When you’re aiming for total or near self-reliance, and you want to cook mostly from your own garden or locally available organic produce, you’re probably going to run into an ingredient that you don’t have. You don’t have to give up gourmet cooking just because you can’t get a specific type of ingredient. In most cases, there are some easy kitchen substitutes that can result in a lovely meal. While the list of substitutes that could be helpful is endless, here are a few common substitutions that would be handy to have memorized (or at least stuck to the fridge!)
- Two tablespoons of corn starch and one cup of all-purpose flour can be used in place of one cup of cake flour.
- One cup of white sugar and one teaspoon of molasses can be used in place of one cup of brown sugar.
- Applesauce, bananas, flax seed, and oils that don’t have strong flavors can be used in place of eggs when baking.
- One cup of whole milk and one tablespoon of vinegar can be used in place of buttermilk.
- One teaspoon of dried herbs can be used in place of one tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs.
- One-quarter cup of Worcestershire sauce and one tablespoon of water can be used in place of one-half cup of soy sauce.
- Lemon juice and vinegar can be substituted in a 1:1 ratio for almost any recipe.
- An equal amount of chicken or beef broth can be used in place of wine or beer for soup or meat recipes.
- Sour cream, yogurt, mayonnaise, and mashed avocado can be substituted in a 1:1 ratio for almost any kind of dip, sauce, or in baking.
If you are out of eggs or vegan, here is an video on egg substitutes:
Any time you are missing an ingredient for a recipe, don’t reach for the cookbook and start over; there are many ways to substitute with ingredients that you already have to make your meals a success.
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