13 Cooking Hacks When You’re Missing Ingredients

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angie_nrs

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I learned a couple of hacks reading this article. Sometimes you just have to make do with what you have on hand. Knowing that there are substitutions out there can certainly help when you need to improvise in a pinch. I think this is a good discussion to have. I'll bet there's some folks on the forum that can post some more cooking shortcuts.

13 Cooking Hacks When You’re Missing Ingredients
https://mypatriotsupply.com/blogs/s...jCCO1JuZwZVmAmskkXqeQiPQ3hCjPCXTt8gECO.TLRHJG
 
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I have been making the recipe for buttermilk for as long as I have been cooking. Our family recipe for banana bread calls for sour milk, made the same way, milk and a little vinegar.

I like the idea of using avocado in place of butter, but as many of you, I am more likely to have butter than avocado.
 
I put up my own file for flavoring gumbo . I keep sassafras trees for this purpose . This past early summer I was picking and drying the leaves when a rain moved in , so that stopped the process for the day . I thought I probably had enough processed for the year but found out I didn't . So I ordered a jug of it online . The wife says my homemade file is better than the commercial .
 
I put up my own file for flavoring gumbo . I keep sassafras trees for this purpose . This past early summer I was picking and drying the leaves when a rain moved in , so that stopped the process for the day . I thought I probably had enough processed for the year but found out I didn't . So I ordered a jug of it online . The wife says my homemade file is better than the commercial .
Northerner here! I read this a couple times, thinking of a file, like a folder full of files. Nope! I know this seasoning. I have always called it gumbo file. Now how to put the diacritical mark over the e in file?
 
I was at a primitive skills outing several years ago. Most folks there were herbalists. One family from LA. They gave a short talk on sassafras, the history and it's role with settlers, (sassfras will thin blood better than warfarin). They also told us about when to harvest the leaves for file, 1st full moon of august.

When cooked file thickens, very similar to the role okra plays in gumbo.
 
I learned a couple of hacks reading this article. Sometimes you just have to make due with what you have on hand. Knowing that there are substitutions out there can certainly help when you need to improvise in a pinch. I think this is a good discussion to have. I'll bet there's some folks on the forum that can post some more cooking shortcuts.

13 Cooking Hacks When You’re Missing Ingredients
https://mypatriotsupply.com/blogs/s...jCCO1JuZwZVmAmskkXqeQiPQ3hCjPCXTt8gECO.TLRHJG
Great article, thanks for posting it! I'm not close to town and sometimes ya gotta make do!
 
I keep canned chicken noodle soup in the house. Pretty boring meal... Sometimes I add some Chinese 5-spice, some fresh ginger, chop some green onions if I have them. Then I have chinese chicken noodle soup.

Add a little redwine vinegar and red pepper flakes then its Hot n Sour chinese chicken noodle soup.
 
@poltiregist For file, I always heard sassafras leaves were harvested during the full moon of August. Is that the way you do it?
Actually I don't know if I harvest sassafras leave at the right time or not . I just wait until they are fairly mature and nice and green to harvest them . I can believe the full moon of August timeline in Louisiana . That may have originated with the voodoo stuff in that region . I am originally not far from Louisiana , coming from southern Mississippi and only about 30 miles from the Louisiana line . Even our hound dogs have run deer into Louisiana . Now that I am hunkered down in the Hills of the Ozarks , our spring is later in the year than the southern swamps of Louisiana .
 
I believe the goal is mature leaves of late summer. The chemical make up of leaves change during the growing season. Just a guess, the chemicals that make great file may not be present until late summer. The moon is used by many to mark events other than voodoo people. It may be as simple as the leaves in late summer make the best file.

That said herbal medicine has a large number of plants that are best harvested at certain times, morning or afternoon, at night, certain months and days. So the concept is wide spread.
 
I'll do a thread on sassafras from a herbal medicine point of view. It's a wonderful tree folks should know about.

Give me a few days. I need to cut some small sassafras trees to clear fences. Hopefully by the end of the week.
 
Sorry, @Terri9630 I was turning it into a furniture derail.

Making vegetarian dressing (Stuffing), I use mushrooms instead of the giblets from the turkey and for the liquid I use apple juice instead of giblet broth or chicken broth. Not that there are any vegetarians here, but it is still a really tasty dish for the visiting vegetarian. Add lots of sage and thyme, celery, onion, mushrooms, bread "crumbs", even the meat eaters like it.
Having a dairy sensitivity, I use almond milk instead in recipes, no problems. I'm sure the other milks work too (soy, rice, etc).
 
This is part of an interesting series about WW2, daily life and food rationing in Britain with a few good hacks mixed in. In this episode at about the 16 minute mark, she makes a substitute for mayonnaise using a boiled or steamed potato and no egg. I tried making it once and it wasn't too bad.

Episode 7 Wartime Kitchen and Gardening - YouTube

There's another one on how to sulphur apple slices to dehydrate in the oven. Starts about 4:15 mark


Episode 1 Wartime Kitchen and Garden - YouTube
 
While this thread is interesting......it is way off topic. Perhaps someone can make a seperate post on sassafras? And maybe mods can move these posts to that?

