People have been frying with shortening for how long? Well, the Crisco brand is right around the 100-year mark, so at least that long. (We assume you are talking about vegetable shortening? As a generic term, shortening can mean any fat or oil, which is used to make a short (tender) dough.)

BUT, vegetable shortening is definitely not among the best media for frying. It has a relatively low smoke point – sometimes as low as 370°F (188°C). That is already at the temperature edge of where you want to be frying, and since the smoke point drops as the oil is exposed to heat and oxygen and becomes contaminated with food particles, it soon drops into a temperature range that is impractical for frying.

Higher temperature oils are much better suited for frying, such as safflower oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, peanut oil, Canola oil, and refined olive oils, all of which are in the 450°F (233°C) ballpark and higher.