Substitutions

I like to use dried herbs and spices in my recipes because I always have them on hand, they’re cheaper, I can save an additional 5 minutes of prep time, and I dirty fewer dishes. I still love fresh ingredients though, especially those I’ve grown myself, so here is a handy substitution chart if you’d like to use fresh. I can’t guarantee the results will be the same, and you may need to do a little tweaking as you go, but in theory these swaps should work fine.

FRESH >> DRIED HERBS

1 tbsp fresh = 1 tsp dried

NOTE: If I use fresh herbs in a recipe, such as with the Quick Pesto, dried herbs cannot be substituted.

ONION >> ONION POWDER

1 small onion (¹⁄₃ c) = 1 tsp onion powder

1 small onion (¹⁄₃ c) = 1 tbsp onion flakes

GARLIC >> GARLIC POWDER

1 clove = ¹⁄₂ tsp minced garlic

1 clove = ¹⁄₄ tsp garlic powder (granulated)

1 clove = ¹⁄₈ tsp garlic powder (flour consistency)

LEMON >> LEMON JUICE

1 lemon yields = 2 to 3 tbsp lemon juice

1 lemon wedge = ¹⁄₄ to 1 tsp lemon juice

NOTE: Fresh lemon juice is much more potent than store-bought juices. Use fresh whenever possible, adding lemon or lime juice from a bottle to taste.

DRIED BEANS >> CANNED BEANS

1¹⁄₄ to 1³⁄₄ c cooked beans = 15 oz canned beans

SUGAR REPLACEMENT

You can safely reduce sugar by ¹⁄₄ in any recipe, or use these other sweeteners instead of sugar:

TIP: Take care with substitutions and adaptations. When making a change, ask yourself, “What does the original ingredient do? Does my substitute have the same texture, taste, consistency, color and feel as the original?” Sometimes changing one thing changes everything.

(Information courtesy of the Cook’s Thesaurus, www.foodsubs.com)