# Is palm shortening different than palm oil?



## Dana

I can get a gallon for $30 and wondered if it's the same as the oil?


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## jdranch

It is different


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## Guest

30.00 a gallon is a high high price.. you can get palm oil much cheaper than that... 
Try columbus foods... some local 
Gordons food supply will order for you 
Barb


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## tmfinley

Palm shortening is mixed with other oils, probably soybean or cottonseed oil. I get 5 gallons of organic sustainable palm oil for $60 something from Columbus.


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## Aja-Sammati

*Not* if the palm shortening is Spectrum. It is 100% organic, sustainable palm.


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## tmfinley

What makes Spectrum's Palm shortening shortening? If it is 100% palm oil why wouldn't it be just called palm oil? Is it homogenized? I haven't ever heard of an organic sustainable homogenized palm. Is it solid when cool or spreadable? When I think of shortening I think of something easily scooped and spread. I emailed the Spectrum company and asked them but while I await their answer does anyone else know? I'm sure it is way to expensive to use in soap making but I am very curious.


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## hsmomof4

Probably it is homogenized...you can buy no-stir, refined, blended, deodorized (RBD) homogenized palm oil. I'd bet it's very similar. (The RBD palm is very similar in consistency to shortening.)


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## Aja-Sammati

Because palm is a vegetable oil, it is considered a vegetable shortening. If you read the label it is 100% palm oil. Non-hydrogenated. Ingredients: Mechanically pressed organic palm oil. If you read up on their suppliers, you find out that it is grown in South America in sustainably managed plantations (as opposed to slash & burns in Orangutan forests). I would think it is called shortening so people know what to do with it...many people do not realize you can use palm oil as shortening in cooking.

I was given some out of date Spectrum from a health food store that I tried- my normal palm is also certified organic & sustainable, but is bought in 50# buckets from suppliers such as soaperschoice. There is actually a lot of difference between the different palms in consistency & color. I have used regular palm, organic/sustainable & the spectrum. The Spectrum was nice, but way too expensive, the organic is much nicer than the regular. I have never had a 50# bucket of the o/S palm have a problem with melting or settling, while I did with the regular. The Spectrum has never melted at room temp either. IT is about 80-85 degrees where my oils are stored in the summer.


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## tmfinley

I did read all of the information their site had on the oil but I still had questions. I also use the organic sustainable palm from Columbus and have done a lot of research on s/o palm thus am curious about this Spectrum brand that doesn't fit in with all of the info I had on it. 

"I have never had a 50# bucket of the o/S palm have a problem with melting or settling, while I did with the regular. "

Michelle, could you clarify this statement for me? Do you mean your o/s palm is homogenized?


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## Aja-Sammati

> Do you mean your o/s palm is homogenized?


Sorry for the lack of clarity. I have no idea, can't find the MSDS for my current bucket, so I am waiting on an email from the supplier. The regular palm that settled was homogenized, but it got too hot where I had it stored. I think the reason I have had no problems with the buckets of s/o is because I order them in winter months and they never get hot enough to melt. I do know that the small containers of Spectrum have never melted either, even though they have been closer to heat sources. The Spectrum, as it ages, gets tiny little hard balls equally distributed through the oil. I figured it is the stearic separating out. Natural cocoa butter does the same thing in smaller containers, but I've never had one of my large blocks do that.


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## Aja-Sammati

The soaperschoice s/o palm is _not_ homogenized.


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## tmfinley

Aja-Sammati said:


> The soaperschoice s/o palm is _not_ homogenized.


Exactly. It would be great to find s/o that was homogenized.


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## Aja-Sammati

I am happy it isn't.


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## tmfinley

Why?


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## Aja-Sammati

Simple prejudice, if it isn't broke, don't fix it! I had problems with the block of homogenized I bought- it separated out stearic! None of my s/o has never separated or gotten chalky spots. I am very careful now though with where I store it, and when I order it, which could be why I have never had any problems. Also I can honestly tell my customers that it has been processed less, sometimes they ask (Californians )


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## NubianSoaps.com

Crisco shortening in Texas is 100% soybean oil that has been hydrogenated, the sap is exactly the same as are the results. I do not think you guys are talking about homogonized...as in milk is homogonized, you guys are talking about hydrogenated in which hydrogen is added to make a liquid soild? My customers also do not want my shea refined and do not want my oils hydrogenated.


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## hsmomof4

Actually, they have homogenized (not hydrogenated) palm...mixed so that you don't have to re-melt every time to make sure that the stearic is evenly distributed. But you have to get that in the cooler months because it has a tendency to melt if it's hot in transit, which 1) makes a mess and 2) messes up your homogenization. At least from Columbus, it comes in a 50# bag in a box (like lard) instead of a pail.


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## tmfinley

Yes, we are talking about homogenized. I only use the sustainable organic palm from Columbus which is not homogenized.


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