Common Kitchen Helps for Recipe Substitutions

Most kitchens have common kitchen helpers available for recipe substitutions. Don't go into panic mode if you're making dinner and you are missing a certain item. You may have a quick substitute right in front of you.

1. Sour cream
Sour cream is often added to casseroles or baking..
Substitute: 7/8 cup sour milk and 3 Tbsp butter or margarine
8-oz.carton plain yogurt

2. Light Cream
Light cream is often used for a white sauce, cheese sauce, casseroles or baking.
Substitute 1 cup undiluted evaporated milk for cup light cream.

3. Buttermilk or sour milk
Buttermilk or sour milk is often used in baking cakes or cookies.
Substitute 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice and enough sweet milk to make 1 cup for cup of sour or butter. Let stand 5 minutes.

4. Lemon juice
Lemon juice is often added to barbeque sauces or other sauces.
Substitute 1/2 tsp. vinegar for 1 tsp. lemon juice.

5. 1 cup sugar
Sugar, as you know, is a main staple in most kitchens.
Substitute 1 cup powdered sugar, firmly packed brown sugar or 1/2 cup honey. If honey is substituted, reduce liquid by 1/2 cup.

6. 1 square unsweetened chocolate
Unsweetened chocolate is often used in frosting and baking.
Substitute 3 Tbsp. of cocoa and 1 Tbsp. margarine.

7. Onion powder
Onion powder is often used in casseroles, making meat dishes, pasta and veggies.
Substitute one small onion for 3/4 tsp. onion powder.

8. Corn syrup
Corn syrup is a sweetener that can be a regular syrup on pancakes or used when making things such as hot fudge or a chocolate sauce for ice cream/other desserts.
Substitute 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. Boil together and stir.

9. Baking powder
Baking powder is used in making bread, cookies, cakes etc.
Substitute 1/4 tsp. baking soda and 5/8 tsp. cream of tarter.

10. Fresh herbs
Herbs are used to enhance flavors in most all cooking.
Substitute 1 tsp. dried herbs, crushed.

11. Bread crumbs
Bread crumbs are added when making meat loaf, ham balls, scalloped dishes and as a topping.
Substitute 1 cup crushed cereal or cracker crumbs. Oatmeal can be substituted when making meat dishes.

12. Pumpkin pie spice
Pumpkin pie spice makes adding spices to pumpkin dishes quick and easy.
Substitute 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ginger, 1/8 tsp. ground cloves and 1/8 tsp. nutmeg for 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice. Cinnamon is needed, but you could probably go without the other spices. Your finished product will be more bland.

Hopefully these quick and easy subsitutions may save your day.

It's best to check ingredients before we begin, but time and surprise conditions sometime prevent our having everything we need to complete a recipe.