Crisco
Crisco is an American brand of shortening and other cooking oils originally introduced in 1911 by Procter & Gamble.
Crisco is an American brand of shortening and cooking oils introduced in 1911 by Procter & Gamble. It was the first shortening made entirely from vegetable oil, marketed as an alternative to lard.
What it is
Crisco is a brand of shortening and cooking oils used in baking and frying. The original product was made from hydrogenated cottonseed oil, and the name is commonly explained as short for "crystallized cottonseed oil." The brand later expanded into liquid oils and cooking spray.
Key details
Crisco debuted in 1911 as the first shortening made entirely from vegetable oil. It was developed by Procter & Gamble and became a staple in American kitchens, especially for pie crusts and baking. The brand is now owned by B&G Foods, which acquired it in December 2020.
Why it matters
Crisco was promoted as a substitute for animal fats like lard and butter, shifting home cooking toward vegetable-based fats. It remains familiar to Canadian readers as a baking and frying shortening, especially in older recipes and pie-making traditions.
In short
- Introduced in 1911 as the first vegetable-oil shortening.
- Originally made from hydrogenated cottonseed oil.
- Now owned by B&G Foods (acquired 2020).
- Commonly used in baking and frying as a lard alternative.
Crisco is sold in North American grocery markets and is familiar to Canadian readers as a baking and frying shortening, especially in older recipes and pie-making traditions.
Quick questions
What is Crisco?
When was Crisco first introduced?
Who owns Crisco now?
Sources
- Crisco — https://crisco.com/our-heritage/Supports: Brand history and heritage; original all-vegetable shortening positioning.
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CriscoSupports: Introduction date, original producer, original vegetable-oil formulation, current owner, and product expansion.
- Live Science — https://www.livescience.com/history-of-crisco.htmlSupports: Historical account of Crisco as the first solid shortening made entirely from plant oil and its hydrogenation-based development.
- NPR — https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/01/09/144918710/the-forgotten-fascinating-saga-of-criscoSupports: Historical context on Crisco's rise, vegetable-oil formulation, and trans-fat reformulation.