How to replace a missing or rare ingredient in cooking

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

What if you are cooking and suddenly there is not enough sugar or there are no bread crumbs in the cabinet? Run to a neighbor or to the store? No! You can find a replacement for the missing product. Even exotic ingredients from overseas recipes have available analogues. How to quickly replace the missing vegetable, sauce or spice, this one will tell you. But the most detailed navigator for interchangeable ingredients is in this table.

Main ingredients

Many products have, if not identical, then similar tastes. Especially after heat treatment. Therefore, if you are preparing a hodgepodge and have not bought capers, do not be upset. You can add the desired acidity to the soup with olives or pickled gherkins. Or, for example, if stewing meat requires white wine and is not in the fridge, simply replace it with chicken broth.

Sometimes we know what can be replaced with what. For example, famous ingredients used interchangeably are lemon juice and vinegar, baking powder, and soda ash. But how much of one ingredient corresponds to another? You will also find hints on proportions where it is important in the table.

Ingredient	Proportions	Replacement
Canned apricots		Canned peaches
Avocado		Chinese water nut
Orange	1 piece	6-8 Art. l. orange juice
Orange peel	1 tsp	½ tsp orange extract or 2 tbsp. l. orange juice
Artichoke		Canned sweet peppers
Bacon		Smoked ham or lean smoked pork (Canadian bacon)
Bulgur		Couscous or brown rice
Chicken or beef broth	1 glass	1 cup boiling water plus chicken or beef bouillon cube
White wine		Grape or apple juice, apple cider, chicken broth, or water
Red wine		Dark grape juice, red wine vinegar, broth, tomato juice, or water
Fresh mushrooms		Pickled or dried mushrooms
Capers		Olives or pickled gherkins
Lemon	1 piece	2 tsp powdered citric acid
Lemon juice	1 tsp	¼ h. L. citric acid diluted in water or apple cider vinegar
Lemon zest	1 tsp	½ tsp lemon extract
Leek		Onions or shallots
Flour (as a thickener)	1 tbsp. l.	½ tbsp. l. corn, potato, rice starch or arrowroot; 1 tbsp. l. granulated tapioca (cassava sago); 1 egg and 2 egg yolks or whites
Breadcrumbs		Oat flakes and chopped bran
Pepperoni		Salami
Pepper Scotch Bonnet		Habañero pepper
Serrano pepper		Jalapeno pepper
Beer		Apple cider or beef broth
Celery		Green pepper or fennel
Tomato juice	1 glass	Half a glass of tomato paste plus half a glass of water
Truffles		Shiitake mushrooms
Physalis		Fresh green tomatoes plus some lemon juice
Dates		Dried figs, raisins or prunes
Fresh grated horseradish	1 tbsp. l.	2 tbsp. l. horseradish seasoning
Chives		Green onions

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Dairy products and eggs

Dairy products and eggs are included in many dishes. Most dairy products are interchangeable. Difficulties are only with English-language recipes.

For example, cottage cheese - crumbly, with a pronounced milky taste - is considered a variety of young soft cheese in the West. There, granular cottage cheese is called country cheese - cottage cheese, and sour cream in taste and consistency is more reminiscent of Greek yogurt. Also, you cannot equate buttermilk with kefir or fermented baked milk. However, replacements can be found for all Western dairy products.

