Fellow CCers who live in the UK, do you know where I can get high-ratio shortening? I don't think there's even the regular shortening at the store. It will be great if anyone knows. Thank you.

Hello,
We use white fat if thats the same thing but i dont know about high ratio

So you use white fat for shortening?

Yeah its called flora white it says its for pastry shallow frying and roasting. I needed shortening for making some petal paste and I asked in my local cake decorating shop and she said to use that. There is also one called trex. I'm not sure if its the same thing as I have never seen what they use in the US. Perhaps if I had the ingredients off of the pack I could compare to the flora?
Lynne

I just looked it up and it sounds like what you are looking for.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortening

Thanks Lynne. I just went to Tesco to see what's in store. I didn't see any Flora white but saw some Trex and a couple others that say "perfect for baking." I am going to ask some cake shops around and see what they say to use. I called a few today but no one answers.

See, I can get some regular shortening like Crisco coz I have access to American Air Force bases and the store on base carries Crisco. But I just want to find some high ratio shortening coz that's what a lot of the experienced CCers swear by.

I will let you know what I find out from the bakers around when I call them again after the weekend.

If it is to make butter cream I dont think the bakers here use shortening they only use butter, also we mainly do fondant.
Lynne

hello does anyone know of where i can get high ratio shortening in the uk?

www.bakemark.co.uk/site/products/default.asp?cat=7
Hi ratio shortening here in the uk

I am not saying this with any certain knowledge, but my understanding is that hi ratio shortening is not widely available here in UK as it is full of trans fats, which are banned in EU in such concentration. As with so many things in life, it tastes so good because it is bad for you.
Incidentally, I do know that White Flora has been discontinued in UK as I have looked into it. Trex is similar to Crisco.

You could be right although this one states that is definitely does not having any trans or hydrogenated fats in it.

The only point of using hi ratio is to have the trans fat, you're better off using trex if the CSM one doesn't have trans fat.

I read that it was the added emulsifiers that made it better to use i.e. mixes better and is more stable because it allows it to hold together, you don't need trans fats to do this. Emulsifiers allow oil and water to mix when they normally wouldn't

Using anything but real butter in buttercream would get you kicked out of a village fete competition never mind the Trades Description Act violation lol!