I was hoping to hear some more cooking hacks.
Thanks :)
I am going to copy and paste the text from your post.
1 Baking Powder
If you don’t have baking powder, you can add baking soda to cream of tartar for a baking powder substitute. The Old Farmer’s Almanac uses the following recipe to create 1 teaspoon of baking powder:

¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon cream of tartar

#2 Flour
You can easily make a flour substitute at home by grinding up oats in a food processor. My Patriot offers a #10 Can of Quick Oats that has a 30-year shelf life. This is not only a great option for breakfast, but also for making your own flour when you can’t get to the store or, worse, should there ever be a flour shortage.

#3 Eggs
Eggs are a basic staple and are used in a wide variety of dishes and desserts. If you are in a situation where you don’t have access to eggs, you’ll need to find egg substitutes. You can use flax seeds or chia and water as an egg substitute. The best part is that these items are easy to store in case of an emergency.

To replace one egg, whisk together 1 tablespoon of ground chia or flax seeds with 3 tablespoons of water until fully absorbed and thickened.

Buttermilk and plain yogurt also make good substitutions when baking cakes or muffins. For each egg that needs to be replaced, use ¼ cup of either buttermilk or yogurt.

My Patriot Supply sells Ready Hour Whole Egg Powder that has a 10-year shelf life. This egg powder is specially made for long-term emergency storage and can be used to replace eggs in baking and cooking.

#4 Cooking Oil
If you run out of cooking oil, you can use applesauce or bacon fat as a substitution. Another bonus of these cooking oil substitutes is that you don’t have to change the ratios since they work the same way as cooking oil.

#5 Lemon Juice
Don’t have lemon juice on hand? No problem. Just substitute ½ teaspoon vinegar for 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Beyond working as a lemon juice substitute, vinegar is a go-to ingredient to have on hand. See 40 Reasons Vinegar Should Be in Your Preparedness Toolkit to learn more.

#6 Buttermilk
If you run out of buttermilk, you can use milk with white vinegar.

Here is a recipe from The Kitchn.

Ingredients

  • 1 scant cup whole or 2% milk, or heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or distilled white vinegar
Directions

  1. Combine the milk or cream and acid. Stir the milk or cream and lemon juice or vinegar together in a measuring cup.
  2. Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. When it is ready, the milk will be slightly thickened and you will see small curdled bits. This substitute will not become as thick as regular buttermilk, but you will also not notice the curdled bits in your finished recipe.
  3. Use the buttermilk. Use this substitute (including curdled bits) as you would buttermilk in your recipe.
You can also use plain yogurt as a substitute for buttermilk. To make 1 cup of buttermilk substitute, combine ¾ cup plain yogurt with ¼ cup of water or milk. Whisk until smooth.

#7 Tomatoes
There are several uses for tomato-based sauces. If you have tomato sauce on hand, you can make several substitutes.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac lists the following substitutions:

  • One cup canned tomatoes = ½ cup tomato sauce plus ½ cup water; or 1–⅓ cups chopped fresh tomatoes, simmered
  • One cup tomato juice = ½ cup tomato sauce plus ½ cup water plus dash each salt and sugar; or ¼ cup tomato paste plus ¾ cup water plus salt and sugar, to taste
  • ½ cup tomato ketchup = ½ cup tomato sauce plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 can tomato soup = 1 cup tomato sauce plus ¼ cup water
#8 Butter
There are several substitutes for butter.

You can use a 1:1 ratio to substitute avocados for butter.

You can also use margarine or vegetable shortening.

Delish also recommends, “If the recipe calls for melted butter, substitute with a neutral oil like canola — not olive oil, as it will impart too much flavor. All of the substitutions are equal: 1 cup for 1 cup.”

#9 Cornstarch
To substitute 1 teaspoon of cornstarch for thickening, use 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour.

#10 Whole Milk
There are multiple ways to substitute whole milk when you run out or the store shelves are empty. Ideally, you’ll have Ready Hour Powdered Whey Milk in your long-term food supply. If so, you simply add water to the powder to get a nutritious and delicious substitute.

In addition, you can also substitute evaporated milk and water for whole milk, or combine skim milk with half-and-half.

#11 Coffee Creamer
In an emergency, coffee is more than a necessity; it is a source of comfort. In addition to stocking up on Franklin’s Finest Survival Coffee, you should also know how to make your own coffee creamer in a pinch.

Simply combine whole milk with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup to get a no-cook coffee creamer.

Better yet, try our Ready Hour Coffee Creamer. It has a 20-year shelf life unopened, and 1-year once it is open. In addition to using it as a creamer, you can use it to bake.

#12 Bread
The first items people buy before an impending storm are milk and bread, which means you may not be able to find any when you need it. Fortunately, it is easy to make bread from scratch (or with a bread machine).

As we discovered recently, it is even possible to make bread without the key ingredients, yeast and flour.

[Related Read: How to Make Bread without Yeast or Flour]

#13 Broth
If you can’t find broth or bouillon at your grocery store, you can make your own broth using a few basic ingredients. You can also freeze it to use later.

Here is a recipe from Mama on the Homestead:

Ingredients

  • leftover chicken pieces
  • 3-4 celery stalks & tops
  • 3-4 carrots
  • 1-2 onions
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
Directions
  1. Save chicken pieces and veggies from meals that you make throughout the week.
  2. Cut up the veggies into medium to large-sized chunks.
  3. Add the chicken & veggies pieces + the herbs and spices to a stockpot and cover with water.
  4. Bring to a rolling boil then reduce to a simmer.
  5. Simmer covered for 4-5 hours.
  6. Strain the meat & veggie pieces out of the stock.
  7. Place in an airtight container like a mason jar and store in the freezer.
 
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