An improved method for preparing a shortening composition comprising the steps of blending a non-hydrogenated vegetable oil with an emulsifier to form a liquid mixture, the emulsifier comprising monoglycerides and diglycerides; utilizing a pre-determined minimum cooling rate, a nucleation temperature and a nucleation time for the mixture; blending an inert gas into the liquid mixture until the mixture comprises at least 5% by volume inert gas; pumping the mixture through a scraped surface heat exchanger to rapidly cool the mixture, wherein the temperature of the mixture changes at a rate of at least the minimum cooling rate; controlling the cooling rate of the mixture within the scraped surface heat exchanger such that the mixture is cooled to the nucleation temperature before the mixture exits the scraped surface heat exchanger; pumping the cooled mixture from the scraped surface heat exchanger to a working unit before the nucleation time has elapsed, wherein the nucleation time is measured from the moment at which the mixture reaches the nucleation temperature, and wherein the working unit mechanically works the cooled mixture; and filling a metered amount of the shortening composition into a container for further processing and packaging.