Process for making a uniform liquid, pourable shortening containing high emulsifier levels

A process for making a uniform liquid, pourable shortening containing high emulsifier levels comprising:

• (a) preparing a melted base oil comprising between about 96% and 100% melted partially hydrogenated edible oil having an iodine value between about 90 and 133, and between 0% and about 4% melted highly hydrogenated edible oil having an iodine value of not more than about 8;
• then
• (b) blending a melted emulsifier containing at least about 30% monoglyceride with the melted base oil in proportions so that the monoglyceride content of the total blend is between about 12% and about 16%:
• (c) wherein the amounts of emulsifier and highly hydrogenated oil are chosen so that a plot of percent monoglyceride versus percent highly hydrogenated oil falls within the cross-hatched area EFGD in FIG. 1;
• then
• (d) in a first zone, rapidly cooling the melted total blend to a temperature between about 60.degree. F. and about 80.degree. F. to partially crystallize the blend;
• and then
• (e) in a second zone, working by agitation for a time of at least about 1 minute the partially crystallized total blend to form a liquid pourable shortening:
• wherein the product shortening has a solid fat index between about 3 and about 12 at 50.degree. F., between 0 and about 7 at 70.degree. F., between 0 and about 4 at 80.degree. F., between 0 and about 3 at 92.degree. F., and not more than about 3 at 104.degree. F.