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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: BWCA Food and Recipes :: Lard, Crisco vs Oil/ butter
 
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shock
07/07/2017 08:31PM
 
quote billconner: "quote mjmkjun: "Lard? Really? It's such a vein/artery clogging agent. Later in life you'll pay dearly in bypass procedures if you keep using Lard. Make up a good batch of Ghee (clarified butter) at home before your departure. It'll hold well, taste wonderful and cooks up your fish terrifically.
If you attempt to make some Ghee at home DO NOT multitask. Watch your simmering pot of butter transforms slowly at lowest burner setting--and the end stage requires attentiveness. When the stuff on the bottom of pot starts to brown pull from heat otherwise it'll turn black it (burn) fast if left unattented. Trust me on this. "




In defense of lard: Lard



All things in moderation. And a handful of fried fish meals one week a year is not significant in the long term regardless of what you use. "
+1 my thoughts exactly !
 
overthehill
07/08/2017 08:56PM
 
Me too.
 
FOG51
07/09/2017 05:37AM
 
On my latest solo [got back just before the 4th of July] I tried the butter flavored Crisco. I cooked a small walleye and fried some fry bread in it and it worked well, I cook over a homemade twig stove which is sort of tough to keep everything from burning but the Crisco worked well. It packed well, stayed in a semisolid state in just a small Tupperware containor. I will use it next month when my crew heads for Ontario for a week or so. Used about a spoonful to cook the fish and dread. FRED
 
doubledown
07/07/2017 10:35AM
 
I'm going to echo the thoughts of a couple other opinions in that my canoe trip diet isn't the same as my diet the rest of the year. I've made peace with it. You might think about doing the same.


A lot of folks consider me a health nut most of the year, but this isn't just any vacation. This...is...the...BOUNDARY WATERS! Fresh walleye, pike, trout and even smallmouth cooked over an open fire is a celebration of what this precious land has to offer us! This is not a time to pinch pennies or start a weight loss program. For me, all the paddling & chores ease my mind when debating about what type of fat to cook my fresh fish in.


BUTTER - What is there not to love about butter? I guess the only thing is that, unlike ghee, it has a shelf life if left unrefrigerated. Butter is cost effective and flavorful. It is one of many great choices to bring.


GHEE - I love the flavor of ghee (clarified butter) and I love that it doesn't need to be refrigerated. It's a little pricier than butter, but stays in liquid form and, if you're able to keep it in a secure part of your pack, you shouldn't have any issues with leakage.


BACON GREASE - I am planning on bringing a small jar of bacon grease to add in with the butter/ghee that I use for frying. A little bit of this stuff goes a long way in terms of flavor. Here's an experiment if you've got young children - try serving them eggs cooked with oil and see if they eat them (no cheese added). Then try serving them eggs cooked with just a small amount of bacon grease. It is amazing how little bacon grease is required to total change a simply plate of scrambled eggs. Same works if you've got an older dog that isn't eating as much as he should...bacon grease magic people.


LARD - I was raised in a butter, olive oil and bacon grease family. I had 4 great grandparents who lived to be 90/100 and used butter and bacon grease on a cast iron skillet for everything more days than not. I have never really been exposed to or used lard, so I have no opinion or judgement of it.


I was on a 14 day trip in WCPP about 8 years ago and there was a 76 year old in my crew. We had experienced 3 days of consistent rain...us young bucks were getting a little downtrodden and he told us to "remember that we are having fun". That's always stuck with me and I think it applies to menu planning. Simple things like a good meal at the end of a day (rain or shine), can make all the difference of how you remember that day/trip.




 
billconner
07/06/2017 07:26AM
 
quote mjmkjun: "Lard? Really? It's such a vein/artery clogging agent. Later in life you'll pay dearly in bypass procedures if you keep using Lard. Make up a good batch of Ghee (clarified butter) at home before your departure. It'll hold well, taste wonderful and cooks up your fish terrifically.
If you attempt to make some Ghee at home DO NOT multitask. Watch your simmering pot of butter transforms slowly at lowest burner setting--and the end stage requires attentiveness. When the stuff on the bottom of pot starts to brown pull from heat otherwise it'll turn black it (burn) fast if left unattented. Trust me on this. "



In defense of lard: Lard


All things in moderation. And a handful of fried fish meals one week a year is not significant in the long term regardless of what you use.
 
butthead
07/06/2017 02:53PM
 
I keep simplifying things and if one will do why take two?
I use butter and cook accordingly, fish does not need high temp and dries out quickly. Besides butter tastes better than the rest and is more versatile. Does not go bad fast enough and just keep it shaded below 90 degrees. Used ghee but real butter works as well for me.
May be a Wisconsin thing!


