Cottolene was the first mass-produced alternative to lard, made with cottonseed oil and beef suet. It was launched in 1868 by the N.K. Fairbank Company and advertised as a vegetable shortening more pure and wholesome than lard. 

Although cotton isn’t a vegetable, the FDA defines any oil sourced from plants—regardless of whether it comes from a fruit, nut, seed, or vegetable as a “vegetable oil.”

Cottolene looked like lard and came packaged in pails, just like lard. It was aggressively promoted through advertisements and published cookbooks (like the one referenced below) to encourage its use in everyday cooking.

It had a neutral taste and a long shelf life and well as being less expensive than lard and butter.

Crisco was introduced in 1911 and eventually replaced Cottolene in the market.

INFORMATION BELOW FROM THE 1913 BOOK “52 SUNDAY DINNERS”

Although this book was published in 1913, Cottolene was introduced in 1868 by the N.K. Fairbank Company, publisher of this book. (View or download the book by clicking on this link https://www.gutenberg.org/files/31534/31534-h/31534-h.htm

=================================================
FOR ALL SHORTENING AND FRYING, USE “COTTOLENE”

Cottolene is not offered the housewife as a cheap imitation of either butter or lard, but as a vegetable product which is superior to either for cooking purposes. Because it happens to be about half the price of butter, or less, is an additional reason for its use. The main argument for the use of Cottolene is the purity of its ingredients and the wholesomeness of the food prepared with it.

There isn’t an ounce of hog fat in Cottolene, and from cottonfield to kitchen human hands never touch the product. It is pure and absolutely free from taint or contamination from source to consumer. Packed in our patent, air-tight tin pails, Cottolene reaches you as fresh as the day it was made. Lard and butter are sold in bulk, and do not have this protection.

Cottolene is always uniform in quality, and because of its freedom from moisture it goes one-third farther than butter or lard, both of which contain about 20% of water. It is much more economical than lard; about 50% more so than butter.

Because Cottolene is made from sweet and pure oils, refined by our own special process, it makes food more digestible. Its use insures light, flaky pie-crust; it makes deliciously crisp, tender doughnuts; for cake-making it creams up beautifully and gives results equal to the best cooking butter. Muffins, fritters, shortcake and all other pastry are best when made with Cottolene; it makes food light and rich, but never greasy. Cottolene heats to a higher temperature than butter or lard, and cooks so quickly the fat has no chance to soak in.

You can fry fish in Cottolene and use the remaining fat for frying potatoes or other food. The odor of fish will not be imparted to the other food fried in the fat. Cottolene is just as pure and healthful as olive oil, and is unqualifiedly recommended by leading physicians, domestic science authorities and culinary experts as wholesome, digestible and economical. The use of Cottolene in your frying and shortening will both save you money and give you better results.

THE USE OF COTTOLENE FOR SHORTENING
Of course, the recipes in this book indicate the exact amount of Cottolene to be used. In your other recipes, however, a general, and important, rule for the use of Cottolene is:

Use one-third less Cottolene than the amount of butter or lard given in your recipe.

For cake-baking and other pastry, cream the Cottolene as you would butter, adding a little salt; Cottolene contains no salt. 

THE USE OF COTTOLENE IN FRYING
In sautéing, browning or “shallow frying” (as it is sometimes called) use only enough Cottolene to grease the pan. The Cottolene should be put into the pan while cold and, after the bottom of the pan is once covered with the melted Cottolene, more can be added as desired. Add more fat when you turn the food.

Cottolene can be heated to a much higher temperature without burning than either butter or lard, but—unless allowed to heat gradually—the Cottolene may burn and throw out an odor, just as would any other cooking-fat.

For deep frying, have Cottolene at least deep enough to cover or float the article being fried, heating slowly. For uncooked mixtures, such as doughnuts, fritters, etc., test with one-inch cubes of stale bread. The cubes of bread should brown a golden brown in one minute; or test with a bit of dough, which should rise at once to the top with some sputtering. Make this test always,—never trust your eye. The fat should be kept at an even temperature. For cooked mixtures, such as croquettes, fish balls, etc., the cube of bread should brown a golden brown in 40 seconds.

Uncooked fish and meat are better when covered with bread crumbs, to keep the crisp crust desired in frying food. The fat should be hot at first, that it may not penetrate; then reduce the heat, that the food may cook till done, without burning.

Never let the fat heat to smoking point, for then it is burning hot, and the food will burn on the outside while the inside remains raw and uncooked. Cook only three or four pieces at once, for more will chill the fat and prevent perfect frying.

After the food has been cooked by this frying method it should be carefully removed at once from the fat and drained on brown paper.

CARE OF COTTOLENE AFTER FRYING
After the frying is done, the fat should be allowed to stand in a cool place to permit any sediment to settle. When cool, pour the fat carefully through a double fold of cheesecloth, or through a fine strainer. It is then ready for use.

Cottolene does not retain the taste or odor from any article whatever that may be fried in it, and it may be used over and over again. You may from time to time, add fresh Cottolene to it as your quantity diminishes, but the frying qualities of the Cottolene are not affected by the shrinkage of the fat.

Click on the link below to view or download the cookbook “52 Sunday Dinners” on Project Gutenberg.org.

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/31534/31534-h/31534-h.htm

=================================================

What Shortening or Cooking Oil Do You Use Most? Please Leave a Comment Below.

=================================================