Cream of tartar is simply tartaric acid in powder form. Formed
on wine barrels during winemaking and also found in some plants, the cream of
tartar is popular among chefs and food
enthusiasts. It is often used to prevent crystallization of sugar in syrups,
stabilize egg whites and leaven baked foods. The only thing off putting about the cream of tartar is that
it is quite expensive and puts a considerate dent in your pockets. The good
news is that there are several affordable options which can be a substitute for
the cream of tartar if you can’t afford it. Listed below are five substitutes for the popular ingredient;
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is a great alternative
for cream of tartar when it comes to
stabilizing egg whites and preventing crystallization in frostings and syrups.
It helps in formation of high and stiff
peaks in recipes for egg whites. It is also much easier to use- you just need the same amount of lemon juice as you
would need if you were using cream of tartar.
White Vinegar
White vinegar is just as acidic as cream
of tartar and can come in handy as a Cream Of Tartar Substitute when you need to stabilize egg whites. It can be used in recipes such as meringues and soufflés. Just like in lemon
juice, use the same amount of white vinegar as you would use for the cream of
tartar. White vinegar however changes the
texture and taste in baked food such as cakes and should therefore not be used
in such.
Baking Powder
Baking powder contains both tartaric acid and sodium bicarbonate, so
you’d pretty much not need cream of tartar if you have baking powder in your
kitchen. The cream of tartar is however a
little bit stronger than baking powder. You’d need one and half teaspoonful of baking powder for every
single teaspoon of cream of tartar when substituting. The advantage of using
baking powder is that it doesn’t change the taste and texture of your food.
Buttermilk
Buttermilk is formed by removing
butter from the cream. The acidic liquid is a perfect cream of tartar
replacement in some recipes especially when baking. You would however have to take away the same amount of
water in a recipe as the amount of
buttermilk you are using.
Yogurt
The acidity in yogurt qualifies it as a substitute for cream of tartar
in baking. However, yogurt is too thick in its natural state and needs to be
thinned out with milk before use. You will also have to take away some amount
of water when using yogurt as an alternative.
It is also okay to totally leave out the cream of tartar without finding its substitute. Recipes can still turn out great without them. Sugar that has crystallized can be turned back into syrup by simply reheating when needed. Egg whites and frostings can also do without the cream of tartar or its substitutes. Baked food will however need cream of tartar or its alternatives to be able to leaven.
