I would like to make buttercream with high ratio shortening and never have done this. I have always used crisco and really cant stand the taste. Is there a big taste difference in the two?

IMHO I don't notice much difference in the taste - maybe just less of a greasy taste in the mouth. But it does seem to be creamier and holds up better in different tempatures.

If you can't stand the taste of buttercream with Crisco - I don't think hi-ratio will make that much of a difference. Maybe you could try the hi-ratio and enhance with more flavoring?

IMO there is a big difference. I don't notice the greasy taste so much with hi-ratio and my icing is so much creamier and smoother.

I think that there is a difference as well. Mouth doesn't feel like you have a glob of grease in it and the texture is much smoother and creamier. Also, crisco doesn't give me a crust and it leaves the icing on the cake looking greasy. With hi ratio you get a dry, sort of flat finish. Makes it easier to use a paper towel or paper to smooth out any imperfections.

Cynita

Thanks all, I really appreciate it!!!

Could you suggest a name brand for the high ration shortening? I'm not familiar with it since I always use Crisco, but I'd like to try something else as well, Thanks.

Sweetex is one. Alpine is another. Those are the only ones that I know...

CK also has a Hi Ratio Shortening, it comes in 3lbs tubs.

I use Sweetex now and I love it! It's way better than Crisco!

I use Alpine C and love it. But I haven't tried Sweetex. My supplier only sells it in 50# cubes and I don't want to sweitch.

Where can you but the high ratio stuff. All I have within 35 miles is Food Lion, Kroger, Super Walmart, and.....nope that's it.

I buy the 50lb boxes of Sweetex, lasts me about a year
I can't make WBHbc (Whimsical Bakehouse buttercream) without it.

Hi kimmypooh79 ~ I tried to order Sweetex from Sweet Celebrations recently, but they were not able to ship it to me due to the hot weather. I'm on the east coast and the rep was nice enough to tell me it'd never survive the trip. So I was able to get Alpine from supply store 2.5 hours away. (Guess I'll have to stock up in the fall!!!) ... HTH.

I use a generic brand I get locally and it works fine. You might check with your grociers bakery and see if they will sell it to you.

I'm confused about the hi ratio shortening. I bought some from a cake and candy supply shop and it looks like old Crisco. Remember when you used to have cans of Crisco for cooking and half way thru it got that "look" like it had been used too much? Kinda dry looking but not really dry because it's pure fat? That's how the hi-ratio looked when I bought it. Is that right? Why does everyone prefer it? Is it just because it stands up better to decorating? I have a hard time imagining something that looks so gross actually not tasting like pure fat in your mouth and is better than the Crisco that is out nowadays.

I realize butter and Crisco are fat but did I maybe get something old since it looks so gross?? I'm so confused

I dont know the 'look' your talking about.....hi-ratio is just white, like Crisco...I think the sweetex is a little more, ummm, clump-ier I guess....???? Not sure how to describe it.....
Honestly, my icings turn out sooooooo much better when I use it.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the stuff......
Maybe you got some old stuff from the candy store....that happened to me when I first bought it.
When its old, it has kind of a transparent look to it, not a solid white.
Zat make sense...?????