Ingredient	Proportions	Replacement
Ready mix of milk and cream (half and half)	1 glass	Incomplete glass of whole milk plus 1 tsp. ghee; half a glass of whole milk plus half a glass of liquid cream; ¾ cup whole milk plus ¼ cup heavy cream
Yogurt without additives		Sour cream or kefir grated with cottage cheese
Mascarpone		Any other cream cheese without additives
Butter		Margarine (for creams and baked goods); salomas or shortening (if oil is needed for frying or greasing); vegetable oil in a proportion of 80% of the amount indicated in the recipe (that is, 100 g of butter ≈ 80 g of vegetable); fresh cream (for creams and sauces, in a proportion of 120%)
Margarine		Applesauce or Prune Puree
Milk	1 glass	A glass of milk powder, diluted according to the instructions, plus 2 tsp. butter
Sour milk	1 glass	A glass of regular milk plus 1 tbsp. l. vinegar or lemon juice
Skimmed milk	1 glass	⅓ cup skimmed milk powder plus ¾ cup water
Whole milk	1 glass	A glass of skim milk plus 2½ tsp. butter; an incomplete glass of skim milk and a little heavy cream; a glass of water plus 4 tbsp. l. whole milk powder; half a glass of condensed milk plus half a glass of water
Mozzarella		Suluguni
Parmesan		Grana padano, mature aciago or pecorino
Buttermilk	1 glass	A glass of kefir or sour cream; ¾ glass of yogurt plus ¼ glass of milk; a glass of milk plus 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice (let stand 5 minutes)
Ricotta		Cottage cheese
Romano (cheese)		Parmesan
Condensed milk	1 glass	Beat a glass of skimmed milk powder plus half a glass of boiled water until smooth with ⅔ cup sugar and 3 tbsp. l. melted butter
Fat cream	1 glass	¾ glass of fresh milk plus 50-60 g butter
Low fat cream	1 glass	Half a glass of heavy cream plus half a glass of whole milk; an incomplete glass of fresh milk with 3 tbsp. l. butter
Whipped cream		Whisk well-chilled heavy cream; beat well cooled condensed milk with ½ tsp. lemon juice; beat milk powder and ice water in equal proportions, then, without stopping whisking, add the same amount of sugar and a little lemon juice
Cream cheese		Skim milk ricotta; beat the fat-free cottage cheese until smooth
Thick sour cream	1 glass	A glass of full-fat yogurt without additives or half a glass of cottage cheese plus half a glass of yogurt
Sour cream for sauces		Mix cottage cheese with yogurt (kefir) or cream cheese with milk
Goat cheese		Chees Feta
Cottage cheese		Soft cheeses
Cheddar spicy	200 g	200 g soft cheddar plus ⅛ tsp dry mustard and ¼ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Egg	1 piece	15 g of egg powder; 2 egg yolks or whites; 2 tbsp. l. milk plus ½ tsp. baking powder; ¼ glasses of mashed potatoes; ¼ a glass of canned zucchini or pumpkin; 2 tbsp. l. potato starch; 2 tbsp. l. water plus 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil and 2 tsp. baking powder
Egg white	1 piece	1 tbsp. l. dry egg white plus 2 tbsp. l. water
Egg yolk	1 piece	2 tbsp. l. egg powder (dry melange)

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Sauces and fats

Sauces play an important role in cooking. Most of them are sold ready-made. But, if you forgot to buy Tabasco or mayonnaise, it doesn't matter. You can find a way out.

Ingredient	Proportions	Replacement
Worcestershire sauce	1 tsp	1 tsp ready-made steak sauce; 1 tbsp. l. soy sauce, 4 drops of tabasco sauce, ⅛ tsp. lemon juice plus a pinch of sugar
Mustard	1 tbsp. l.	½ tsp dry mustard plus 2 tsp. vinegar
Cocktail sauce	1 glass	Mix 1 cup ketchup, 3 tbsp. l. horseradish (ready-made), 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice and 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Mayonnaise	1 glass	1 cup sour cream or yogurt; beat 1 egg, 160 ml of vegetable oil, 1 tsp. mustard, 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice and a pinch of salt and sugar
Tabasco		Cayenne or black pepper
Tartarus	½ cup	6 tbsp. l. mayonnaise plus 2 tbsp. l. brine
Lard		Shortening (confectionery or cooking oil)
Chili (sauce)	1 glass	A glass of tomato paste, ¼ a cup of brown sugar, 2 tbsp. l. vinegar, ¼ tsp. cinnamon, a pinch of ground cloves and allspice; a glass of ketchup, ¼ tsp cinnamon, a pinch of ground cloves and allspice
Shortening		Pork fat, butter or margarine
Shortening melted		Vegetable oil

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Oils and vinegars

You should not abandon the recipe if it uses not ordinary olive oil as a dressing, but, for example, sesame oil or Chinese vinegar. They have alternatives.

Ingredient	Proportions	Replacement
Sesame oil	1 tbsp. l.	½ tsp vegetable oil plus 1½ tsp. toasted sesame seeds
Hot pepper oil	¼ h. L.	¼ h. L. olive oil plus a pinch of cayenne pepper
Olive oil		Sunflower oil
Balsamic vinegar		Sherry or apple cider vinegar
Wine vinegar	4 tbsp. l.	3 tbsp. l. apple cider vinegar plus 1 tbsp. l. red wine
Chinese vinegar		Balsamic vinegar
Table vinegar		Lemon juice
Sherry vinegar		Balsamic vinegar

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Bakery

Baking is the ultimate culinary experience. Not everyone is friendly with dough and oven. Many people believe that when preparing sweet and savory pastries, you must strictly follow the recipe, otherwise nothing will work. This is true. But, if in the kitchen suddenly there was no baking powder or flour for baking, this does not mean that you will have to give up homemade buns or pies. Most of the ingredients in baking recipes are replaceable.

