Showing my newbie-ness again.
Just read about high ratio shortening being better than Crisco.
What is it? Thanks, doleta

I'm not exactly sure WHAT exactly it is. I think it's processed differently than regular Crisco.

But it seems to whip up fluffier and less greasy than Crisco.
I tried it for the first time a couple of weeks ago and it was really nice to work with.

I was wondering myself, does it crust? The recipe I used did not really crust up at all. Would it depend on the recipe?

I've found that when I use HRS, it doesn't crust up very well, either.

Last time I used it, it took it about 12 hours to crust AT ALL.

Other than that, the taste/feel of this shortening is wonderful!

==Knox==

I thought too, that because it doesn't crust so much, it was easier to smooth, IMO.

I use 1/2 HRS and 1/2 Crisco. I get that fluffy feel and it crusts fairly fast!

Hmmm, so where do you buy it?

I use hi-ratio shortening in my buttercream and I'll never go back to using Crisco. I don't have a problem with it crusting. I think it depends on the ratio of your shortening to powder sugar. I use 1 cup of hi-ratio shortening to almost 2 cups of powdered sugar.

What exactly is High ration shortening?

Hi Ratio Shortening

I buy mine from SYSCO, they have a cash and carry store near my sister. I just call two ahead of time and order it. LOVE IT !!!!!

http://www.sysco.com/aboutus/contactus.asp

item number 4003869 shortening cake cube all vegetable (50lbs for $29, local store in Hayward (510) 481-1515, called cake shortening)



http://www.foodservicedirect.com/index.cfm/S/13/CLID/146/N/4471/Hunt_Wesson_-_Wesson_Shortening.ht (50lbs super quick blend 50lbs $56.45)

Other brands: Alpine, Biscot 140, Blendex, COVO S.M., Cremelite, CRISCO HI-RATIO, Golden Glow, XXX crème, Monarch Covo Sm (Icings & Cakes), Monarch Covo Sm - Non Hydro
Monarch XXX Cream (for Icings), Monarch Artisan Cremin (for buttercream icing - just whip & use)
Monarch M300 (Icing Base), Canbra Hi Ratio (Cakes) AND SweeteX Hi Ratio Shortening


http://www.bakemark.com/

see if they have a cash and carry store to buy hi ratio

has special emulsifiers in it so that you can use less of it than you would reg. vegetable shortening but still use the same amount of powdered sugar or even more. It also will absorb more liquids too without breaking down. That is: high amount of sugar/liquid to low amount of shortening...so it is High(sugar/liquid) ratio shortening.

It makes a buttercream that is much smoother, fluffier and less greasy than using reg. vegetable shortening.

you can also buy it in (very) small quantities (and not such great deals as above) at a local cake and candy supply store. Usually it's just labeled as Sweetex.

I will never go back to Crisco either. Hi-ratio shortening is shortening with emulsifiers added that allows it to whip up to a fluffy consistency like butter when it has been beaten. Regular Crisco does not whip up to a fluffy constancy.

You can substitute it for butter or regular shortening 1:1. It is also great in pie crusts making the crusts more flakey than regular shortening.

You can buy it at local cake supply stores or online at Country Kitchen online;

http://www.countrykitchensa.com/catalog/searchresults.aspx?Description=shortening&search.x=0&search.y=0

I got my 50lb box of Sweetex through GFS (Gordon Food Services - www.gfs.com). It was a special order item so it wasn't something they normally keep in their stores, but they only charged $62 for it, which is a little more then $1 per pound. If you can find it locally it, you'll save a lot of money compared to buying it online and spending a ton of money on shipping?

I am always suprised at the new things I learn on CC! I can't wait to research hi-ratio shortning. Baking is so much fun and I feel like a mad scientist!

I bought from country kitchens and tried it last week - LOVE IT. I did not test the crusting, though. It was easier to spread and tasted much lighter and less greasy than Crisco.

I am curious about adjusting ratios of shortening to suger, though and/or combining Crisco and high-ratio together: How much less shortening can you use if straight hi-ratio? I used 1 cup hi-ratio to 4 cups powdered sugar...can you use 1/2 or 3/4 cup hi-ratio to 4 cups sugar?

I too am very interested in this topic. I think that Crisco leaves a very greasy feel too. So you use it like crisco or less? Will it make Roses also?
I love all the ideas and help this site gives Kuddos to the one that set this up and to all the wonderful people here.
Thanks, crafty01

[
I am curious about adjusting ratios of shortening to suger, though and/or combining Crisco and high-ratio together: How much less shortening can you use if straight hi-ratio? I used 1 cup hi-ratio to 4 cups powdered sugar...can you use 1/2 or 3/4 cup hi-ratio to 4 cups sugar?[/quote]

I want to buy hi-rato shortning and need some conversion samples.

Like I said before, I use 1 cup of hi-ratio shortening to almost 2 lbs of powdered sugar. So if you only want to use 1 lb of powdered sugar, then you can use 1/2 cup of hi-ratio shortening.

Here are some previous threads on hi-ratio shortening:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-25631.html

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-28256.html

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-41674.html

HTH

I have just recently tried Sweetex brand hi-ratio and am in love. I was a butter snob - would only use 100% real butter, but I have found 50% butter and 50% Sweetex to have an amazing taste and texture. It does crust, but more slowly. I was in Restaurant Depot, and they had it but only in 50# cubes. Geez - all I wanted was a couple of pounds, but I have no self-control, and was there so there was no shipping . Sweetex is the only hi-ratio that is recommended for baking, so I tried in in old-fashioned Southern biscuits - very tender and clean-tasting. 50# is still a lot of frosting and biscuits for a hobbyist. Good thing the shelf-life is long.....

I forgot to answerthe rose question ... since it acts just like butter when whipped, yes. You can pipe with it. Great stuff and most bakeries use it. Enjoy!

Is there anywhere other than a restaurant supply store that would have this? Maybe Smart and Final or something like that? My town doesn't have a supply store or a Sysco.

What brand do you get or whats it called so I can look for it . I dont have any of those places near me. Im in a little bofunk town in Ks

The generic name is just Hi-ratio shortening or High-ratio shortening. There are several brands as listed in this thread. If you live in a small town, then the best bet is to order it online or mail-order it.

There are a few different brands of hi-ratio shortening. But the two main brands are Alpine and Sweetex. I got Sweetex from GFS and it's worked fine for me.