What can be substituted for cream of tartar?

I have a recipe that calls for cream of tartar. What can I use instead of it? I didn't see it in my supermarket.What can be substituted for cream of tartar?
In your recipe the cream of tartar is used to stabilize the egg whites - it just makes it easier to whip the eggs to the correct consistency, you don't have to use it. I have made meringue cookies both with and without cream of tarter and they came out pretty much the same.





Cream of tarter is found with the spices in the baking aisle of the supermarket - most will have it.What can be substituted for cream of tartar?
If you are beating eggs whites and don't have cream of tartar, you can substitute white vinegar (in the same ratio as cream of tartar, generally 1/8 teaspoon per egg white). It is a little more problematic to find a substitute for cream of tartar in baking projects. White vinegar or lemon juice, in the ratio of 3 times the amount of cream of tartar called for, will provide the right amount of acid for most recipes. But that amount of liquid may cause other problems in the recipe, and bakers have found that cakes made with vinegar or lemon juice have a coarser grain and are more prone to shrinking than those made with cream of tartar.