what is the difference between butter,margarine and shortening?

Answer 1

Actually many of you have it wrong and "intelligent_friendlist..." has it right (according to nutritional science).

Margerine is absolutely one of the WORST things you could put into your body. All other forms of heat processed vegetable oils (including shortening) are right behind.

If you are going to use fat products for cooking etc., the best and safest (health wise) would be natural animal fats such as butter and lard.

(I could give you a bunch of refs. but why should I? Go look it up for yourselves, you guys obviously need the exercise!)

Answer 2

They are all considered to be a form of shortening. Butter is made from cream. Margarine is a man made substance and shortening such as Crisco is a vegetable matter. Then there is lard which is usually pork fat that has been boiled in water and then cooled what rises to the top is lard. There are other forms of lard such as schmaltz Witch is usually chicken fat. Hope this helped.

Answer 3

Butter is traditionally 100% churned cream with/without salt, Margarine is a food product made usually from vegetable oils churned with or without ripened skim milk to a smooth emulsion and used like butter, and Shortening is any edible semi-solid fat usually used to add fat to baked goods(as pastry dough) in order to make tender and flaky or for frying (like Crisco). Shortening has a higher smoke point than butter and margarine, and it has 100% fat content, compared to 80% for butter and margarine. Vegetable shortening is believed to be damaging to human health since it generally contains trans fatty acids.

Answer 4

Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. In many parts of the world, butter is an everyday food.

Margarine is a fatty solid butter substitute consisting of a blend of hydrogenated vegetable oils mixed with emulsifiers, vitamins, coloring matter, and other ingredients.

Shortening is a solid fat made from refined vegetable oil that has been partially hydrogenated and whipped.

Answer 5

Butter is made from cream, margarine is made from vegetable and animal fats sometimes mixed with skim milk, salt and emulsifiers (like lecithin) shortening is usually made from a hydrogenated vegetable oil that stays solid at room temperatures. of the three margarine is the most healthy for you although it does contain quite a bit of trans fats.

Answer 6

Butter is made from cream/animal products, margarine is mostly vegetable oil/fat products and shortening is -- I don't know exactly what it is. A lot of solid oil, made to mimic lard (solid fat) from years ago? I know shortening makes a great moisturizer for cracked elbows and heels -- but not sure it's very heart-healthy for cooking with!

Answer 7

Butter is made from cream. Margarine is made from oils. Shortening is made from animal fats. Thomas S.

Answer 8

Butter should be made from 100% heavy cream only. In America, we can't get any better than Land-o-Lakes which is really inferior in itself. Margarine is made from vegetable oil and food coloring - if thickened through hydrogenation, it is the most caustic, dangerous food product in the world. (Also watch out for pasturized process cheese food product = fast food cheese which is colored vegetable oil again). Shortning is thickened vegetable oil and (again) watch for hydrogenated (poison). Lard is rendered animal fat usually from pigs. In actuality, the most healty choices are butter and lard in moderation.