# Lard vs Crisco



## mdowod

I have my grandma's recipe for Farmer cookies that uses lard, does anyone know whether Crisco can be substituted in baking with the same results>


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## BlueCat

My experiences with baked goods is that it only comes out with similar results if you use the ingredients as stated.  That is, if it says butter, use butter.  That's not to say something won't come out good, but it won't be the same.

BC


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## shpj4

Mdowod hello and welcome to DC.  When I am using a receipe I generally stick to the ingredients that it asks for.


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## JDP

Your flavor would definitely change as lard emparts it's own flavor. If you are looking to make the change in hopes of making a healthier cookie you may be making a mistake. Crisco is a Hyrogenated vegetable oil which could be loaded with those banned in New York City trans fatty acids.


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## skilletlicker

The mass marketed lards are also hydrogenated.  I suspect you'll be satisfied with the Crisco results.  Maybe butter even more.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Natural lard is more healthy than hydrogenated fats, such as Crisco, and butter.  It is lower in saturated fat than the other two.  It also creates a wonderfully flaky pie-crust and is good in many patries.

But as with all things, though the body requires saturated fats for good nutrition, it only needs a very small amount.  It's like the trace mineral of fats.  

As for using shortening to replace lard in cooking, it's easier to find in the supermarkets, is generally less expensive due to mass production, and is absolutely neutral in flavor.  When used properly in a recipe, it's pretty hard to distinguish the end quality between vegetable shrotening and lard.

Either will produce a great pie crust if the dough is made properly.

I use lard simply because it's a healthier fat than any of the trans-fats.  But then again, I use butter in a lot of my cooking as well, just in small amounts.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## skilletlicker

Goodweed, I always read your posts with great interest, often thinking you are agreeing, but after walking away I'm never quite so sure.  We do seem to agree that mdowod ought to try Crisco in grandma's cookies, but after that, I just might not be smart enough to distinguish, in your comments, the differences between agreement, skepticism, and mocking; mind you, I don't object to any of them.  

Are Armour or Bryon brands "natural lard," or is that a term you reserve for pork fat that has been rendered naturally in the way mdowod's grandma's great-grandmother might have done.  I have read that such lard is still available but not a mass marketed product.

Someone will soon profit from a book titled "Saturated Fats vrs. Trans Fats for Dummies."


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## mdowod

Thanx everyone for the info, I have decided not to change the original recipe cause these cookies are the best, very heavy cookie that is so addicting, THANX AGAIN TO ALL


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## PA Baker

Glad you've gotten some answers, mdowod!  I'm going to move your question to our baking forum, so others may see it, too.

Welcome to DC!


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

skilletlicker said:
			
		

> Goodweed, I always read your posts with great interest, often thinking you are agreeing, but after walking away I'm never quite so sure. We do seem to agree that mdowod ought to try Crisco in grandma's cookies, but after that, I just might not be smart enough to distinguish, in your comments, the differences between agreement, skepticism, and mocking; mind you, I don't object to any of them.
> 
> Are Armour or Bryon brands "natural lard," or is that a term you reserve for pork fat that has been rendered naturally in the way mdowod's grandma's great-grandmother might have done. I have read that such lard is still available but not a mass marketed product.
> 
> Someone will soon profit from a book titled "Saturated Fats vrs. Trans Fats for Dummies."


 
Nah, I'm not disagreeing with you , but rather supporting your view.  I can't say whether the brands you listed are naturally rendered or not, and really didn't know that most comercial lard is hydrogenated.  But if it is, the hydrogenation is the culprit that creates the bad blood chemistry.

And no, I generally try not to be sarcastic.  So, if you ever have questions about my comments, feel free to ask either in the topic, or by pm.

And just for the record, I usually agree with your posts as well.  I just try to flesh them out a bit.  It's my nature.  I can't help it. 

Seeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## subfuscpersona

*Are Armour or Bryon brands "natural lard"?*



			
				skilletlicker said:
			
		

> Are Armour or Bryon brands "natural lard," or is that a term you reserve for pork fat that has been rendered naturally in the way mdowod's grandma's great-grandmother might have done.  I have read that such lard is still available but not a mass marketed product.



The one-pound block of Armour Lard that I have in my freezer lists the following ingredients on the package


> LARD AND HYDROGENATED LARD, BHA, PROPLY GALLATE AND CITRIC ACID ADDED TO HELP PROTECT FLAVOR



Armour lard is not "natural lard", since it contains hyrogenated lard and other chemical preservatives and additives.

I don't know Goodweed's opinion, but in mine, "natural lard" is _pork fat that has been rendered naturally_. If you purchase it, it should just say lard. Not "lard and hydrogenated lard and other chemical krap", just lard.


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## skilletlicker

I pulled my 32 oz. tub of Bryan Lard out of the ice box.  While there is no spot on the the label that says Ingredients there is this list of letters that may or not mean anything real.

PROPYLENE GLYCOL, BUTYLATED HYDROXYANOSOLE, GLYSERYL
... and a whole bunch of other stuff.
I think we have moved beyond the question posed by mdowod and her grandmothers cookies and I offer my apologies if the topic of the conversation has been temporarily changed.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

subfuscpersona said:
			
		

> ... If you purchase it, it should just say lard. Not "lard and hydrogenated lard and other chemical krap", just lard.



Yup.  Goodweed's version of natural lard is the same as yours, hardend fat renderd from pork fat, with no preservatives, chemicals, hydrogenated oils, or anything else added.  

I know the guy personally, and he usually does his homework before responding to a post.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Aria

Please post your Grandmothers recipe using the lard


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## ahains

I really liked the episode of Good Eats on pie crust, he goes a bit into why lard makes a flakey crust:
I Pie Transcript
(link to the transcript of the episode)


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## pipm003

*Grandma's recipe*

I also have a cookie recipe from my husband's grandmother which calls for lard.  I used Crisco instead, but the dough is not thick enough.  Any comments of suggestions would be appreciated.


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## Addie

I remember when we brought the pigs to slaughter, we always got back along with the meat for the freezer, large tins (about five pounds) of fat marked Lard on the outside in black paint. And we brought back the tins from last year and gave them back to the butcher. In the winter one would sit outside the kitchen door on a high shelf, and in the summer it sat in the well in the summer kitchen to stay cold and solid. I remember measuring a level cup for baking in the old tin cup that had the markings on the outside. There were measuring cups for baking, and others for canning. The canning ones never came into the house kitchen. Not one drop ever got wasted. When we got down to less than a cup, then you would use your fingers to wipe around the tin and use it to grease cake pans and scrape off you fingers for frying. Most of that lard came off the back of the hog. Hence, "living high off the hog".


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## Robo410

I have a tub of Esskay Lard in my fridge. It contains Lard w/ BHA and BHT added to protect freshness.  No trans fats. Not hydrogenated.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

subfuscpersona said:


> The one-pound block of Armour Lard that I have in my freezer lists the following ingredients on the package
> 
> 
> Armour lard is not "natural lard", since it contains hyrogenated lard and other chemical preservatives and additives.
> 
> I don't know Goodweed's opinion, but in mine, "natural lard" is _pork fat that has been rendered naturally_. If you purchase it, it should just say lard. Not "lard and hydrogenated lard and other chemical krap", just lard.


 
I agree that lard should be pork fat and nothing more.  However, since I can't find any true lard locally, and since the Armor product is a blend of natural lard, and the other stuff, it has less of the other stuff per unit volume that does Crisco, or other shortenings, and it gives me better results in the recipes I use it in.  

If I could get my hands on pure lard, that would be my ultimate choice.  

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the north


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## Constance

Crisco will work fine...I promise.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef

Saturated fat (lard) or Trans fat (Crisco). Lady's choice. Personally, I'd substitute a good olive oil myself.