Ingredient	Proportions	Replacement
Agar agar	1 g	8 g gelatin
Arrowroot	1 tsp	2 tbsp. l. flour or 1 tbsp. l. corn starch
Vanilla (pods)	1 stick (5 cm)	1 tsp vanilla extract
Vanillin (powder)	1 sachet	Vanilla in pods, vanilla sugar or a couple of drops of vanilla essence
Cream of tartar	½ tsp	1½ tsp lemon juice or table vinegar
Ready mix for baking	1 glass	Half a cup of flour, half a cup of shortening, 2½ tsp. baking powder and ¾ tsp. salt
Pressed yeast	½ pack	2 tbsp. l. dry yeast
Dry yeast	1 tbsp. l.	25 g compressed yeast
Cocoa powder	4 tbsp. l.	30 g unsweetened dark chocolate
Ammonium carbonate	1 tsp	1 tsp baking powder (baking powder)
Coconut cream		Cream
Coconut milk		Cow's milk
Coconut flakes	1 tbsp. l.	1½ tbsp. l. freshly grated coconut
Corinka (pitted dark raisins)		Other raisins or chopped dates
Corn starch	1 tbsp. l.	2 tbsp. l. wheat flour; 2 tbsp. l. tapioca (cassava sago); 2½ tsp arrowroot
Light corn syrup	1 glass	A glass of honey or a glass of sugar plus ¼ glass of water
Dark corn syrup	1 glass	1 cup maple syrup or ¾ cup light corn syrup plus ¼ cup blackstrap molasses
Carob (carob pods)	1 tbsp. l.	1 tbsp. l. cocoa powder
Marzipan	2½ cups	2 cups ground almonds, 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 tbsp. l. corn syrup
Marshmallow		Marshmallow
Molasses (black molasses)	1 glass	A glass of honey or ¾ cup sugar plus ¼ cup water
Honey	1 glass	A glass of corn syrup 1¼ cup sugar plus ¼ cup water incomplete glass of buttermilk plus 2 tbsp. l. melted shortening
Flour for baking	1 glass	Incomplete glass of premium wheat flour (you can add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch)
Confectionery flour		Bread flour of the highest or first grade
Self-flowing flour (ready-made mixture of flour, salt and baking powder)	1 glass	A glass of premium wheat flour, 1½ tsp. baking powder and ½ tsp. salt
Potato flour	1 tbsp. l.	2 tbsp. l. wheat flour of the highest grade or 1 tbsp. l. corn starch
Corn flour		Wheat flour of the highest grade
Maize flour (masa kharina)		Corn flour
Rye flour		Wheat flour of the highest grade
Rice flour	1 glass	Incomplete glass of premium wheat flour
Flour high in gluten		Wheat flour of the highest grade
Whole grain flour	1 glass	Incomplete glass of premium wheat flour
Baking powder (baking powder)	1 tsp	¼ h. L. soda plus ½ tsp. vinegar or lemon juice; ¼ h. L. soda plus ½ tsp. tartar; ¼ h. L. soda plus ½ tsp. sour milk, buttermilk, or yogurt
Sugar (sand)	1 glass	A glass of brown sugar; 2 cups powdered sugar; ¾ cup honey or 1⅘ cup confectionery sugar
Burnt sugar (caramel cooler)	1 glass	A glass of regular sugar plus 2 tbsp. l. dark corn syrup
Brown cane sugar	1 glass	A cup of regular sugar (you can add some dark corn syrup)
Lump sugar (refined)	1 cube	1 tsp granulated sugar
Powdered sugar	1 glass	¾ a glass of granulated sugar or a glass of granulated sugar plus 1 tsp. corn starch - grind everything in a coffee grinder
Unsweetened chocolate	30 g	3 tbsp. l. cocoa powder plus 1 tbsp. l. butter, confectionery fat or margarine
Semi-sweet chocolate	30 g	30 g unsweetened chocolate plus 3 tbsp. l. Sahara; 3 tbsp. l. carob plus 2 tbsp. l. water

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Condiments and spices

Spices and herbs add flavoring accents to dishes. But there are so many seasonings that it is no wonder you get confused. The following table will help you better understand them, and, if necessary, find a replacement for a particular spice.

