Emergency Kitchen
Substitutions by Deborah Taylor-Hough
Do you ever find yourself all geared up and ready to make a
favorite recipe ... but then discover you're staring at an empty container of a
needed ingredient? Ugh. You don't want to run out to the store right now. So
what do you do?
Well, that's when emergency kitchen substitutions come in handy.
I've printed out the following list and keep a copy taped to the inside of my
pantry door at all times.
Although these substitutions will work in a pinch, I don't
recommend always substituting ingredients in your recipes. The recipes will
technically work with substitutions, but often the finished product won't be
exactly the same as when you use the original ingredients called for in the
recipe.
Also, be sure you don't make more than one substitution in a
particular recipe at once. The more ingredients you substitute, the more "off"
your product will be when you're finished.
EMERGENCY SUBSTITUTIONS:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For: 1 Tbsp fresh herb Use: 1/3 to 1/2 tsp dried herb (of the
same kind)
For: 1 clove garlic Use: 1/8 tsp garlic powder
For: 1 egg in baking Use: 1 tsp cornstarch plus 1/4 cup water
For: 1 whole egg Use: 2 egg yolks plus 1 Tbsp water
For: 1 cup whole fresh milk Use: 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus
1/2 cup water, or 1/3 cup dry milk plus 1 cup water
For: 1 cup buttermilk Use: 1 cup plain yogurt, or 1 cup sour
milk (4 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice plus milk to make 1 cup -- let sit for
five minutes before using)
For: 1 cup sour cream (in baking) Use: 7/8 cup buttermilk or
sour milk plus 3 Tbsp butter
For: 1 cup sour cream (in salad dressings, casseroles) Use: 1
cup plain yogurt or 3/4 cup sour milk plus 1/3 cup butter
For: 1 cup cream Use: 1/3 cup butter plus 3/4 cup milk
For: 1 cup corn syrup Use: 2/3 cup granulated sugar plus 1/3 cup
water
For: 1 cup brown sugar Use: 1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 Tbsp
molasses
For: 1 3/4 cup confectioners sugar Use: 1 cup granulated sugar,
packed
For: 1 cup margarine or butter (in baking or cooking) Use: 1 cup
hard shortening or 7/8 cup vegetable oil
For: 1 square unsweetened chocolate Use: 3 Tbsp cocoa plus 1
Tbsp oil
For: 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate Use: 1 ounce unsweetened
chocolate plus 4 tsp sugar
For: 3/4 cup cracker crumbs Use: 1 cup bread crumbs
For: 1 cup cake flour, sifted Use: 7/8 cup all purpose flour,
sifted (1 cup minus 2 Tbsp)
For: 1 tsp baking powder Use: 1/3 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 tsp
cream of tarter, or 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/3 cup sour milk
For: 1 Tbsp cornstarch for thickening Use: 2 Tbsp flour
For: 1 Tbsp flour for thickening Use: 1 1/2 tsp corn flour,
arrowroot, potato flour, or rice flour; or 2 tsp tapioca
For: 2 Tbsp tapioca for thickening Use: 3 Tbsp flour