Homemade Vegetable stock, Vegetable Stock Powder & Homemade Bouillon Cubes

Homemade Vegetable Stock Powder – DIY Bouillon & Historical Tips

Learn how to make vegetable stock powder, vegetable stock, and homemade bouillon from scratch. Perfect for medieval-inspired cooking, camp meals, and budget-friendly feasts.

Out of a Spice? Spice Substitution Chart for Cooks: Historical and Modern Alternatives

Medieval-style herbalist at work—an illuminated manuscript depicting labeled herbs, tools, and a mortar & pestle preparing remedies and spices.

Spice Substitution Chart: Historical and Modern Swaps for Home Cooks

Update (August 19, 2025): This page has been expanded with added historical context, clarified notes, and improved search.

Missing mace in your recipe? Can’t find grains of paradise?

Whether you’re preparing a medieval feast or just need a quick fix, this searchable spice substitution chart has you covered. We include practical replacements and historically inspired swaps for cooks, reenactors, and food-history fans alike. From cinnamon and clove to rarities like grains of paradise or long pepper, these tested substitutions help you adapt without losing the dish’s character.

Historical Spice Substitutions

In medieval and Renaissance cookery, substitutions were essential: spices were seasonal, expensive, and often unavailable. Manuscripts like Forme of Cury and Libro de arte coquinaria specify blends, but household cooks adjusted based on access. This list balances modern flavor compatibility with known historical usage, keeping the spirit of the original.

How to use these substitutions: Start small and adjust to taste—pungent spices (clove, cardamom) can dominate. Working from a period recipe? Consider the spice’s humoral qualities or symbolic role; substitutions may shift intent slightly.

Need measurement conversions instead?
Check our conversion guide: Spice Measurement FAQ – Ounces to Tablespoons.

How to Render Suet (Tallow) – 3 Easy Methods

How to Render Suet (Tallow) – Three Easy Methods for Cooking & Historical Recipes

Finding real suet can feel like a scavenger hunt—especially outside the winter months. If you do get your hands on it, rendering suet into tallow is absolutely worth it: cleaner flavor, longer shelf life, and perfect for historic pies, pastries, and frying.