Week #5 Shortening or Coconut Oil

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Week # 5: 24 lbs Shortening or Coconut Oil (1/2 Butter & 1/2 Reg Flavors) (this amount is for 2 people, adjusts accordingly)

(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in steps.)

Shortening:

Choose the foods carefully, taking into consideration those you use daily or would use, if you had the time….and had no alternatives. I do not use hydrogenated oil, but for those of you who like to bake or cook a lot more or would like to in an emergency, you’ll want to remember to get shortening for your food storage. The 2 frequently overlooked items are shortening/margerine and eggs. And make sure there are plenty of opportunities for “goodies,” such as cookies, pies, puddings, Jello, etc.

Shortening Powder. Blend with water to produce shortening for baked goods. DO NOT USE FOR FRYING.

Storage

According to Crisco, if it’s unopened, its shelf life is 2-3 years. Once it’s opened, they say it’s good for about a year. However, Shortening Powder will last for a lot longer if opened because it’s powder.

Recipes w/ Shortening

A good recipe which uses shortening and a lot of food storage items is Pistachio Pudding Cake With Pistachio Frosting

More recipes using powdered shortening and other food storage items:

Holiday Pancake Mix
Peanut Butter Cookies
Baking Powder Biscuits
Blueberry Cookies
Applesauce Cookies
Hawaiian Banana Bread

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COCONUT OIL

Personally, I don't ever use shortening because it is hydrogenated oil....Lots of scary info about this stuff!!... But I do have a very small amount in my food storage in case of an emergency.  Instead or shortening I mainly store Deodorized Coconut oil (just started these past few months) and it is amazing! I do not like regular coconut oil.  My family will not tolerate everything being tainted with that coconut flavor.  The type I use has no flavor (like shortening). I used it in pies, to fry with and to bake with over the holidays. Today I made the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made!!! It has an indefinite shelf life which is a huge benefit.  Love, love, love it.  Do your research on coconut oil and you may do like I did and switch over. Here is a little snippet of how coconut oil can benefit you.

"The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels(Coconut oil has the healthy cholesterol it in.  It is brain and heart healthy), weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care,  and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc." 

More?  Read here and here.  Be sure to watch the video I sent out last week on Coconut oil!

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