Cream of tartar is a well known ingredient for many recipes. It is also known as potassium bitartrate. Cream of tartar is a powdered form of tartaric acid. It is an organic acid that can be found naturally in many plants and can be formed during the winemaking process. This cream of tartar can help in stabilizing whipped egg whites, and it prevents sugar from crystallizing plus it acts as a leavening agent for baked goods. If you out of cream of tarter or you simply want an alternative they are other substitutes you can consider. Some the best substituted for cream of tarter are described.
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Lemon Juice
One of the best substitutes for cream of tarter in macarons is lemon juice. Since cream of tartar is often used to stabilize egg whites and help provide the characteristic high peaks in recipes like macarons you can use lemon juice in its place. If you are out of cream of tartar in a case like this, lemon juice works as a great alternative. It provides the same acidity as cream of tartar and helps to form stiff peaks when you are whipping your egg whites. If you are also making syrups or frostings, lemon juice can be a good replacement for cream of tartar to help prevent crystallization. For best results, you can substitute an equal amount of lemon juice for the same amount of cream of tartar in your recipe.
White Vinegar
Also another great substitute for cream of tarter, is white vinegar. Just like cream of tartar, white vinegar is acidic. You can easily substitute it for cream of tartar when you find yourself in a pinch in your kitchen. Vinegar can work best when you are stabilizing egg whites for recipes like soufflés and macarons. You simply need to add an equal amount of white vinegar in place of your cream of tartar when you are whipping your egg whites. Take note that white vinegar may not be the best alternative for baked goods such as cakes because it can alter the taste and texture of your food. You can replace cream of tartar with an equal amount of white vinegar.
Baking Powder
Baking powder can also be a good replacement for cream of tarter in macarons. If your recipe includes both baking powder and cream of tartar, you can easily replace the cream of tarter with baking powder instead. Baking powder is made up of sodium bicarbonate and tartaric acid, and it is also known as baking soda and can easily be used in place of cream of tartar. You can easily replace 1.5 teaspoons (6 grams) of baking powder for 1 teaspoon (3.5 grams) of cream of tartar in your recipe. This substitution is perfect because it can be used in any recipe without altering the taste or texture of your final product.
Buttermilk
Buttermilk is the liquid that remains after churning butter from cream. It is also a pretty good alternative to cream of tarter. Due to its acidity, it can work as a replacement for cream of tartar in many recipes. It is ideal in baked goods, but some liquid may need to be removed from the recipe to account for the buttermilk. For each quarter teaspoon (1 gram) of cream of tartar in your recipe, remove half a cup (120 ml) of liquid from your recipe and replace it with half a cup (120 ml) of buttermilk.
Yogurt
Also a pretty good alternative to cream of tarter is yogurt. Just like buttermilk, yogurt can be acidic and it can be used to replace cream of tartar in a lot of recipes. However, you should thin out your yogurt with a bit of milk before you use it as a substitute, in order to match the consistency of buttermilk. You can then use it to substitute your cream of tartar in the same way. Although it can be used to substitute cream of tarter in a lot of recipes you must reserve this ingredient primarily for baked goods because it requires you to remove liquids from the recipe. For every quarter teaspoon (1 gram) of cream of tartar, remove half a cup (120 ml) of liquid from the recipe and replace it with half a cup (120 ml) of yogurt that has been thinned out with some milk.
Leave Out The Cream of Tarter
Sometimes there is no need to add an alternative if you do not have the cream of tarter. In some recipes, it can be easier to simply omit the cream of tartar. For instance, if you are using the cream of tartar to stabilize whipped egg whites, it is fine to leave out the cream of tartar if you do not have anything else on hand. In addition, if you are making syrup, frosting, or icing and are using the cream of tartar to prevent crystallization, you can simply leave it out from your recipe without any consequences. Although syrups may crystallize when stored for a long period of time, you can simply reheat them on the stove or in the microwave to fix that. Keep in mind that, it may not be ideal to leave out the cream of tartar or an alternative from other baked goods that need a leavening agent.
Tips For Baking Macarons
Try not to use aluminium pots and bowls when baking with cream of tarter. This is because the combination of the cream of tarter and aluminium can make the egg white an unattractive grey. If your recipe requires you to beat the egg whites in a pan over hot water with some sugar and cream of tartar consider eliminating the cream of tartar altogether and use any of the substitutes mentioned above or use a stainless steel pan or bowl. If your macaron recipe does not call for cream of tartar, you should consider adding it or adding an alternative to boost the lightness of the cookies. This is important to stabilize the egg whites and to make the cookies white inside for a nice contrast.
