" I Think It Was The Shortening"
Decorating By TheCakeShak Updated 14 Nov 2006 , 2:29am by TheCakeShak
Greetings Everyone.....
Had to mention this, because I guess it is true when someone says "it could happen to you..." Yesterday, I spent 3 hours attempting to make my snow white icing batch for 2 cakes for Sat.. As I "carefully" measured each ingredient, and while it was mixing, I go to taste and WHOA>>>>>>>>>> 
the whole icing batch I just made, tasted like "Metal".. I couldn't figure out what went wrong.. I even had my darling hubby do a taste test too..And he agreed, there was something wrong with it.. So I threw out that batch, and started over,, same thing happened again.....same yucky metal taste.. After 4 batches that got botched up......I switched over to a different icing recipe....finally,, these 2 batches turned out great.....I had noticed that the new can of Crisco I had just opened up for the first 4 batches, (this was way after the batches were mixed), that there was a heavy metal smell coming from the Crisco can inside....So, my hubby and I deduced it had to be the shortening......So, I "opened" another new can of Crisco and went from there.....
Does shortening go bad????? I even double checked all my expiration dates on all my ingredients and nothing expires until year 2008... I keep the shortening in the pantry in a dark corner of the pantry away from sunlight and any heat.... My other ingredients are in a differ cupboard with no heat or light getting to them.......
I have never had something like this happen.....has this happened to any of you?? and were you able to figure out what went wrong??????
Well, delivered the cakes Sat,,,,and the clients loved them.....YEAH !!!!! I always worry about how the icing tastes to the clients, if they like it or not or if its too sweet or not sweet enough.......
Thanks again........
hey everyone.....after reading the replies on the shortening thing,, I was able to go "dig" back in my trash can and retrieve the can of Crisco.....now I have to give them a call.........
But, I had a question.....how can powdered sugar go bad??? I looked on the confect's sugar bags I had used and couldn't find a expiration date anywhere?
I'm going to check this on the C & H website, hopefully I can find something.......
LEt me know......thanks.........
I always buy kroger brand shortening. It's in a cardboard/plastic can rather than carboard/metal. Hope you find out what happened!
Well, I had a small problem with my powdered sugar not too long ago. I bought some from Wal-mart and at my Wal-mart the powdered sugar is on the top shelf so I had to reach way back to get it because all the boxes on the front were out. Anyway, I got home and made my icing and while it was mixing, I noticed little small black spots in the icing. I was like, WHAT in the world is that??? I got the box and couldn't find an expiration date, but I'm figuring that it was a really old box because it was kind of hard to open and the bag it was in was a white paper bag folded down (this is the Domino brand). I know they used to be like that, but I thought they had changed it because when I first started buying confectioner's sugar, Wal-Mart was always out for some reason so I had to go to another grocery store and when I was buying the sugar there it was in a sealed plastic bag. The next time I made icing it was the same way-little black spots in the icing!! I'm figuring Wal-Mart had some old boxes stored away, maybe forgot about, with the confectioner's sugar and found them and put them out. Seems like it would be easy for bugs to get in that folded paper bag. Needless to say, I did NOT use those 2 batches of icing!!!
I've also had a problem with the Crisco smelling horribly. Now I try to only purchase what I will use quickly because it's a waste of money otherwise.
Haven't had any problems with confectioner's sugar. Have noticed black speckles sometimes in the granulated sugar so I switched to Domino's and from time to time still see them.
Here's some info from the Crisco website about the shelf life of their products:
http://www.crisco.com/about/faqs.asp
I'd give 'em a call about the metallic smell/taste. That doesn't seem right at all.
That is a wonderful link Whimsette.
CRASHDUMMIE-- it says the date is located normally on the bottom of the can in a weird way to decifer it is explained on the website at the above link provided by Whimsette. It says it is GUARUNTEED FRESH until such date so if it is before that date that it is nasty tasting I'd call them and tell them the code on the bottom of the can and request a refund or coupon for a free can of equal value. Most companies will accomidate your request for a replacement or refund because they want to keep your business, but they may ask that you return the un-used portion to them for inspection and testing at which time I'd ask them to send you a shipping label pre-paid so you don't have to incure any further expences in this obvious manufacture mistake. 
Greetings everyone.....
okay,,,,, I called Crisco this AM and told them my plight....they asked me if I still had the can,, and told them I went back into my trash can to dig it out..they asked me if I remembered where I purchased it from.....I told them I had thrown out the grocery reciept after getting home from buying groceries..they asked me to read to them the series of #'s on the bottom of the can.....and give them the expiration date...etc......
They told me they think the can came from the warehouse for the Food 4 Less grocery store..
They also told me that the can I had "was" exposed to heat and therefore, spoiled. I asked "even with the seal still intact?" I told her I just opened the can up the other day...
She was so nice and told me, that yes it can happen. That "this" batch of Crisco's were probably sitting in the warehouse for quite some time and or sitting directly near or under or around "heat".
So, they are sending me 2 coupons for 2 FREE cans of Crisco...and their sincere apologies....
I asked if they wanted my bad opened can of Crisco sent to them, they told me to go ahead and just throw it away.......so I did just that......
So, today I had to go to the grocery store and THIS TIME, I am keeping my grocery reciept in case my 2 MORE new cans of Crisco are bad.. then when I get the coupons,,, I will get more crisco as I need it....
Thank you for the info web site on Crisco....and thank you for the info on the Confect's sugar with the little black spots......creepy.......
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