# Substituting ingredients: What works, what doesn’t **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2015, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substituting-ingredients-what-works-what-doesn-t/740071 "2015-12-10T14:26:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substituting-ingredients-what-works-what-doesn-t/740071/41 "2015-12-16T00:14:04Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Don’t use tarragon in place of _anything._ I want to hear this story. (Tarragon substitutes fine for a couple of herbs that are not used all that much here in the US, like chervil or fennel fronds–basically, anywhere you might want a slight anise/licorice type flavor. Use sparingly, though.) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substituting-ingredients-what-works-what-doesn-t/740071/42 "2015-12-16T00:59:30Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > And then there was my friend’s daughter, who wondered if she could substitute canola oil for vegetable oil when making waffles. However, she was about 14 years old, so I’ll give her a pass on that one. 'Splain? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substituting-ingredients-what-works-what-doesn-t/740071/43 "2015-12-16T01:08:01Z")
> [@glowacks](#): > > We substitute the mushrooms and sour cream with nothing at all, because I don’t like either of those things, and it tastes fine. It’s different, and probably shouldn’t be called stroganoff, but we still do since that’s what the recipe is based on. Perhaps you could call it “buttered noodles”? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substituting-ingredients-what-works-what-doesn-t/740071/44 "2015-12-16T01:08:10Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > 'Splain? Yeah, I’m curious about that one, too. I’ve never found an instance where canola for vegetable oil or other neutral oil substitution doesn’t work, and can’t see why it wouldn’t. Now extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil…sure. That will produce noticeably different results. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substituting-ingredients-what-works-what-doesn-t/740071/45 "2015-12-16T01:40:35Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > 'Splain? She didn’t know that canola oil and vegetable oil are pretty much the same thing, except that canola oil is made ONLY from canola. Vegetable oil is usually a combination of oils. However, like puly said, substituting a stronger-flavored oil like coconut, olive, peanut, etc. would not yield the same results. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substituting-ingredients-what-works-what-doesn-t/740071/46 "2015-12-16T02:08:39Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > She didn’t know that canola oil and vegetable oil are pretty much the same thing, except that canola oil is made ONLY from canola. Vegetable oil is usually a combination of oils. > > However, like puly said, substituting a stronger-flavored oil like coconut, olive, peanut, etc. would not yield the same results. OH! I thought you meant, like, that would never work and only her age would excuse such ignorance. You meant the other way 'round, like of course it would work. Gotcha. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substituting-ingredients-what-works-what-doesn-t/740071/47 "2015-12-16T03:12:37Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > You can fake buttermilk in about 5 minutes. Add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar to 250 mL of milk. Note: WHITE vinegar. If you use cider vinegar in a pinch, it’ll give a distinctly apple-ish flavor to your baked goods. Otherwise it works just fine! In cocktails/mixed drinks, you can often sub rye for bourbon in many, if not most recipes. This is true especially for older recipes which may have in fact, been developed for rye in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![May\_20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@May\_20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/May_20)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substituting-ingredients-what-works-what-doesn-t/740071/48 "2015-12-16T14:36:05Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Do not use crushed corn flakes in place of bread crumbs in meatloaf. Trust me on this. ugh. :eek: I believe you. However, I use quick oats in place of bread crumbs in my meatloaf, and it works very nicely. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substituting-ingredients-what-works-what-doesn-t/740071/49 "2015-12-16T14:43:13Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > You can substitute baking powder for the cream of tartar + baking soda on a one to one basis. > > For example, if a recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar and 1 teaspoon of baking soda you can substitute 3 teaspoons of baking powder for them. Learned that you can’t just do a one for one swap the hard way. The biscuits my table made in “Food For Jocks” class back in high school turned into hockey pucks. ---
**Author:** ![Wednesday\_Evening](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Wednesday\_Evening](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wednesday_Evening)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substituting-ingredients-what-works-what-doesn-t/740071/50 "2015-12-16T17:49:35Z")
I usually substitute vegetable oil for butter in baked goods. A) because you don’t have to melt it or wait for it to soften or cut it in and B) no saturated fat. You lose a little bit in taste and texture, but no one in my family has ever noticed the switch. I use it in apple crisp topping too. I think there is some sort of official substitute ratio (you use less oil than butter to get the same amount of fat) but I usually use about 3/4 the amount of butter called for. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substituting-ingredients-what-works-what-doesn-t/740071/51 "2015-12-16T21:24:55Z")
> [@May\_20](#): > > :eek: I believe you. > > However, I use quick oats in place of bread crumbs in my meatloaf, and it works very nicely. That would work, because neither of them has much flavor. However, if you use seasoned bread crumbs or flavored oatmeal…:smack: ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substituting-ingredients-what-works-what-doesn-t/740071/52 "2015-12-16T23:02:31Z")
> [@Wednesday\_Evening](#): > > I usually substitute vegetable oil for butter in baked goods. A) because you don’t have to melt it or wait for it to soften or cut it in and B) no saturated fat. You lose a little bit in taste and texture, but no one in my family has ever noticed the switch. I use it in apple crisp topping too. I think there is some sort of official substitute ratio (you use less oil than butter to get the same amount of fat) but I usually use about 3/4 the amount of butter called for. Yeah, it really depends on what kind of pastry you’re making. Many butter-based pastries need butter or solid shortening so they remain flaky. Basically, what you got going on is that little pockets of solidified fat sit within the pastry dough and create flakiness. If your butter melts, or if you use a liquid fat, you no longer have this flakiness. It’ll still taste good, but, like you said, it’ll have a different texture and be more crackery. (Now, if you’re making puff pastry, then it will just be a failure. The solid fat is what makes the pastry puff up.) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substituting-ingredients-what-works-what-doesn-t/740071/53 "2015-12-17T05:41:16Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I want to hear this story. (Tarragon substitutes fine for a couple of herbs that are not used all that much here in the US, like chervil or fennel fronds–basically, anywhere you might want a slight anise/licorice type flavor. Use sparingly, though.) Not really a story. I made salmon with tarragon and butter (an actual recipe) and immediately came to understand it would never be a substitute for basil or rosemary or anything else that kinda looks like it. One of the few times I was smart enough to not have to learn from my mistakes. The salmon was great, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substituting-ingredients-what-works-what-doesn-t/740071/54 "2015-12-18T00:54:03Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > I have often substituted plain yogurt for sour cream in Mexican dishes. Works very well. Consistency is about the same, doesn’t alter flavor much. I’ve used plain yogurt in place of regular cream in a chocolate cake recipe. Works well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substituting-ingredients-what-works-what-doesn-t/740071.md?page=2)