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## Addie

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> Saturated fat (lard) or Trans fat (Crisco). Lady's choice. Personally, I'd substitute a good olive oil myself.


 
Olive Oil has a flavor of its own. Would you want a chocolate cake made with Olive Oil? Lard or Crisco is flavorless. Olive Oil is healthier for you, granted. But not all recipes call for a liquid fat. They each have their own place in the kitchen.


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## pipm003

*Thanks*

Thanks - it must be something else.  Have you ever used powder of ammonia?  Can I substitute baking powder without a problem?


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## taxlady

pipm003 said:


> Thanks - it must be something else.  Have you ever used powder of ammonia?  Can I substitute baking powder without a problem?



I have never used baker's ammonia, also known as "salt of hartshorn". But, I have eaten cookies that used it as leavening. Yes, you can substitute, but you won't get quite as light and crisp a cookie with baking powder. I am sorry, I don't know how much baking powder you would substitute for how much baker's ammonia.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef

Addie said:


> Olive Oil has a flavor of its own. Would you want a chocolate cake made with Olive Oil? Lard or Crisco is flavorless. Olive Oil is healthier for you, granted. But not all recipes call for a liquid fat. They each have their own place in the kitchen.


 
I have made chocolate cakes with olive oil, many times. If you want flavourless, use canola oil. 

Oh, and transfats do NOT have a place in any healthy kitchen.


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## niquejim

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> Oh, and transfats do NOT have a place in any healthy kitchen.


 
McDonalds fries have never been the same
Frying in duck or beef fat wouldn't be good either, right
Everything in moderation


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef

niquejim said:


> Frying in duck or beef fat wouldn't be good either, right


 
Isn't Duck Fat a character on Hawaii Five-0?

Animal fat is saturated fat, which really isn't very healthy, but it's still better than transfats. 

Transfats are so bad for you that the Federal Government will not even establish a minimum daily allowance for it.


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## Greg Who Cooks

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> Isn't Duck Fat a character on Hawaii Five-0?
> 
> Animal fat is saturated fat, which really isn't very healthy, but it's still better than transfats.
> 
> Transfats are so bad for you that the Federal Government will not even establish a minimum daily allowance for it.



It was his French cousin Duck a l'Orange. Deja vu, didn't we already discuss this before, Wo Fat, Wo Nelly and etc.? 

I don't trust the federal government to tell me anything other than what the time of day is. National Bureau of Standards or whatever they call it today...

My own feeling is that Crisco is so synthetic that I'd rather use pure lard (without all the preservatives) and just not eat it very often.

If you rely on only taste then I think lard in pie crusts is a pure winner by several lengths. The more unhealthy food is the better it tastes. I thought everybody knew that by now.

If it tastes good it is bad for you.

If it tastes bad it is good for you.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef

Gourmet Greg said:


> My own feeling is that Crisco is so synthetic that I'd rather use pure lard (without all the preservatives) and just not eat it very often.


 
The drawback to that is you can not share a pie made with lard with any Muslim friends or any Jewish friends who keep kosher. Marie Callender uses butter (I asked them) as the shortening in their pie crusts, but they won't give out the whole recipe.


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## Greg Who Cooks

No problem for me. I don't know any Muslims and my Jewish friends don't follow the Kosher laws.


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## taxlady

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> The drawback to that is you can not share a pie made with lard with any Muslim friends or any Jewish friends who keep kosher. Marie Callender uses butter (I asked them) as the shortening in their pie crusts, but they won't give out the whole recipe.



Vegetarians don't want to eat lard either.

When I can find it, I like to use palm oil. It's solid at room temperature without having trans or saturated fat.

The local health food store carries a vegan shortening that doesn't have weird chemicals in it, but it doesn't work as well as the palm oil.


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## TommyV61

Lard for me. I think it tastes much better and I can tell when the product is finished. Thanks for the laughs on the Feds... Good times.


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