This document provides definitions and conversions for common cooking measurements. It defines units like cups, teaspoons, tablespoons, ounces and pounds. It also gives equivalents between metric and U.S. customary units. For example, it states that 1 cup is equal to 8 fluid ounces or 236 ml. The document provides conversion charts for dry and wet ingredients and also lists common ingredient alternatives. It concludes with tips for accurate measuring like using the appropriate scale and being consistent in measurements.

1. Prepared by: Maria Merllan Estrellante Mier

2. Definitionof
Terms
Conversion
changing a unit of measurement
from one system to another.
Ingredient
something that enters into a mixture
like a recipe.
Mensuration
the act or process of measuring the
volume and the mass or weight of
ingredients or raw materials, and the
temperature needed to cook food.

3. Definitionof
Terms
Substitution
replacing something with
another.
Temperature
the degree of hotness or
coldness required in cooking
or preparing a certain recipe.

4. Common
Measuring
Termsin
Cooking
If you bake or cook, you know how
easy it is to jump into a recipe
without pausing to read the
ingredient list or instructions
thoroughly. While you can memorize
many things, trying to remember a
conversion for an unexpected unit of
measurement or wondering whether
you have that specific ingredient on
hand can make even the most
seasoned cook pause.

5. Common
Measuring
Termsin
Cooking
Whenever working with a
recipe, there's always an
uneasy tension between
precision and usability. The
measures that are reasonably
accessible (spoons, cups, etc.)
are easy to use but give rise to
uneasy doubts as to whether
one is really using the right
amount of the ingredient.

6. Quantities
: how
many?
Most ingredients are measured by
quantity or volume. Quantity is
reasonably self-explanatory: if it
says "One onion, finely diced" then
that means use one onion.
But onions, potatoes, carrots, etc.,
come in all sizes from tiny to
humungous. A good rule of thumb is
that the default is "medium" sized.
So if you only have very small
specimens, use two.

7. Quantities
: how
many?
Alternatively, measure your bulk
ingredients in cups estimating each
vegetable as one cupful.
Also, when working out your quantities,
just be sure how much of the core
ingredient you're using and scale up on
the other ingredients if necessary. So, if
your Ragu Bolognese recipe specifies
500 grams of mince beef and you want
to use a full kilo, then all the other
quantities need to be doubled.

8. Volume:
how big is
a cup?
In the kitchen, volume
can be measured in six
different ways: spoons,
cups, pints, quarts,
liters (or 'litres' with
British spelling) and
fluid ounces.

9. Teaspoons
and
tablespoons
We all know what a teaspoon looks
like but in fact, the actual
capacities vary from as little as
four milliliters to almost six
milliliters. That might not sound
significant but represents a 50
percent difference. Tablespoons
are just as variably uncertain.

10. Cups
Cups are even more problematic,
coming in an even wider range of
shapes and sizes. For kitchen
purposes, 'cup' means a formal
teacup.
In absolute terms, a cup is
equivalent to half a pint, eight fluid
ounces, or 236 milliliters (in the
U.S. measurements).

11. Fluid
ounces
Fluid ounces really are the most
difficult volume measure to work in.
We all know roughly what a pint or
liter looks like - but a fluid ounce is
not
A fluid ounce (fl oz) is the amount of
water that weighs one ounce. The
reason for using this measure is that
theoretically, it becomes possible to
use kitchen scales to measure the
amount of liquid. Essentially, there

12. Pints, quarts
and liters
A liter is equivalent to 1.8
pints or almost one quart,
which is two pints.
Working in metric is much easier,
provides you have a suitably
calibrated measuring jug. A liter is
1,000 milliliters or 100 centiliters.
A liter of water weighs one
kilogram or 1,000 milligrams.

13. Weights
When it comes to weighing out
ingredients. You'll be working in
US or Imperial pounds and ounces
(remembering that 16 ounces
make a pound) or metric
kilograms and grams. Converting
one to the other is relatively easy,
especially since the US and
Imperial pound weigh the same.

14. Weights
A kilo is approximately equivalent
to 2.2 pounds so to convert kilos to
pounds, double the number of kilos
and add ten percent of the new
amount. To go the other way, halve
the number of pounds and subtract
ten percent of the new amount.
Thus 2.5 kilos is 5.5 pounds (5lb
8oz) while 3lb converts to 1.35
kilos.

15. Common
Measurement
Conversionsfor
DryIngredients
3 teaspoons=1 tablespoon=1/2
ounce=14.3 grams
2 tablespoons=1/8 cup=1 fluid
ounce=28.3 grams
4 tablespoons=1/4 cup=2 fluid
ounces=56.7 grams
5 1/3 tablespoons=1/3 cup=2.6 fluid
ounces=75.6 grams
Dry Ingredient Conversions

16. Common
Measurement
Conversionsfor
DryIngredients
8 tablespoons=1/2 cup=4
ounces=113.4 grams=1 stick butter
12 tablespoons=3/4 cup=6
ounces=.375 pound=170 grams
32 tablespoons=2 cups=16
ounces=1 pound=453.6 grams
64 tablespoons=4 cups=32
ounces=2 pounds=907 grams
Dry Ingredient Conversions

17. Common
Measurement
Conversions for
DryIngredients
Pinch = 1/16 teaspoon
Dash = 1/8 teaspoon or less
1 teaspoon=1/3 tablespoon=5 ml
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoons=15 ml
2 tablespoons = 1/8 cup or 1 ounce
4 tablespoons=1/4 cup
5 tablespoons+1 teaspoon = 1/3 cup

