solvent extracts, which produces higher yields and is quicker and less expensive. Tropical Traditions Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil DOES NOT use solvent extracts. It is made the "old" way by expeller-pressed mechanical extraction. This oil is also NOT hydrogenated, and contains NO trans fatty acids. Tropical Traditions Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil is made from certified organic coconuts that have NOT been treated with chemicals or fertilizers. It is certified organic according to European and USDA standards. Our Expeller-Pressed coconut oil is high in the medium chain fatty acids, such as Lauric acid. Expeller Pressed Coconut oil is less expensive than Virgin Coconut Oil because it is machine made, and because it goes through a steam deodorizing process the taste is very bland, unlike Virgin Coconut Oil which retains the odor and taste of fresh coconuts. Some people prefer a bland, tasteless oil. Virgin Coconut Oil is unrefined, and has a much stronger taste. Now, until Sunday April 13th only, you can buy 1 gallon of Tropical Traditions Organic Expeller-pressed coconut oil at the retail price and get the second one FREE! That is a $130.00 value for only $65.00!! Order here: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/epco.htm?s=e410 (http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/epco.htm?s=e410)

Hope this helps,
Kam

[Charsee]

Perhaps it is still better to buy oils now...

The world corn price increased dramatically in 2007/08, to $198.17 per metric ton, because of demand from ethanol, the livestock sectors and sustained exports. FAPRI analysts expect demand will sustain the high price level over the rest of the decade. Similarly, all vegetable oil prices soared in 2007/08 with new biodiesel mandates, and they will continue to increase by 1.28% to 3.60% annually for the rest of the period, according to the group.

http://www.meatpoultry.com/news/dail...rticleID=91836 (http://www.meatpoultry.com/news/daily_enews.asp?ArticleID=91836)
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[Charsee]

I have been told that 16 pounds of shortening equals the recommended 10 quarts of oil for a year supply. But you really need closer to 14 quarts per person at a bare minimum.

[Charsee]

I have bought from tropical traditions but there are some other sites that may have a better price although I haven't really checked and compared lately.

When buying coconut oil it is important to compare oranges with oranges, or expeller pressed with expeller pressed, versus virgin or whatever. A site that might be helpful to help you compare is here...
http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/faq.htm#4 (http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/faq.htm#4) (You might need to page up to the graph that shows the various types of coconut oils.)

Other sources for coconut oil to check out:

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/bul....php#oac_coc_u (http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/bulkoil/a-c.php#oac_coc_u)

http://www.healthybuyersclub.com/pro...il&v=3research (http://www.healthybuyersclub.com/productdisplay.cfm?c1=Expeller%20Pressed%20Coconut %20Oil&v=3research)

http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals....oconut-oil.htm (http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/expeller-pressed-coconut-oil.htm)
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[Charsee]

Crisco was $7.99 for 6 lbs at Costco today.

My sister says that it is still $5.80 at Sam's Club.

If you haven't gotten your oils yet this is a good longer term solution...you must have oils for health and it is hard to come by in starvation situations.

I was told you need 16 lbs per person (almost starvation rations), correct me if I am wrong.

[sunsinger]

Coconut oil is great tasting if you have a good quality. It is also suppose to be a very healthy oil. In a cool dry place it is suppose to store safely for years. I wanted to use coconut oil for most cooking but couldn't afford the good oil. My thinking was thus:

Vegetable oil is bad for you. The processing makes it worse.
Coconut oil is good for you.
Bad processing would make it not so good.
Wouldn't coconut oil that wasn't the best be better for you than the oils that are not suppose to be good for you from the beginning?
So having the cheap coconut oil would still be a step up from bad oils?

With this thinking I decided to by lots of LouAnn's coconut oil from Walmart. I know some more knowledgeable health expert will explain why I will drop dead from it. Feel free to explain why I will die. It will certainly be better than no oil, right?

I am also trying to add better quality oils as I can.
LouAnn's was 2 something a quart last time I got some, but it has been awhile.