Bakery
Is it possible to change from a trans containing to a zero trans shortening in all my bakery formulas?
When transitioning from trans-containing shortening to the zero trans counterpart, slight changes to procedure or formulation may need to be made (i.e. creaming time, amount of water used, etc.)
Does all I.E. cake batter look curdled when mixing?
Yes, all I.E. cake batter looks curdled when mixing. This is inherent to I.E. shortenings. Mix the batter the way you always have.
When using palm shortening to make cakes, icing, or Danish/puff pastries/croissants, what can be done to remove the lumps ?
Cakes - Cream the flour and shortening 1st, or cream the sugar and shortening 1st, not just the shortening alone.
Icings - Put the sugar in 1st then cut the shortening into the sugar in 3 steps, while mixing on 1st speed.
Danish/puff pastries/croissants - Cream the shortening 1st and then apply to the dough.
When making icing, what do you do when shortening is too warm and soft?
Increase the sugar or cut back on the water. Keep the I.E. soy shortening refrigerated prior to using.
What will make it easier to roll the fat into the dough for Danish, puff pastries, and croissants?
Try to have the shortening and the dough the same temperature. This will help when rolling the fat into the dough.
What to do if the cake donuts are absorbing too much oil?
Make sure the batter temperature is between 68°F to 72°F.
Proof box for yeast raised donuts need to be 65% RH. If the RH is too high, it will wet the donuts and the donuts will pull in more fat when they are fried.
Temperature of the proof box should be around 95°F.
Fry temperature should be 375°F for yeast raised donuts and 365°F for cake donuts.
Frying
What is the best temperature for frying foods?
Frying oils work best, and last longer, if you fry at 350 degrees.
Why does Stratas recommend that restaurants filter their frying oil?
Filtering removes impurities and debris from the frying oil that can cause the oil to break down and darken more quickly. This can affect fry life and the look and flavor of fried foods.
Non-GMO Products
Does Stratas offer Non-GMO products?
Stratas offers Non-GMO products in the Foodservice, Food Ingredients, and Retail markets.
Does Stratas offer any products that are officially Non-GMO Project Verified?
Yes, Stratas has the following products Non-GMO Project Verified:
101341 BQ – BBS Flex Palm Shortening
101641 BQ -BBS Z Palm Shortening
104270 FR- Frymax Sun Supreme
104275 FR – Frymax Sun Supreme w/o Silicone
243010 FR – Frymax Sun Classic
543500 #G – Good As Gold Sunflower Oil
545000 %G – Good As Gold Peanut Oil
104420 YT – Superb Canola Oil
104490 SK – Sustain Sunflower Frying Oil
243000 SO – Sustain Sunflower Salad Oil
113200 SW – Sustain Sunflower Pan Spray
104520 XO – Trisun 80 RBWD Sunflower
Product Storage
At what temperature should I store Stratas oil products?
Most shortenings and oils can be stored at room temperature (65° to 85° F). However, palm-based bakery shortenings should be stored between 65° and 75° degrees. All margarines should be refrigerated.
Recipes
Where can I find recipes for your products?
Stratas recipes can be found under the Our Products tab on the website or by clicking here.
Retail Products
Where can I find bottled soybean oil?
Soybean oil is used in bottled oils labeled as Vegetable Oil.
Can Stratas combine Retail PO’s with Foodservice/Deli PO’s on the same truck?
If the separate PO’s are shipping from the same facility and will be delivered to the same facility, then yes, they can co-ship.
Does Stratas supply display pallets with multiple types of oil?
Yes, display pallets are available in the 48 oz. and 128 oz. bottles. These must be requested when order is placed.
Does Stratas have Shelf Ready Packaging?
Yes, SRP packages are available in the 16 oz., 48 oz., and 128 oz. bottles. These must be requested when order is placed.
Does Stratas have plans for a Retail distribution point on the West Coast in the future?
While we are always looking for opportunities to better serve our customers, intermodal shipments are a cost effective and reliable way to deliver product to the West Coast, minimizing delivered freight costs.
Does Stratas sell a 1 Liter bottle?
Stratas packs a 32 oz. bottle that is slightly smaller than a 1 Liter bottle.