Substitutions that Work
When you're cooking in small quantities you don’t want to have to buy a carton of milk when you only need a tablespoon, especially if you have a potential stand-in sitting in the fridge. Luckily in the test kitchen we discovered some handy substitutions for just these instances.
Whole Milk
Amount: ½ cup
Substitute:
5 tablespoons skim milk + 3 tablespoons half-and-half
1⁄3 cup 1 percent low-fat milk + 1⁄6 cup half-and-half
1⁄3 cup 2 percent low-fat milk + 2 tablespoons half-and-half
7 tablespoons skim milk + 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Half-and-Half
Amount: ½ cup
Substitute:
3⁄8 cup whole milk + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1⁄3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1⁄6 cup heavy cream
Heavy Cream
Amount: ½ cup
Substitute:
½ cup evaporated milk
(Not suitable for whipping or baking, but fine for soups and sauces.)
Buttermilk
Amount: ½ cup
Substitute:
3⁄8 cup plain whole-milk or low-fat yogurt + 2 tablespoons whole milk
½ cup whole milk + 1½ teaspoons lemon juice or distilled white vinegar
(Not suitable for raw applications, such as a buttermilk dressing.)
Sour Cream
Amount: ½ cup
Substitute:
½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
(Nonfat and low-fat yogurts are too lean to replace sour cream.)
Plain Yogurt
Amount: ½ cup
Substitute:
½ cup sour cream
Fresh Herbs
Amount: 1 tablespoon
Substitute:
1 teaspoon dried herbs
Wine
Amount: ¼ cup
Substitute:
¼ cup broth + ½ teaspoon wine vinegar or lemon juice (added just before serving)
