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US Units of Measure (post #70491)

SheilaJT on Thu, 09/16/2010 - 21:54

Cooking Discussion

I am in Australia where everything is metric. I have always wondered what unit of measure oz is in Fine Cooking recipes. Is it always a weight? If it refers to a volume how is the measure written? I am a bit confused as I'm having to substitute and want to ensure accurate results.

Thanks, Sheila

It is very rarely or never a (post #70491, reply #1 of 10)

by GretchenTHE FIRST in reply to SheilaJT [original] on Fri, 09/17/2010 - 05:44

It is very rarely or never a 'weight". It is a volume measurement in the US for US measuring cups. In the parlance of recipes for US audiences, 8 oz. (1 Cup) is the same if it is flour or a liquid.
For being accurate in metric, you will have to make that conversion. There are, of course, many tables on the internet available for this. If you use American recipes often I wonder if you can't find a measuring cup with both measures on it. Many/most of ours do here.

sometimes you will find recipes (particularly for bread) where the measurement is given in cups, and then in parenthesis there will be a weight given.

oz confusion (post #70491, reply #2 of 10)

by Pielove in reply to SheilaJT [original] on Fri, 09/17/2010 - 09:01

Hi Sheila! I agree that the ounce measurements are totally confusing. How I wish the U.S. had gone metric in the 70's.

Anyway, in FC recipes, I find that oz is usually a weight measurement. My rule of thumb is that if it measures a solid (butter, flour, sugar) then ounces (oz) refers to weight. Paging through the latest issue, I see weight references for butter, flour, cornmeal, cheese, and also ingredients like potatoes and salmon to specify portion size (i.e. how big of a potato). In the herb-roasted turkey recipe, salt is also measured by weight oz-- because the different brands of kosher salt pack so differently in volume.

Where I get confused is when ounces are used for liquid, say in a bread recipe. I almost never see ounce volume measurements in FC.

So, Sheila, I hope that isn't more confusing. What are you cooking from FC?

Cheers, Jen

P.S. Sorry Gretchen, I think you're wrong here-- at least as it applies to FC recipes.

Well, there may be room for (post #70491, reply #3 of 10)

by GretchenTHE FIRST in reply to Pielove [original] on Fri, 09/17/2010 - 13:16

Well, there may be room for both of us to be right, because I don't find what you are describing either. As I said, I think bread recipes have a better chance of being by weight.
Of course, I haven't looked at all FC recipes and maybe they do not use oz. for volume, so you can be correct since that is the question asked. For my personal use, since I use the 8 oz. cup as the standard measurement, I just automatically calculate recipes in that manner.

As for the water measurement, i believe that 1Cup of water weighs 8 oz.--sort of the way we got to that measurment in the first place. Of course if it is another liquid, I still think it is the liquid measuring cup that is used.

Here is a recipe I copied from the site.

This is not in "oz" but I have seen plenty of recipes that say 8 oz. of _____, meaning 1 cup. I think 1Cup of brown sugar is a volume measurement, not a weight. I know the flour is volume and not weight.

Pumpkin Sage Bundt Cake

by Lauren Chattman

read reviews (1)

This wonderful and savory combination make for a more interesting and sophisticated pumpkin cake. Finish off slices with some maple syrup–sweetened crème fraîche.Serves eight to ten.

pure solid-pack pumpkin sage butter more

baking powder all-purpose flour ground ginger table salt granulated sugar brown sugar pure vanilla extract eggs walnuts

3⁄4 cup (1-1⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh sage leaves
2-1⁄2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. table salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
3 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with flour. Combine the butter and sage in a small pan and heat on low until the butter is melted. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together the butter and sage mixture, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Stir the flour into the pumpkin mixture until combined. Stir in the chopped nuts.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.

Lauren Chattman's Bundt Cake Recipe (post #70491, reply #5 of 10)

RDA in reply to GretchenTHE FIRST [original] on Fri, 09/17/2010 - 13:58

Gretchen,

Lauren Chattman's bundt cake recipe is probably a bad example because it's not a Fine Cooking recipe; it's an excerpt from Lauren's cookbook. Fine Cooking recipes will always have a "Test Kitchen Guaranteed" icon next to them and always follow the standard I outlined in my response to Shelia.

Thanks for trying to help a fellow cook, though. That's appreciated.

Robyn

Well, let's see, Robyn. I got (post #70491, reply #6 of 10)

by GretchenTHE FIRST in reply to

RDA [original] on Fri, 09/17/2010 - 18:41

Well, let's see, Robyn. I got the recipe off the FC site. I did it in good faith although it was a terrible example. which you were gracious to recognize. NOW my question IS How do we know if that is the "type" of recipe that the OP was also asking about. Or one that she might encounter in the future. Maybe SHE didin't know that FC recipes were "star rated". As I said to Pie, maybe there is room for everyone to be a little bit right--or wrong

So gald to know that FC is exactly congruent in their recipe notation.. BUT as you point out, not all recipes on teh FC site are theirs.

