Because I spend lots of time in my kitchen, I often run into some situations where I need something in a pinch. And, well, since our small town lacks a local grocery store, I usually don’t have the time (or want to use the gas) to run into town again to get one thing. Most of the time, things turn out great, but there is a bit of a learning curve with finding substitutions. And while there are certainly many more things you can do on short notice, today’s post is a list of 10 tricks for substitutions in a pinch.
I do need to thank my step-dad for this suggestion for a post. I don’t usually think much about my substitutions, but on a recent visit, he had a question and mentioned that I should share a few of my tricks with you all as well. So I hope you’ll find something useful as you read, starting with my step-dad’s predicament:
1. Herbs
If you don’t grow your own herbs, buying fresh ones form the store in small amounts can really add up. I do buy fresh if I think it will really affect the recipe, but not always. You can usually replace fresh herbs with dried herbs, but knowing how much is important.
When herbs are dried, all the moisture that they had in their fresh state is no longer there. If you think of a sponge, it’s bigger when it has more water, and smaller when it has less water. But it’s still the same amount of sponge. Herbs are the same way. So when a recipe calls for fresh herbs, you’ll need to use much less of the dried version.
I’d recommend starting with about 1/3 of the called-for amount, and increase to about 1/2 if needed.
2. General Measurements
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon? How many cups in a gallon? If you ask yourself these questions frequently, it may be handy to have a conversion chart in your kitchen! Here is a link to a FREE Printable Conversion Chart from Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen on Pinterest.
3. Rising Doughs
If you’ve ever made an bread product, you know that a warm place is required for rising the dough. Especially right now with the colder weather, a warm spot can be hard to find. Some of my favorites are on top of a preheating oven, inside a cool oven with the light on, and over a running dishwasher. I also like to do this if I’m feeling a little impatient and want the dough to rise faster.
4. Bowl Covering
Even though I know how to sew bowl covers, I still usually cover my dough with cling wrap. But sometimes, I run clean out and need to bake before I can make it to the store. What I like to do in this case is use a damp tea towel. The moisture will help keep your dough from drying out.
5. Buttermilk
Lots of yummy recipes call for buttermilk, but unless you’re making your own butter regularly, you may not have any on hand. If this is your predicament, you have a couple of options. You can use an equal measurement of plain yogurt for the buttermilk, or you can make the next best thing. Add about 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to one cup of milk and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. The acid will curdle the milk, and you’ll have a deliciously soured buttermilk substitute!
6. Half ‘n’ Half
Having milk, cream, and half ‘n’ half in my fridge can make it feel cluttered, especially if I only need small amounts of each of them. I usually keep milk and cream on hand and just make half ‘n’ half as needed. You can do this by mixing equal parts whole milk and heavy cream, because, well, that what it is!
7. Sour Cream
This one is harder to get away with if sour cream is just a topping, but if you’re baking or mixing it into something, you can use an equal measurement of plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. Both are sour and have similar consistencies. This is one of my favorite substitutions in a pinch.
8. Cooking Oils
If there’s a specific flavor you’re looking for, like from bacon grease or coconut oil, you may not be able to do this, but in many cases you can. If a recipe calls for a less-than-ideal fat like vegetable or canola oil, you can absolutely used butter in its place. I personally like a buttery flavor added to almost anything.
9. Eggs
I find myself running out of eggs pretty quickly, and it’s always when I need them most. You have a few options here, like making a flax or chia seed egg substitute, but did you know you could also use mayonnaise? If you have mayo but no eggs, use about 3 tablespoons of mayo in place of one egg. Obviously this won’t work for scrambled eggs, but you should be okay for baking.
10. Roux
This one is a favorite of mine, because I have many gluten-sensitive friends. I love making saucy dishes, but many of those foods call for a roux, which is a fat and flour cooked together before adding liquid for the sauce. Luckily, many gluten-sensitive people can tolerate fermented grains. My favorite thing to do in this case is to combine equal parts sourdough discard and fat (about 2 tablespoons of each) and then add it to the liquid for the sauce while whisking.
