I've recently discovered the benefit of substituting certain ingredients: at first it was because I foolishly started cooking or baking without checking I had everything, but now I've realised I can save money and time looking for possibly uncommon ingredients my nearby shop doesn't stock. For example, instead of Buttermilk you can just add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. Also, if you run out of icing sugar mid-baking, just blend corn flour and normal sugar. (Keep the lid on tightly though because you'll end up covered in sugar haha ) Do you guys have similar tips?
Thank you for these ideas! I usually encounter this problem when I am following an international recipe and the ingredients I need are not available in the Philippines. I check the website of different food manufacturers such as Del Monte and Kraft for substitute ingredients that they recommend.
This is possible with a lot of recipes. I can't think of any specifically, but there is often a simpler, cheaper and easier way to do things that tastes pretty much just as good. Once you get the hang of it, you'll know what you can and can't use. Although some tips, like the substitute for buttermilk are pretty specific, but you can pick those up in a good cook book.
Yes, I use substitutes all the time and find they can be very cost effective. For example, there are some recipes that call for sweetened condensed milk but rarely do I use the whole can. I have found the following to be a great recipe substitute: 2 Tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 eggs, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla. You can also use 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons dried milk and add 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup warm water to substitute. Many people are able to get dried milk for cheaper than brown sugar and so for this reason, I think the 2nd recipe might be more practical for money saving.
I'm rather new at cooking so for now I try to follow the recipes as closely as possible. I'm fearing that replacing certain ingredients plus my lack of skill will result in not so tasty food. Once I get better and know more about how ingredients taste when mixed together I'm positive that I'll start substituting ingredients, either because of costs or because I don't have them at hand.
I have similar tips indeed! Eggs are not a product I normally purchase because I don't use them often enough to utilize them before they spoil. Hooweever! There are MANY substitutes for eggs! Quite a variety, in fact.1/4 a cup of mashed bananas, vegetable oil, or apple sauce is equivalent to one egg each! It's a very useful tip for the kitchen. It's also a money saver. It prevents me from buying a carton of eggs when the recipe I want to try only calls for one egg. Easy peasy solution- just use a substitute. I hope this helps!
