There may be a number of motives for wanting to substitute an ingredient in a recipe. You may have allergies or health concerns, or it might simply be that you are out of the ingredient and don’t want to rush out to the store. Not to worry, there’s always a substitute available. Here’s a list of some of the more common ingredients that you can use when you want to do a quick change up.
Salt: There are numerous salt substitutes on the market these days but they contain some health hazards to think about. Almost all salt substitutes have substituted the sodium of salt with potassium. People with kidney disease or other health concerns that impact their potassium levels should steer clear of these varieties of substitutions.
Low-Sodium Salts that contain potassium chloride and sodium chloride include: Morton Lite Salt, 50% less sodium than table salt and Diamond Crystal Salt Sense, 33% less sodium. No-sodium salts that contain potassium chloride include AlsoSalt, Morton Salt Substitute, NoSalt or Nu-Salt.
A good alternative to avoid the issue altogether is to use herb and spice blends such as Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Salt-Free Seasoning, Salt-free Spike, Mrs. Dash, Benson’s Gourmet salt-free seasonings or Penzeys salt-free spice blends.
Baking powder: If you are out of baking powder but still have baking soda available, you can easily substitute one teaspoon of baking powder with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda and swap a ½ cup of the liquid in the recipe with a ½ cup of buttermilk or sour milk.
Eggs: If you don’t have an egg and are preparing something that also requires baking powder, simply increase the baking powder by 1 teaspoon for every egg you leave out.
Vegetable oil: You may replace an equivalent volume of applesauce, or any other type of fruit puree, in baking recipes if you’re looking to produce a low-fat dessert. However, if fat is not an issue, you can also substitute with the same quantity of melted butter or margarine.
Chocolate: When a recipe requires one square of unsweetened baker’s chocolate, you may substitute it with 3 tablespoons of powdered cocoa and 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine.
Cream sauce: If your recipe requires homemade cream sauce simply substitute 1½-cups of cream sauce with any type of condensed cream soup and include a ¼-cup of water to thin out the soup.
Sugar: When you’re out of white granulated sugar or just prefer to substitute it with an alternative, you’ve got a number of options. One cup of sugar may be substituted with one cup of packed brown sugar. For a healthier option, you can also replace sugar with honey. Simply use an identical one-cup measurement; however reduce the liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons for every cup used. Molasses may also be used as an equal substitute for sugar, however, make sure that you decrease the liquid in the recipe by ¼-cup for every cup of sugar replaced.
Milk: There are lots of people who are lactose intolerant or have some other digestion problems with milk ingredients. If you don’t wish to use any kind of dairy products, there are a few alternatives. Soymilk and rice milk are the two most widely used and quite simple to find in the supermarket. Almond milk, coconut milk and milk made from grains such as oats and barley are also excellent choices. If you’re merely looking for a different kind of milk rather than what you’ve got available, you’ve got possibilities there too. If ever your recipe requires sour milk, just substitute one tablespoon of regular milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. 3-4 tablespoons of nonfat dry milk blended with a cup of water can take the place of a cup of skim milk. A ½-cup of evaporated milk together with a ½-cup of water is equal to one cup of whole milk.
Wheat flour: Wheat allergies are a widespread problem however it is also one that has lots of alternatives for recipe substitutions. Wheat flour may be substituted in equal amounts with corn flour or rye meal (not flour). Rye flour, on the other hand requires 1¼-cups of flour in exchange for one cup of wheat flour. For other kinds of flour you’ll typically use less flour to replace each cup of wheat flour. For instance: 7/8-cup of rice flour; 5/8-cup potato flour; ½-cup of barley flour.
Butter: When any recipe requires a ‘stick of butter’, the intended amount is a ½ cup of butter. Butter and margarine may be evenly swapped for one another in any recipe.
Regardless of whether it’s intended for health and wellness or simply to avert a trip to the supermarket, being aware of your choices makes cooking more enjoyable and less stressful. Let me know if I’ve missed any common ingredients that should be included in this list by posting your thoughts below.