Run out of eggs or yeast? Common kitchen substitutions you can use

You’re probably spending more time in your kitchen than ever before, mostly due to the coronavirus pandemic. Whether this means baking banana bread or recreating your own versions of popular restaurant meals at home, the fridge and pantry have become havens.

But with more hours spent in the kitchen, it’s no surprise you start to find yourself low on stocked goods.

From yeast to eggs to even mayonnaise, Laura Keogh of the Sweet Potato Chronicles says there are substitutes for many common ingredients right in your pantry.

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Keogh recently spoke with hosts of Global News’ The Morning Show, saying eggs, for example, can be replaced with flax seeds.

“If you’re a vegan baker you are used to baking without eggs, however, if you’re not a vegan baker there are lots of substitutions,” she said. “If you have flax seeds you can grind it down in a coffee maker and get a tablespoon.”

She said one tablespoon of ground flax seeds with three tablespoons of water is equivalent to one egg. Bananas can also work when you are baking.

5:17 How to bake the perfect banana bread

What if you don’t want to buy buttermilk? Keogh says you can make your own buttermilk by combing a cup of two per cent milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice.

For cooking, Keogh says there are multiple substitutes you can make. For example, if a recipe calls for vinegar, use one teaspoon of lemon juice to cover your acids.

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One of the biggest go-to items during the pandemic is yeast, she adds.

“It’s for sourdough … that requires a starter,” she said. “Let’s say you don’t want to give up on pizza night … or you’re making another kind of bread. What you want to do is use half a teaspoon of lemon juice with half a teaspoon of baking soda.”

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She said while it may not be exactly the same as yeast, it will give your baked goods “puffy holes.”

For more cooking and baking substitutions, watch the full video above. 

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.