Substitutions

It seems to happen too often that I find myself in the middle of a recipe and missing a key ingredient.  When that happens, it's nice to know some substitutions you can use.  Here are some common substitutions that might help.

Herbs & Spices:

1 tsp dry = 1 Tbsp fresh
In other words... dry spices are about 3 times more potent than fresh spices

Check out this website for ideas of what herbs and spices to use if you don't have what you need on hand.

Other Useful Substitutions:
  • Baking powder (1tsp) -- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar + 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • Broth (1 cup) -- 1 cup water + 1 bouillon cube OR 1 cup water + 1 tsp bouillon granules
  • Butter (1 cup) -- 1 cup shortening + 1/4 tsp salt
  • Buttermilk (1 cup) -- 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar + enough milk to make 1 cup.  Let it stand for 5 minutes before using
  • Garlic (1 clove) -- 1/2 tsp minced garlic OR 1/8 tsp garlic powder
  • Half-and-half (1 cup) -- 1 Tbsp melted butter + enough milk to make a cup OR 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • Mustard, dry (1 tsp) -- 1 Tbsp prepared mustard
  • Onion, chopped (1/2 cup) -- 2 Tbsp dried minced onion OR 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • Sour cream (1 cup) -- 1 cup plain yogurt
  • Sugar (1 cup) -- 1 cup packed brown sugar OR 2 cups powdered sugar
  • Sugar, brown (1 cup) -- 1 cup sugar + 2 Tbsp molasses 
  • Tomato juice (1 cup) -- 1/2 cup tomato sauce + 1/2 cup water
  • Tomato sauce (2 cups) -- 3/4 cup tomato paste + 1 cup water
  • Wine, red (1 cup) -- 1 cup broth for savory recipes OR 1 cup cranberry juice for desserts
  • Wine, white (1 cup) -- 1 cup chicken broth for savory recipes OR 1 cup apple juice for desserts.  Also, if your recipe calls for canned mushrooms, you can use the mushroom liquid.
  • Yeast, active dry (1 packet) -- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
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