18. Common
Measurement
Conversions for
DryIngredients
10 tablespoons+2 teaspoons = 2/3 cup
8 tablespoons = ½ cup
½ cup + 2 tablespoons= 5/8 cup
12 tablespoons OR ½ c + ¼ c = ¾ cup
16 tablespoons = 1 cup
Zest of ½ lemon rind = 3/8 oz = 1
tablespoon
Zest of ¼ orange rind = 3/8 oz = 1
tablespoon

19. Common
Measurement
Conversions for
WetIngredients
1 cup=8 fluid ounces=1/2 pint=237 ml
2 cups=16 fluid ounces=1 pint=474 ml
4 cups=32 fluid ounces=1 quart=946 ml
2 pints=32 fluid ounces=1 quart=946 ml
Liquid Ingredient Conversions

20. Common
Measurement
Conversions for
WetIngredients
4 quarts=128 fluid ounces=1
gallon=3.784 liters
8 quarts=one peck
4 pecks=one bushel
Dash=less than 1/4 teaspoon
Liquid Ingredient Conversions

21. Common
Measurement
Conversions for
WetIngredients
Measure liquids in a liquid
measuring cup or beaker
Set the cup or beaker on a fl at
surface
Look at the amount at eye level
1 cup = 8 fl .ounces=237 ml
2 cups = 1 pint=16 oz= 473 ml
(0.473 liters)
4 cups = 2 pints = 1 qt = 32 fl . oz.=
946 ml (0.946 liters)

22. Common
Measurement
Conversions for
WetIngredients
4 quarts = 1 gallon
oz. = ounce or ounces
c. = cup
T. = tbsp.= tablespoon
t. = tsp. = teaspoon
g = gram or grams=0.035 oz
lb. = pound = 454 grams
1 oz. = 28.35 grams
1 liter = 1.06 quarts

23. Common
Measurement
Conversions for
DryandWet
Ingredients
Fluid ounces on the outside of a
liquid measuring cup are not
the same as a weighted ounce. A
fluid ounce measures volume
while ounces measure weight.
While you can use dry
measuring cups, it will make a
difference in the outcome of
your recipe, especially for baked
goods.

24. Measurement
Equivalents

25. Common
Ingredient
Alternatives
 Whole milk: If your recipe calls for a cup of whole
milk that you don’t have just mix ½ cup of
evaporated milk and ½ cup of water to get the
same flavor and consistency.
 Butter: Whether you want to make your recipe a
little healthier or you used the last of your butter
the night before, margarine is an easy
alternative. If you need a cup of butter, use a cup
of margarine instead.
 Sugar: Honey and maple syrup are excellent
sweeteners when you finish your white sugar. As
a bonus, they can add a subtle flavor other than
sweetness to your recipe.

26. Common
Ingredient
Alternatives
 Vinegar: Lemon juice is a great substitution when
your recipe calls for vinegar. The lemon juice adds
the perfect amount of sourness and acidity your
dish may need.
 Garlic clove: If you need a garlic clove but don’t
have any fresh garlic, consider using garlic
powder. Use ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder for one
garlic clove. Garlic powder is made from ground,
dehydrated garlic cloves, so you can use the same
ingredient but in a different form.
 Sour cream: You can substitute a cup of sour
cream with a cup of yogurt or crème fraîche. Both
ingredients are cultured and provide a slightly
acidic taste.

27. Common
Ingredient
Alternatives
Soy sauce: If you need the umami flavor
of soy sauce but can’t find it in your
house, Worcestershire sauce is an
excellent alternative. It provides the
tangy, savory and sweet taste you need
for your dish.
Breadcrumbs: When you need to add
some crunch or use a binding agent for
part of your dish, consider crushing
crackers or corn flakes. They make
wonderful alternatives for breadcrumbs
when you don’t have any.

28. Common
Ingredient
Alternatives
 Yogurt: While yogurt is an excellent
substitute for sour cream and vice versa,
another ingredient that works well is
buttermilk. You can replace a cup of yogurt
with a cup of buttermilk to have the same
tanginess and creaminess in your recipe.
 All-purpose flour: You can use cake flour if
you ever run out of all-purpose flour while
baking. Use 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of cake
flour for every cup of all-purpose flour called
for in your recipe.
 Honey: Just like replacing sugar with honey,
you can use sugar as a honey substitute. For
every cup of honey, use a mixture of 1 ¼ cup of
sugar and ¼ cup of liquid.

29. Toptipsfor
weightand
measures
1.Stay with the original recipe. It saves
much conversion time and bothers when
you can work with the original scales
and quantities listed.
2.Invest in good measuring equipment.
Buy measuring jugs, cups, and weighing
scales that are clear and accurate. Also
choose measuring and weighing
equipment that covers as many different
types of measurement as possible. This
will save you a lot of time and worry.

30. Toptipsfor
weightand
measures
3.Use the appropriate scale. When speed is
important, go with the largest practical
measurement scale (pints instead of cups,
for example). But where accuracy and
precision are important, use the smallest
practical measurement (e.g. four
tablespoons instead of a quarter cup).
4.Less is more. Not so much a measuring
tip as a culinary one; a little goes a long
way, particularly with herbs, spices, and
salt. Remember, you can always add more
- but you can never take it out.

31. Toptipsfor
weightand
measures
5.Be consistent. Try not to mix
different types of measurement
within a single recipe and use the
same equipment throughout (a
single type of measuring spoons,
for example). It's all a question of
balance. When it comes to flavor,
the absolute quantities don't
matter so much as the relative
proportions between ingredients.

32. 
Thank You
- Ma’am Lyn