THE RECIPE TRANSLATOR
Old time recipes are an interesting challenge to translate. My collection of antique cookbooks has made me aware that as the generations go by, we have dealt with more than just trying to figure out the Metric System.
Butter the size of an egg. A quart of sugar. A dessert spoonful of something or other. Fabulous old recipes that just beg to be recreated, but how do you do it successfully?
ANTIQUE AND MODERN KITCHEN WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
This is my homemade Chart of Antique and Modern Kitchen Weights and Measures, which I hope will simplify the task.
THE RECIPE TRANSLATOR: LIQUID WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
- 1 teacupful = 4 ounces = 1/2 cup
- A dash (liquid) = A few drops
- A common sized tumbler holds 1/2 pint
- 1 wineglass = 4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup
- 2 wineglasses = 1 gill
- 1 gill = 8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup
- 2 gills = 1/2 pint = 1 cup = 16 tablespoons
- 1 pony = 1 ounce
- 1 jigger = 1 1/2 fluid ounces = 3 tablespoons
- 1 large jigger = 2 fluid ounces = 1/4 cup
- 60 drops = 1 teaspoon = 1 drachm
- 16 drachms = 1 ounce
- 1 pint (liquid) = 1 pound
- 1 cup = 8 liquid ounces = 16 tablespoons = 1/2 pint
- 1 pint = 2 cups = 16 liquid ounces = 32 tablespoons
- 1 quart = 2 pints = 1/4 gallon = 4 cups = 32 liquid ounces
- 1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 16 cups = 128 liquid ounces
- 2 tablespoons liquid weighs 1 ounce
Click on any image to find out more about the item! #ad
THE RECIPE TRANSLATOR: DRY WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
- 1 dessert spoon = 1 soup spoon = 2 teaspoons
- 1 salt spoon = 1/4 teaspoon
- 1 rounded tablespoon = 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon = 1/2 ounce
- 16 tablespoons = 1 cup = 1/2 pint
- A few grains OR a pinch OR a dash OR a speck, etc. (dry) = Less than 1/8 teaspoon
- 8 dry quarts = 1 peck
- 1 dry quart = 2 dry pints
- 1 bushel = 4 (dry) pecks
- 1 ounce = 1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons
- 2 ounces = 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons
- 4 ounces = 1/2 cup
- 8 ounces = 1 cup
- 16 ounces = 1 pound
- 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
- 2 tablespoons = 1/8 cup
- 4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup
- 6 tablespoons = 3/8 cup
- 8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup
- 12 tablespoons = 3/4 cup
- 16 tablespoons = 1 cup
- 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon = 1/3 cup
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons = 5/8 cup
- 3/4 cup + 2 teaspoons = 7/8 cup
- 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons = 2/3 cup
THE RECIPE TRANSLATOR: INGREDIENTS
Flour:
- 4 cups = 1 pound = 1 quart
- 8 quarts = 1 peck
- 4 pecks = 1 bushel
- 4 tablespoons = 1 ounce
- 2 rounded tablespoons flour weighs 1 ounce
Cake Flour:
- 4 1/2 cups = 1 pound
Corn Meal:
- 3 cups = 1 pound
- 1 pound 2 ounces = 1 quart
- 1 1/2 pints = 1 pound
Sugar, Loaf, Broken:
- 1 pound = 1 quart
Sugar, Powdered:
- 3 1/2 cups = 1 pound
- 1 pound 1 ounce = 1 quart
- 2 heaping tablespoons powdered sugar weighs 1 ounce
Sugar, Granulated:
- 2 cups = 1 pound = 1 pint
- 4 cups = 2 pounds = 2 pints = 1 quart
- 2 heaping tablespoons granulated sugar weighs 1 ounce
Sugar, Brown:
- 2 3/4 cups = 1 pound
- 1 pound 2 ounces = 1 quart
Butter or Shortening:
- Butter the size of an egg = 2 ounces = 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons
- Butter the size of a walnut = 1 heaping tablespoon
- 2 tablespoons = 1 ounce
- 2 cups = 1 pound = 1 pint
- 1/4 stick = 2 tablespoons
- 1/2 stick = 4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup
- 1 stick = 1/2 cup = 1/4 pound
- 4 sticks = 2 cups = 1 pound
- 1 cup = 1/2 pound
Eggs:
- 1 egg = 1 1/4 to 2 ounces
- 9 large eggs = 1 pound
- 10 medium eggs = 1 pound
- 12 small eggs = 1 pound
- 1 goose egg = 4 to 6 ounces
- 1 turkey egg = 3 to 4 ounces
- 1 duck egg = 2 to 3 ounces
- 5 eggs = About 1 cup
- 8 egg whites = About 1 cup
- 13 to 16 egg yolks = 1 cup
- 1 dozen eggs = 1 1/2 pounds
Now you are ready to get out those antique cookbooks and treasured family recipes and give them a try. Think of how many copies your grandmothers wrote out by hand in the days before photocopiers!
Recipes bring back such happy memories, and passing them down to your children is important. I have recipes that are over 100 years old that are still in use by my family. And they actually do get better with age!
HAPPY COOKING! Susan
This is awesome! I do indeed have some old recipes that I can now understand with your translator. Thanks!
Hi Sheila, I’m so pleased you like my Recipe Translator. I have a large number of antique cookbooks, and I just love to look through them (and use them).
Hi Susan…..this is so helpful, handy and interesting! Nice to have all the conversions and translations in one place!! Thanks!!
Cathy, Hi there. Good to hear from you. I’m so glad you like the article. I simply looove antique cookbooks. And modern ones, too!