How did hydrogenated cottonseed oil contribute to the development of shortening?

The development of shortening was fundamentally enabled by the invention of hydrogenation, a process that converts liquid vegetable oils into semisolid fats.12

In the early 1900s, the United States possessed a vast supply of cottonseed oil, a by-product of the Southern cotton industry that was naturally liquid at room temperature. By applying hydrogenation—adding hydrogen to the oil's unsaturated fatty acids in the presence of a catalyst—manufacturers were able to transform this liquid oil into a plastic, stable fat.13

This technological breakthrough allowed for the creation of products that were more resistant to rancidity and had a longer shelf life than traditional animal fats like lard or tallow. The commercial success of this process is exemplified by the 1911 introduction of Crisco, the first vegetable shortening made from hydrogenated cottonseed oil, which effectively launched the modern shortening industry.2