Ingredient	Proportions	Replacement
Anise	1 tsp	1 tsp dill seeds or a few drops of anise extract
Anise (extract)	1 tsp	1½ tsp anise seed
Basil	1 tsp	1 tsp oregano (oregano) or cumin
Carnation		Allspice, cinnamon, or nutmeg
Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix	1 tsp	½ tsp cinnamon, ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg, ⅛ tsp. dried nutmeg husk, ⅛ tsp. ground ginger, ⅛ tsp ground cloves; also see apple pie spice mix
Apple Pie Spice Mix	1 tsp	½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, ⅛ tsp ground allspice, ⅛ ground nutmeg; cardamom can be used instead of ginger
Ground ginger	1 tbsp. l.	⅛ h. L. ginger powder; allspice, cinnamon, ground nutmeg or dried nutmeg hulls
Ginger (freshly grated root)	½ tsp	¼ h. L. ground ginger
Italian spice mix	2 tbsp. l.	1 tsp. basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, sage and thyme
Cayenne pepper	⅛ h. L.	4 drops of Tabasco sauce
Cardamom	1 tsp	1 tsp ground ginger or 1 tsp. cinnamon
Curry	1 tbsp. l.	For ½ tsp. ground cardamom, cayenne pepper, ground coriander seeds, cumin, ground ginger and turmeric
Chervil	1 tsp	1 tsp chopped dried parsley plus ⅛ tsp. chopped dried sage; 1 tsp fresh parsley
Coriander		Parsley
Cinnamon	1 tsp	¼ h. L. nutmeg or allspice
Cinnamon sugar	250 g	200 g granulated sugar plus 50 g cinnamon
Sesame (seeds)	1 tbsp. l.	1 tbsp. l. chopped blanched almonds
Turmeric	1 tsp	1 tsp dry mustard
Kitchen herbs	1 tsp	By ¼ h. L. dried thyme, oregano, sage and rosemary
Bay leaf	1 whole sheet	¼ h. L. chopped bay leaves
Onion Powder	1 tsp	1 tbsp. l. chopped onions
Marjoram		Basil, thyme or savory
Ground celery seeds with salt	1 tsp	¾ h. L. salt plus ¼ tsp ground celery seeds
Nutmeg		Dried nutmeg husk, cinnamon or ginger
Mint		Basil, marjoram or rosemary
Oregano		Thyme, basil or marjoram
Paprika flakes	1 tsp	1 tsp cayenne pepper
Fresh chopped parsley	1 tbsp. l.	1 tsp dried chopped parsley
Dried parsley	1 tsp	1 tsp cilantro or chervil
Allspice	1 tsp	½ tsp cinnamon plus ½ tsp. carnations; ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp cloves and ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
Ground red pepper (paprika)		Hot ketchup or black pepper
Chili peppers, dried and chopped	1 tsp	1 tsp ground red pepper
Seasoning for poultry	1 tsp	¾ h. L. sage plus ¼ tsp thyme
Rosemary		Thyme, tarragon (tarragon) or savory
Celery seeds (for pickles and marinades)	1 tbsp. l.	1 tbsp. l. dill seed
Five Spice Blend	5 tsp	1 tsp. anise, cinnamon, ground dill, ground cloves and ground black pepper
Table salt	1 tbsp. l.	1½ tsp kosher (i.e. coarse) salt
Salt mixture with spices	4 tsp	2 tsp table salt, ½ tsp. sage, ½ tsp. dried parsley, ½ tsp. onion powder, ¼ tsp. marjoram and ¼ tsp. paprika
Dried nutmeg husk		Nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, or ginger
Thyme		Basil, marjoram, oregano or savory
Caraway		Chili powder
Fresh herbs	1 tsp	½ tsp dried herbs
Dried chopped herbs	1 tsp	¼ h. L. powdered dried herbs
Chopped fresh dill	3 tsp	1 tsp dried dill
Dill (seeds)	1 tsp	1 tsp caraway
Wuxiangmian (Chinese Five-Spice Blend)	1 tsp	By ¼ h. L.anise seeds, cinnamon, ground cloves and ground ginger
Cymbopogon (Lemongrass)		Melissa
Savory		Thyme, marjoram or sage
Fresh garlic	1 clove	⅛ h. L. garlic powder; ¾ h. L. chopped garlic; ½ tsp garlic salt; ½ tsp garlic juice; 1 tsp garlic paste
Garlic Powder	⅛ h. L.	½ tsp garlic juice or garlic salt; 1 tsp garlic paste
Garlic salt	½ tsp	Chopped fresh garlic clove; ½ tsp garlic juice; ⅛ h. L. garlic powder
Chili powder	1 tbsp. l.	2 tsp caraway seeds, 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1 tsp oregano and ½ tsp. garlic powder
Tarragon (tarragon)		Chervil, dill seeds, or anise seeds

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