Have any of you noticed a "chemically", "stale" aftertaste with the Crisco Vegetable Shortening?

About 2 months ago...I purchased 2 - 3lb tubs of the Crisco Shortening.
I noticed an aftertaste in it when I sampled my icing. I pride myself on my icing flavor and was mortified. No one seemed to notice...but I have very sensitive tastebuds.
Anyhow..I called the company and complained about it, giving the code on the bottom of the can, and they sent me coupons to replace those 2 cans.
I thought, maybe this was a fluke...and so I used the coupons a couple of days ago.
I am taking a course tomorrow and have to make the Wilton Buttercream recipe using only Shortening ....(which I don't like at all)...and the icing tastes horrible!!..same freaking aftertaste!
The shortening even smells off. So...I called an complained about it again.
I will be sending them a sample of the can....maybe it is the can itself leaving the bad aftertaste..I dunno.
For now, I'll stick to the noname brand...it doesn't taste bad at all. Sheesh!
Any of you have that issue, ever??

I normally buy the crisco in the premeasured bars. I haven't had that problem. Maybe it is the can. Keep up posted, I would love to know.

Im not a Crisco fan either, I rarely use it.

I had bought some to do a fbc decoration on a halloween cake, in hopes to follow the directions to make it correctly. Well I had all that crisco left over so I made some pie crust 1/2 & 1/2 butter & bf crisco and it tastes so bad that two pies went in the trash. I don't know if its just a crisco thing or not but Im going all butter from now on.

I haven't had that problem, but a few students in my class have said something about it. I just thought they bought a bad brand. I'll have to ask which one they bought - and suggest trying a different kind. Let us know what the company tells you. Thanks for the info.

I usually buy the individual sticks of crisco that are already measured in cups and have not noticed a chemical aftertaste. Maybe it is something from the can.

I also buy the individual bars and have not had that problem.

You're not alone:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-46496-chemical.html+crisco

HTH

Exactly! Chemicals!
I dont think I tasted it in the icing I originally made because of all the sugar.

I use the pre-measured sticks as well and I've never had this problem.

I've read a number of other post where people have had the same problem. I myself have never run across a bad can. You might want to try getting it from a different store if you can. I know in at least one case Crisco told the person having the problem that it sat in the store's warehouse too long and got too hot.

I wonder also if its the canned product? Mine is the canned kind, and you know I didn't even bother to look at the date either.

YES! Thank you! I've been having this problem with the Crisco canned shortening on and off for years now. Recently I got a few bad batches in a row (date good, brand new) so I have switched to generic for now. I didn't want to pay $75 for a big thing of Sweetex until I get more constant business. But if I get busier I will do that.

The Walmart brand generic is too wimpy but I got another grocery store brand in a plastic tub and it does not taste like chemicals and it seems to have a decent consistency.

I have noticed that others do not seem to notice the bad taste with the Crisco icing but I notice it BAD and its just awful to me. I can hardly bear to serve my customers using that junk but I have had to in a pinch a few times.

No more Crisco for me.

Could it possibly be the flavorings you're using? Not sure--just a thought?

--Knox--

No its definately the Crisco, you can smell it right out of the can.

I buy Crisco all the time... from the can... I wish I could buy the bars, but waaaay to expensive in my area..

I don't get the aftertase either... Maybe your tastebuds are sensitive to stuff like.. I've heard people than can taste things others cannot.

Have you tried using less Crisco than what the recipe calls for?

I use 1 cup of Crisco instead of 2 cups as called in the Wilton Recipe for buttercream.

I usually buy the 3lb cans and have not had any problems. However, I usually use half crisco/half butter plus whipping cream, so maybe the butter/whipping cream masks the taste. I definitely have not noticed a smell (and my nose is super sensitive).

My DIL complained of my last batch of BC from a new can of Crisco as being "kinda sour".
Hmmmmm.....think I'll look into an alternative.
I didn't like it as much as some of my past frosting, but I was very good and only had a small taste.

I just threw out a tub of Crisco last week because of the taste and smell. I thought I did something wrong but now I know I did not.

Really? You can smell it? Wow, I wonder what is up with that.

I smelled mine and it doesn't smell like anything at all.

I am truly mistified about this...

I called years ago when I first started getting bad cans and they did absolutely nothing about it, so I gave up.

IMO the best grocery brand is "Snowflake" but that is only down south.

But anyway Crisco DEFINATELY has a noticeable chemical smell in many of the cans (not all cans) and in the really bad ones, it makes the icing taste awful.

My husband said my last batch of frosting tasted like roasted marshmallows because of a bad can of Crisco.

I have the sticks for frosting, but use the can to grease my hands with. The last can was smelly, but not the sticks.

Perhaps because of the cardboard, it absorbs odors from the warehouse?

You know I sniffed my Crisco... okay thats kinda weird but I had to check it. It doesn't smell chemically (smells like bf crisco) but when I made the crust it did! I wonder if the cooking did it? I can't imaging the flour or butter would impart a chemical flavor.

I made two batches of my regular BC and I thought it had a chemical taste to it. I made another BC batch last weekend and same thing, yucky chemical taste. I'll call the 800 number when I get home. Thanks to everyone who posted on this.

I only use the Kroger brand, and now I know why. Thanks!

hey yall!
did you know they have changed the crisco to non-saturated? i was reading on another site that some folks who use it in their decorating are not happy with it at all. i am dreading buying a new can. maybe i'll just go with kroger. i havn't noticed anything amiss since i began decorating on a regular basis about 6 months ago. Linda

I was finally able to call Crisco last night & guess what! The gentleman in customer relations said that nobody has EVER complained about this! I told him that I had been told by a lot of people who use this for icing HAVE complained to them but he kept insisting they hadn't. I told him to write it down that I had called but I doubt anything will come of my phone call.

I use the bars and I have never had a problem with an aftertaste. Maybe you could just test it out - but the bars once and see if that takes care of the problem?
Good luck!