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Farm Kitchen: Non-dairy substitute for margarine? |
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ivmeer
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Amanda
Pawtucket
RI
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2008 : 06:53:52 AM
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I want to stop eating margarine, but I keep kosher, so I can't just substitute butter for recipes that I want to be non-dairy. Can any farm girls help me with how much oil/water to substitute in a cake recipe for margarine? |
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Peanut
True Blue Farmgirl
603 Posts
Jennifer
Waverly
Virginia
USA
603 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2008 : 07:57:37 AM
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Applesauce can also be substituted for oil or margarine in most cake recipes. With applesauce (and I'm assuming for oil as well), it's a straight substitution - a 1/2 cup for a 1/2 cup, for example.
My new blog! http://thecottonwife.wordpress.com/
"What is a farm but a mute gospel?" Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2008 : 08:02:50 AM
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If the trans fats in margarine are what's encouraging you to change, there are products like Smart Balance that work and taste just like margarine but are trans fat free.
I like the applesauce thing, though. Can it be substituted in bread as well? |
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ivmeer
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Amanda
Pawtucket
RI
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2008 : 08:23:30 AM
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No and no. I don't want to use applesauce, since I'm not looking to cut fat. And smart balance is still margarine. I'm looking to free myself from margarine entirely. |
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Peanut
True Blue Farmgirl
603 Posts
Jennifer
Waverly
Virginia
USA
603 Posts |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2008 : 11:10:56 AM
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I'm sure there's some soy substitute...just do an internet search.
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"... NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian. http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
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tziporra
True Blue Farmgirl
234 Posts
Robin
Seattle
WA
USA
234 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2008 : 8:49:14 PM
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Hi! I keep kosher too!
And I don't eat margarine, or any oil that isn't a "whole food".
So when I need a pareve oil that is solid at room temperature I use coconut oil. DELICIOUS! Brownies and pie crusts and cakes all come out beautifully.
But when I am feeling decadent and preparing meat dishes I use rendered beef fat (suet) which I render myself in my slow cooker. My kosher butcher sells me fat at $0.50 a pound, and I get about 3 quarts of fat off of 10 pounds of beef. Swoon. Perfect for french fries or frying chicken or frying egg rolls or in pie-like crusts to be used in meat dishes.
So the oils I use are: Dairy: Butter Pareve: Coconut (solid), Peanut and Olive (liquid) Fleishig: Beef Suet
And that's it. Except for every once in awhile when I'll splurge on walnut for baking/salad dressing.
Good luck!
Robin |
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one_dog_per_acre
True Blue Farmgirl
1572 Posts
Trish
Sandpoint
ID
USA
1572 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2008 : 07:50:04 AM
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I used to work in a scratch bakery, we used soy margarine for frosting on Non-Dairy cakes. We used canola for the fat in the cake. There are web pages that will show you how much olive oil/canola to use in baking.
Trish Farmgirl Sister #91 Make cupcakes not war! FREE TIBET! |
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ivmeer
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Amanda
Pawtucket
RI
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2008 : 1:56:59 PM
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Wow...I hadn't thought about coconut oil, Robin. Does it have a strong taste? That's a great idea. Does it substitute directly one for one with margarine?
BTW, I use rendered chicken fat a lot to cook fleishigs. I skin all my chicken and then render the schmaltz. I still use crisco occasionally, since it doesn't have trans fats anymore (or at least not as many), but I think I can phase that out instead and use coconut oil or vegetable oil. |
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tziporra
True Blue Farmgirl
234 Posts
Robin
Seattle
WA
USA
234 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2008 : 4:49:07 PM
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Amanda,
I don't like seed oils or mixed vegetable oils (with heavy soy) because of the high omega 6's. After reading "Real Food: What to Eat and Why" I definitely took off on the Omega 3 kick -- I'd already phased out the trans-fats a couple of years ago, thank goodness. So now I try not to use "new" fats (canola, saffola, soy, etc.).
Anyway, schmaltz is GREAT. Very yum and high in O-3s.
The coconut oil does have a strong taste. Extra virgin coconut oil has a VERY strong taste and should be used only where a taste is desired (makes terrific carrot/squash/sweet potato/noodle kugels). The non-extra virgin kind (still not hydrogenated or heavily processed) has a milder taste. I can still detect it, but that may be because I know it's in there. My mother-in-law who "hates coconut" demolished two pieces of cherry pie and declared it delicious without noticing the taste of coconut. It's definitely worth a try to see how your family reacts.
Use coconut oil 1-1 in baking recipes where margarine is called for. And if you pop popcorn on the stovetop use it for WONDERFUL popcorn instead of vegetable oil.
Interestingly, before the heavy use of trans-fats the bakery industry relied heavily on coconut oil for baking shelf-stable products. They may have used a more processed version, or their customers just adjusted to the taste.
Best,
Robin |
Edited by - tziporra on Mar 21 2008 4:51:39 PM |
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Prairie Princess
True Blue Farmgirl
1075 Posts
Jodi
Washington
USA
1075 Posts |
Posted - Mar 27 2008 : 09:42:56 AM
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Jennifer,
I've used applesauce, too, and it is delicious in cakes and such, isn't it?? :)
Coconut oil works wonders at everything, though. My favorite oil to use to substitute butter or margarine. And as long as it's unrefined, it's healthy, as far as oils go.
~Jodi
"Women are like teabags...you never know how strong they are until they get into hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt |
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Farm Kitchen: Non-dairy substitute for margarine? |
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