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Measurements and Equivalents

Learn to Measure Accurately. All the measurements in this book and in most standard cook-books and magazines are level. It will not do to use a heaping teaspoonful, tablespoonful or cupful when a level one is meant. To change proportions by wrong measuring causes poor results, for example:

Too much flour will make a cake dry and crumbly, bread solid and heavy, sauces thick and pasty.

Too much fat will make cakes oily and may cause them to fall. It will make grease-soaked doughnuts and greasy gravies and sauces.

Too much sugar will make a cake with a hard crust, or a sticky cake. It makes a soft, sticky jelly.

Too much liquid will make a cake that falls easily.

Too much soda gives a disagreeable taste and bad color to breads and cakes.

Have Accurate Equipment for Measuring, as follows: 1. A measuring-cup holding one-fourth quart and divided by ridges on one side into thirds and on the other side into fourths.

2. A quart measure divided by ridges into fourths. Each fourth is a cupful.

3. A standard tablespoon that holds one-sixteenth of a cup. 4. A standard teaspoon that holds one-third of a tablespoon. 5. A tested scale.

To Measure Dry Material, fill the cup, spoon or other measure to overflowing, then pass a spatula or the straight edge of a knife over the top, leveling the material. For an accurate half-teaspoon or tablespoon of dry material, fill spoon as above, then, owing to the difference in a capacity of the tip and bowl of the spoon, divide the material in halves lengthwise. To Measure Liquids, fill the measure with all it will hold.