butthead
 
Birdknowsbest
07/05/2017 09:08PM
 
quote mjmkjun: "Lard? Really? It's such a vein/artery clogging agent. Later in life you'll pay dearly in bypass procedures if you keep using Lard. Make up a good batch of Ghee (clarified butter) at home before your departure. It'll hold well, taste wonderful and cooks up your fish terrifically.
If you attempt to make some Ghee at home DO NOT multitask. Watch your simmering pot of butter transforms slowly at lowest burner setting--and the end stage requires attentiveness. When the stuff on the bottom of pot starts to brown pull from heat otherwise it'll turn black (burn) fast if left unattented. Trust me on this. "



I have never used Lard. I know my grandparents did and they both made it to their mid-80s but I understand your point. I will probably use Ghee, but I would just buy it. I did watch a couple of YouTube videos on making it, but I dont mind spending the money on some to try. I just wanted some other ppls advice on a cooking substance that will last longer and weighs less than oil.
 
Wetbutt
10/04/2017 07:38PM
 
To make ghee--unsalted butter in a Dutch oven--uncovered in an oven @ 250° for 3 hours.I do 3 pounds at a time--strain thru cheesecloth into a liter nalgene bottle.This recipe from Cooks magazine.
 
keth0601
12/01/2017 10:29AM
 
We've always just brought canola oil along. High smoke point, healthier than any of the animal based fats, and cheap. If you're shallow/pan frying lard/butter/Crisco would work ok, but no better than oil. For deep frying you need an oil with a high smoke point so oil is the ticket there. Deep frying at lower temps equals grease-soaked nastiness (something I learned frying tens of thousands of walleye fillets as a chef at the Hinckley Grand Casino...)


I've never had an oil bottle leak in the dozens of trips I've taken but last year I brought a liter of olive oil in a platypus on a week-long mountaineering trip in the wind river range to save weight and avoid leaks (food crammed in a pack for trips like this suffers a good deal more abuse than on canoe trips). If you're worried about leaks I would just do that or use a regular nalgene bottle.

The only solid fat I bring is the butter for bannock, pancakes, and sometimes in a hot drink when it's cold...
 
muddyfeet
12/05/2017 08:57PM
 
quote Hub: "I've always used peanut oil. It has one of the highest smoke points of any oil and it keeps indefinitely. I always carry my food in buckets so I don't worry about it spilling in a pack."


Hub knows oils: Peanut oil and sesame oil are my favorites for frying just about anything.


When I worked at a bakery in high school we used lard in the donut fryer. It came in 50b blocks and anything fried in there was pretty tasty.
 
mjmkjun
07/03/2017 01:43PM
 
Lard? Really? It's such a vein/artery clogging agent. Later in life you'll pay dearly in bypass procedures if you keep using Lard. Make up a good batch of Ghee (clarified butter) at home before your departure. It'll hold well, taste wonderful and cooks up your fish terrifically.
If you attempt to make some Ghee at home DO NOT multitask. Watch your simmering pot of butter transforms slowly at lowest burner setting--and the end stage requires attentiveness. When the stuff on the bottom of pot starts to brown pull from heat otherwise it'll turn black (burn) fast if left unattented. Trust me on this.
 
Grandma L
07/02/2017 08:48PM
 
You might check the "burn" temp of each of your options - copuild make a difference when cooking. I like Crisco better on the trail because of the packaging. Or, olive oil in a small nalgene bottle.
 
Birdknowsbest
07/02/2017 08:53PM
 
quote Grandma L: "You might check the "burn" temp of each of your options - copuild make a difference when cooking. I like Crisco better on the trail because of the packaging. Or, olive oil in a small nalgene bottle."


We currently use Olive oil and store in aluminum bottles with screw tops. Never had one leak, but I'd like another option. Sounds like Crisco butter or Ghee is my best bet.
 
bwcasolo
07/03/2017 04:55AM
 
quote AdamXChicago: "Might want to look into ghee. Generally stays solid and comes in smaller plastic containers at Trader Joe's.



"

you can make your own ghee, we put ours in a smaller nalgene bottle with an opening i can get a spoon in, last all week, stays solid, and is delicious.
 
FlambeauForest
07/03/2017 01:15PM
 
Lard. Usually a brick of armour for a one week trip. Mmmmm pork fat seared walleyes. Gets soft but never any issues to pack or cook with.
 
AdamXChicago
07/02/2017 05:10PM
 
Might want to look into ghee. Generally stays solid and comes in smaller plastic containers at Trader Joe's.



 
Frenchy19
07/02/2017 05:52PM
 
Do not know any answers to your question, but I do remember when McDonalds did their fries in lard...yum!!!
 
Birdknowsbest
07/02/2017 05:27PM
 
quote AdamXChicago: "Might want to look into ghee. Generally stays solid and comes in smaller plastic containers at Trader Joe's.



"



Thank you. Never heard of Ghee but it seems to just what i am looking for. How much do you need vs oil to fry fish.
 
Birdknowsbest
07/02/2017 06:17PM
 
quote Unas10: "We use the Crisco sticks and that seems to work well."


How long do they last and do they do much to affect the taste?

 
Savage Voyageur
07/02/2017 07:00PM
 
We use butter flavored Crisco to fry our fish. It has a high burn temp and does not smoke as much as oil, butter, or ghee. This is very important when it comes to frying fish. You need the oil temp to be high to seal the fish so it's not so greasy. It comes in a tub or sticks like butter. It is very travel friendly. Left over goes into the fire.
 
johndku
07/02/2017 07:39PM
 
Crisco or similar product for us. I'd hate to have a liquid oil product bottle break and get all over my gear.
 
jwartman59
07/02/2017 07:41PM
 
On a 45 day trip we brought lard. it stayed good. However it snowed on that trip and it was July/august
 
AdamXChicago
07/02/2017 07:51PM
 
quote Birdknowsbest: "quote AdamXChicago: "Might want to look into ghee. Generally stays solid and comes in smaller plastic containers at Trader Joe's.




"




Thank you. Never heard of Ghee but it seems to just what i am looking for. How much do you need vs oil to fry fish."



About half the 8-oz jar is good for three meals (about six walleye / twelve filets). That was for a party of three hungry paddlers. The container is pretty durable and packable.
 
Birdknowsbest
07/02/2017 04:50PM
 
Was watching a Youtuber who was on a 9 day trip in northern Canada. They were using lard to cook. We never have used this on our trips.

We are planning a longer trip and normally use oil for our cooking needs. We are not planning on dehydrating our meals.

I have found that frying fish uses the most oil and it can be heavy to carry. I know butter wont keep with the warmer temps.

Has anyone used Lard or Crisco for frying? What are the beneifts vs. trade offs on it versus oil or butter.

Thank you.
 
Unas10
07/02/2017 06:12PM
 
We use the Crisco sticks and that seems to work well.
 
Hub
07/03/2017 06:52AM
 
I've always used peanut oil. It has one of the highest smoke points of any oil and it keeps indefinitely. I always carry my food in buckets so I don't worry about it spilling in a pack.
 
billconner
08/23/2017 07:31PM
 
I firmly believe in things in moderation when it comes to food and drink. Follow your own instincts when it comes to ...err...romantic relationships. Im not a big believer in moderating that.
 
bobbernumber3
08/24/2017 09:39AM
 
quote billconner: "I firmly believe in things in moderation when it comes to food and drink. Follow your own instincts when it comes to ...err...romantic relationships. Im not a big believer in moderating that."


I must be not understanding the train of thought on this one?
 
BuckFlicks
08/23/2017 02:49PM
 
quote mjmkjun: "Lard? Really? It's such a vein/artery clogging agent. Later in life you'll pay dearly in bypass procedures if you keep using Lard. Make up a good batch of Ghee (clarified butter) at home before your departure. It'll hold well, taste wonderful and cooks up your fish terrifically.
"



Pure lard isn't any worse for you than butter. In fact, it's probably better ... no trans fats and 50-60% monounsaturated fat vs 45% monounsaturated fat of butter. Half the saturated fat of butter. They have similar cholesterol percentages.


Making ghee does even the playing field a bit as it removes some of the saturated fats of butter.


The problem is finding lard that hasn't been processed with hydrogenated fats and such. You sacrifice heart health for shelf stability - unsaturated fats go rancid quickly.


But if you're that worried about heart health, skip the ghee and use olive oil.
 
ogarza
08/22/2017 10:47AM
 
quote mjmkjun: "Lard? Really? It's such a vein/artery clogging agent. Later in life you'll pay dearly in bypass procedures if you keep using Lard. Make up a good batch of Ghee (clarified butter) at home before your departure. It'll hold well, taste wonderful and cooks up your fish terrifically.
If you attempt to make some Ghee at home DO NOT multitask. Watch your simmering pot of butter transforms slowly at lowest burner setting--and the end stage requires attentiveness. When the stuff on the bottom of pot starts to brown pull from heat otherwise it'll turn black (burn) fast if left unattented. Trust me on this. "



This is very outdated information, and not true at all.
You can cook in either ghee or lard and they are both fine in moderation, just as they are both bad when used in excess. It could be argued that out of ghee, lard, and tallow, lard and tallow are healthier than ghee, it just comes down to personal taste.
Modern day margarine is just refined vegetable oil, when you are portaging every day or every other day you could drop a spoon of any of these on your meals during the trip and not worry about your health.
 
shock
07/03/2017 08:19AM
 
another person for the crisco bars , on one trip a fellow member had oil in his back pack and yes the lid/cap came off , glad i wasnt him. crisco bars last as long as you want them to.