I also believe I mentioned some of the things you did in your next post, although yours is very complete and inclusive.

Deciphering FC recipes from book excerpts (post #70491, reply #10 of 10)

RDA in reply to GretchenTHE FIRST [original] on Wed, 09/22/2010 - 10:23

Gretchen,

I was assuming Shelia was referring to Fine Cooking recipes simply because there are thousands (literally) more of them than there are recipes excerpted from cookbooks on the site. But, your question brings up a good point, so here are a couple of tips for you, Shelia, and anyone else who is interested. . .

Excerpted recipes will always be marked as such, sometimes in the description, but always toward the bottom of the recipe where we include a box with information about the cookbook and a link to Amazon for those who want to buy it.

Recipes from the magazine will have the “Test Kitchen Guaranteed” logo which is a little orange button with an apron and a green check mark to the left of the recipe image. It lets you know that the recipe has been tested multiple times by our Test Kitchen staff, FC editors, Laurie Buckle, and a few others lucky enough to be in the kitchen when we meet for a tasting.

The Text Kitchen icon is different from the star-rating you mentioned because any and all recipes can be star-rated; the ratings come from the online community who’ve (hopefully) tried the recipes themselves.

Robyn

Fine Cooking Measurements (post #70491, reply #4 of 10)

RDA in reply to SheilaJT [original] on Fri, 09/17/2010 - 13:47

Hi Shelia,

Maybe this will help. . .

In the U.S. system, there are two types of ounces. Ounces (oz.) are a measure of weight; fluid ounces (fl. oz.) are a measure of volume. One cup (also a measure of volume) is equivalent to 8 fl. oz.

In Fine Cooking recipes, we generally list weight in ounces and pounds, and volume in cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons. We often list ingredients by both weight and volume, especially in cases where weight will produce more accurate results. Sometimes volume and weight in ounces will be equal. For instance, one cup of water (8 fl. oz.) also happens to weigh 8 oz. But not everything has equal mass, and therefore one cup of anything heavier or lighter than water will weigh more or less. One cup of all-purpose flour has a variable weight of 4 1/2 to 5 oz., depending on how much you compact it in the measuring cup (Fine Cooking recipes use a 4 1/2 oz. equivalency for all-purpose flour).

To convert one of our recipes to metric, use 28.35 g per ounce, 453.6 g per pound, or 29.6 ml per fluid ounce, then round up or down as needed.

1 pound (lb.) = 16 ounces

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon

2 tablespoons = 1 fluid ounce

4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup = 2 fluid ounce

16 tablespoons = 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces

To convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, subtract 32 from °F, then multiply by 5, then divide by 9.

Hello All, Thank you so (post #70491, reply #7 of 10)

by SheilaJT in reply to

RDA [original] on Sun, 09/19/2010 - 15:15

Hello All,

Thank you so much for this discussion as it has been something I have wondered about for quite some time. I mainly use FC US recipes. I also have Canadian recipes but they are in metric as well, for the most part so aren't as tricky. I think the guideline that most volume measures are in cups, etc helps. So I can assume that oz are a weight. The ones that had really confused me was something like 35 oz can of tomatoes. In Australia tinned tomatoes are labeled by weight, so I just need to convert oz to grams and I should be right.

I find FC one of the best cooking magazines I have ever seen and continue to enjoy their recipes.

Yes, that will work well. I'd (post #70491, reply #8 of 10)

by GretchenTHE FIRST in reply to SheilaJT [original] on Mon, 09/20/2010 - 05:59

Yes, that will work well. I'd wonder if some metric amounts aren't on cans. Ironically, American "large cans of tomatoes" for example, are usually 28 oz. and italian canned tomatoes are often/usually 35oz. But that will definitely be a "weight" for a commercial product that you don't need to physically measure.

the same would be for things like canned green chiles (usually a 4oz. can) or evaporated milk (could be small=5oz. or large=13oz.).

Again, any chance you would find a measuring cup with both measures on it?

Enjoy.

Thanks for raising the issue (post #70491, reply #9 of 10)

by kitchengoddess in reply to SheilaJT [original] on Tue, 09/21/2010 - 11:12

Hi Sheila,

thanks for raising the issue. I live in Canada and most everything is measured in cups, teaspoons, etc and in weight when necessary as well.

I love Fine Cooking but that is one of the things I struggle with so I often times write down on a sticky note next to the recipe what my conversions are for the recipes I make most often. This way I don't have to think about it every time.

Oh, yeah.. and Thanks Robyn for the info you posted.

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