6 Lard Vs Vegetable Shortening For Pie Crusts That Grandparents Used to Know

You pull the pie from the oven, and the scent of baked apples and cinnamon fills the kitchen. But underneath that, there’s another aroma—the rich, satisfying smell of the crust itself. Our grandparents knew that the secret to a truly memorable pie wasn’t just in the filling, but deep in the flaky, tender architecture of the crust, a structure built on fat.

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The Classic Fats for a Traditional Pie Crust

When you talk about a truly old-fashioned pie crust, you’re talking about one of two fats: lard or vegetable shortening. Lard is simply rendered pork fat. It was the standard on any farm or homestead where pigs were raised, a natural and essential byproduct of the butchering process. Nothing went to waste.

Vegetable shortening, on the other hand, was a product of the industrial age. Brands like Crisco, made from hydrogenated vegetable oils, offered incredible convenience and consistency. It was modern, clean, and didn’t carry the "animal" association that was beginning to fall out of favor.

For generations, the choice between these two defined a baker’s pie. Lard was the fat of the land, connected to the seasons and the life of the farm. Shortening was the fat of the pantry, reliable and always ready. Understanding the difference is the first step to reclaiming that traditional pie-making wisdom.

Lard’s Savory Depth vs. Shortening’s Neutrality

The most immediate difference you’ll notice is taste. Good lard, especially from a pastured pig, has a subtle, savory character. It’s not aggressively "porky," but it adds an unmistakable richness and depth that you just can’t get from anything else. This quality makes it a champion for savory pies like chicken pot pie or a classic tourtière, where it complements the filling perfectly.

Shortening is the exact opposite. It is engineered to be a complete blank slate. There is no flavor, no aroma, nothing to interfere with the delicate taste of a fresh peach or strawberry-rhubarb filling. For bakers who believe the filling is the absolute star of the show, shortening’s neutrality is its greatest strength. The crust provides texture, but it stays quietly in the background.

This is the fundamental tradeoff. With lard, the crust becomes an active participant in the pie’s overall flavor profile. With shortening, it’s a neutral delivery system for the filling. The best choice depends entirely on what you want your finished pie to be.

Creating Flaky Layers: The Science of Fat

Flakiness comes from one simple principle: solid pieces of fat creating layers in the dough. As the pie bakes, the fat melts and the water within it turns to steam, puffing up and separating the dough into delicate, shatter-on-your-fork layers. The type of fat you use directly impacts how this process works.

Lard has a unique crystalline structure that is naturally fantastic for creating large, irregular flakes. Its melting point is higher than butter’s, which gives you more time to work the dough before it gets greasy. The result is a crust that is both incredibly flaky and exceptionally tender, with a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth quality.

Vegetable shortening is chemically designed for this job. It has a very high melting point, making it incredibly forgiving, especially for new bakers or in a warm kitchen. It’s easy to cut into the flour and produces a reliably tender and flaky crust. The flakes might be a bit more uniform and less characterful than those from lard, but the consistency is undeniable.

Home Rendering Lard vs. Store-Bought Shortening

As a hobby farmer, this is where the connection to your land and animals really comes into play. Rendering your own lard from pig fat—especially the prized leaf fat from around the kidneys—is a time-honored skill. It gives you complete control over the quality and results in a pure, clean fat that is worlds apart from the hydrogenated blocks you might find at the store. It’s a process that honors the whole animal.

Shortening, of course, is the pinnacle of convenience. You buy a can, and it sits in your pantry for a year, exactly the same every time you open it. There’s no work involved, no rendering, no filtering. For a busy household, this is a powerful advantage that can’t be dismissed.

The quality of store-bought lard can be a mixed bag. Some is hydrogenated and deodorized to be more like shortening, stripping it of its unique qualities. If you aren’t raising your own pigs, seeking out a local farmer who sells pure, unadulterated rendered lard is the next best thing. The difference between that and a generic supermarket block is as stark as night and day.

How Each Fat Affects Crust Color and Browning

You can often spot the fat used in a crust just by its color. Shortening, being 100% pure fat, tends to produce a paler, more uniformly golden-blond crust. It browns nicely, but it lacks a certain depth of color.

Lard, on the other hand, often contributes to a richer, more complex browning. Even well-rendered lard contains trace elements that can encourage the Maillard reaction, resulting in a beautiful, mottled crust with varying shades of golden and deep brown. This visual appeal often signals the richer flavor waiting inside.

This isn’t just about aesthetics. That deeper browning from a lard crust also corresponds to a more complex, toasted flavor. It’s a subtle but significant difference that experienced bakers look for. The color tells a story about the taste.

Pantry Stability: Storing Fats The Old Way

One of shortening’s biggest historical selling points was its incredible shelf life. It was designed to be pantry-stable for months, even years, without refrigeration. This was a game-changer for home cooks who didn’t have access to consistent cold storage.

Our grandparents, however, knew that lard was a pantry staple in its own right. Properly rendered lard—with all the water cooked out and impurities filtered—is remarkably stable. Poured into clean jars and stored in a cool, dark place like a cellar or pantry, it can last for many months without going rancid. This was how fat was preserved for the winter.

The key is the quality of the rendering. Any water or leftover meaty bits will cause spoilage. For absolute peace of mind, many of us who render our own today simply store the jars in the freezer. This preserves the fresh, clean flavor of the lard indefinitely and removes any worry about spoilage.

The Historical Shift in Views on Animal Fats

For much of the mid-to-late 20th century, animal fats were public enemy number one. Lard was pushed aside in favor of "healthier" vegetable shortening. This was a powerful marketing narrative that fundamentally changed how people baked and cooked for generations.

Today, our understanding has become more nuanced. We know about the downsides of the trans fats that were present in early versions of shortening. We also recognize that a minimally processed fat like lard, especially from a pastured animal raised on a diverse diet, is a very different product from the fats produced in an industrial system.

For many hobby farmers and homesteaders, choosing to use lard is about more than just a recipe. It’s a conscious decision to return to whole, unprocessed foods. It’s about utilizing every part of an animal you raised with care and reclaiming the traditional foodways that were nearly lost.

Choosing the Right Fat for Your Perfect Pie

Ultimately, there is no single "best" fat for every pie. The right choice depends on your priorities: flavor, texture, tradition, or convenience. Grandparents knew this instinctively, matching the fat to the filling and the occasion.

Here’s a simple framework to guide your decision:

• For maximum savory flavor and a supremely flaky, tender crust: Use high-quality, home-rendered lard. This is the champion for meat pies, quiches, and rustic fruit pies where the crust is a star.
• For a foolproof, reliable crust with a neutral flavor: Use vegetable shortening. It’s perfect for delicate custard or cream pies where you want the filling to be the sole focus.
• For the best of both worlds: Do what many old-timers did and use a blend. A 50/50 mix of lard and butter gives you the superior flakiness of lard and the rich, creamy flavor of butter. This is a truly winning combination.

The best teacher is your own oven. Try making two small crusts, one with lard and one with shortening, and taste them side-by-side. That direct experience is the kind of practical wisdom that makes you a better baker, connecting you to the generations who knew these truths in their hands and on their palates.

The debate between lard and shortening isn’t just about baking science; it’s about the kind of kitchen you want to keep. Whether you reach for the farm-rendered jar or the store-bought can, you’re making a choice that connects you to a specific piece of culinary history.