What Exactly Is Vegetable Suet? [Shortening vs. Lard]

I’ve heard of suet and vegetable shortening.

But I was curious about vegetarian suet.

I performed some investigation and this is what I discovered.

Shortening and vegetable shortening, which seem to be quite similar to vegetable suet, are also available.

Thus, in this section, I’ll discuss if they’re the same thing, what alternatives there are to vegetable suet, and how it compares to lard.

Is Vegetable Suet the Same as Shortening?

Both vegetable suet and vegetable shortening are white and used in baking in the same manner.

So I was interested whether they were the same item and if there were any distinctions.

Vegetable suet and vegetable shortening are other popular bird feeder ingredients.

When seeds are combined with vegetable suet or vegetable shortening to form a solid item into which birds may peck.

At room temperature, regular vegetable oils are liquid, but vegetable suet and vegetable shortening are solid.

Because of its peculiar qualities, it is also often used in puddings and savory puddings.

Why vegetable suet/vegetable shortening is used rather than cooking oil

Suet was historically used because it is very hard at room temperature, similar to a bar of soap.

As a result, it was simple for individuals to carry and store.

When it came time to utilize it, some might be shaved off using a knife or grater and used as cooking oil.

It’s a typical major ingredient in recipes dating back to the 1800s.

It is still in use today.

It is very popular in traditional puddings in the United Kingdom, particularly in England and the United Kingdom.

The custom most likely moved with immigrants when they traveled to other regions of the globe in the 1800s, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, where recipe books and memorized recipes were brought with them (source).

Since some individuals choose a vegetarian or vegan diet over a meat-based one, demand for suet derived from vegetable sources increased.

Here, in my view, is where vegetable shortening, often known as vegetable suet, originated.

Suet is usually animal fat that has been reduced down.

It is usually purchased from the local butcher, who will either have some on hand or will create a special batch for you if you ask.

Cooking oil and containers that keep them are widely available

Vegetable oils are not extremely handy to utilize instead of suet due to the extensive availability of transportation, the fact that vegetable oils are simple to create using machines, and the general availability of plastic bottles to preserve them in.

Suet was roughly the same as butter or vegetable oil.

Instead of removing a bit of fat off a piece of meat and using it to oil a skillet.

Suet was largely employed for this purpose.

Olive oil is a common oil that is often used as a salad dressing, bread dip, and cooking oil.

At ambient temperature, olive oil is totally liquid, but in the refrigerator, it solidifies.

Many individuals are unsure how olive oil differs from vegetable oil.

In this post on the difference between olive oil and vegetable oil, I described the fundamental differences, how long they keep, and the best methods to store them.

Suet has different properties from oil – better suited for some recipes

Oil is liquid at normal temperature, while suet and shortening are solid.

As a result, suet is preferable in specific dishes, such as pastry dough and pudding.

Whereas once created and at room temperature, they retain their shape considerably better than if oil is utilized.

Pudding keeps its form until it is heated, at which point it melts and spills out.

Then it leaves little holes in the pudding, giving it a lighter texture.

Modern vegetable suet is available from various retailers

There are a few manufacturers that produce vegetable shortening, which is almost equivalent to vegetable suet.

They usually offer one made of animal products and one made of vegetable goods.

Suet and lard are quite similar in that when warmed and cooked, they are both white, hard, and have a greasy oily feel.

But are they interchangeable, and what are the distinctions between suet and lard?

This fat is substantially different in texture than fat from other regions of the animal.

The fat used to manufacture lard is known as leaf fat and is located in the rear of a pig’s rib cage after all of the organs have been removed.

Suet, on the other hand, is prepared from fat taken only from the loin or kidney area of cattle and sheep.

Mutton is meat from a male or female sheep that is at least one year old, as you may know.

Not to be confused with lamb meat.

It has a radically distinct texture and flavor than other portions of the animal’s fat.

Here’s an excellent video that demonstrates how suet is made:

Both suet and lard and made using an identical process

Suet and lard are created in the same manner.

The fat is sliced into little 1 to 2 inch wide chunks. It is then slowly heated.

The idea is to warm it but not cook it.

This procedure might take between 2 and 3 hours.

And it has to be stirred from time to time.

Animal fat comprises fibers, veins, and even organs from the animal.

This should be removed before cutting it into cubes.

Even with extreme caution, many fibers remain.

The fibers will separate from the oil when the fat is rendered.

Finally, after it’s totally melted, drain it through a strainer or a towel.

The amount of total fat that stays as fibers in the cloth colander is around 25%.

As a result, a batch of oil will include around 75% suet or lard.

It is then put into jars or molds and allowed to cool, resulting in beautiful white suet or lard.

Vegetable suet might be difficult to find in certain areas.

As a result, I was interested whether there were any more common components that might be substituted for vegetable suet.

Here’s what I discovered.

Individuals have reported swapping suet for butter in various recipes and claiming that the end result is still extremely tasty.

Others claim they’ve used butter instead of suet in puddings and found it to be just as wonderful.

Since it is less prone to splattering, vegetable suet or vegetable shortening is preferable to butter and cooking oils for frying meals.

This is because it has less water.

The major source of uncertainty seems to be the development of margarine.

It is vegetable oil-based butter.

It is produced by hydrogenating vegetable oil, which causes it to solidify at room temperature. This is the same technique used to produce vegetable shortening.

Since margarine, also known as vegetable oil spreads, vegetable suet, and vegetable shortening, have almost similar qualities but are commonly used for various reasons, they are labeled differently.

When they’re sold in shops, they’re branded differently.

Since lard is often more generally accessible than suet, you may be asking whether you can substitute lard in a recipe that calls for suet.

I checked into it and this is what I discovered.

Pig, mutton, and beef all have distinct tastes that are readily distinguished.

While suet and lard do not have a distinct taste, there are discernible flavor changes.

Suet and lard have somewhat differing melting points, varying by no more than 10 degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit.