TECHNIQUES IN FOOD PREPARATION

THE ABC OF FOOD PREPARATION

BENEFITS OF KNOWING YOUR ABC IN
FOOD PREPARATION

 Measuring of ingredients, chopping, slicing, coring,

peeling – these are just some of the common and
necessary food preparation.

 The success or failure of many dishes depends on how

well you know the ABCs of food preparation. And if you
do them right, you can finish fast (“saves time and
effort”).
MCC. Caudal Revised edition Basic Nutrition and Diet Therapy
THE DO’S AND DON'TS IN FOOD PREPARATION
1. MEASURING DRY INGREDIENTS
 Fill measuring cup until it overflows
Spoon flour or other light, powdery dry ingredient into your measuring cup
until it domes up over the top.
**(Don’t scoop with the cup and shake off the excess, because this will cause
the ingredient to become slightly packed, and you’ll end up with more than
the recipe calls for.)

***Tip 1: To measure heavier ingredients, such as granulated sugar, go ahead

and scoop
***Tip 2: Stir the powder powder spices to break up lumps.
 Level it off with the back of a knife
Run the flat edge of a knife over the top of the measuring cup to level it off.
This will ensure that you’ve measured the exact amount the recipe calls for.
1. MEASURING DRY INGREDIENTS
 Fill measuring spoon
To measure light and fluffy ingredients, put the ingredient
into the measuring spoon with another spoon or scoop,
until it domes up over the top of the measuring spoon.

Tip: For salt, granulated sugar, or other heavy ingredients,

it’s okay to dip your measuring spoon, scooping out
enough so that the spoon is overflowing.

 Level it off with the back of a knife

Run the flat edge of a knife over the top of the measuring
spoon to level it off.
1. MEASURING DRY INGREDIENTS
1. MEASURING DRY INGREDIENTS
 3. MEASURING LIQUIDS

Using a Cup for Thin Liquids

1. Start with a liquid measuring cup. 

Liquid measuring cups are the most

accurate way to measure thin liquids, like
water, milk, juice, and oils.

They are made of transparent glass or

plastic, and have markings on the sides to
indicate volume in both metric and
English units.
 3. MEASURING LIQUIDS

2. Place the cup on a flat surface.

You won’t get as accurate a

measurement if you’re holding the cup
in your shaky hands, so set it on a
counter or table. Now, pour the liquid in,
until it reaches the correct line. Pour
slowly, so you don’t have to worry about
getting rid of excess.
 3. MEASURING LIQUIDS

2.1. Find the meniscus. 

Crouch or lean down, so your eyes are

level with the measurement line you’ve
chosen. You will see a slight concave
curve in the surface of the liquid. Make
sure that the bottom of this arc, called
the meniscus, touches the measurement
line.
 3. MEASURING LIQUIDS

Use a measuring spoon for small

quantities. 

If you’re measuring less than a quarter

cup of a thin liquid--for instance, vanilla
extract--use a measuring spoon to dole it
out. Hold the spoon over a separate bowl
to catch any overflow, and gently pour in
the liquid until it’s full. Empty the spoon
into the recipe, and continue.
 3. MEASURING LIQUIDS

Measure very small amounts of ingredients

with a syringe. 

It may look intimidating, but this tool will

give you hyper-accurate results for small
volumes. If you’re doing precision baking, a
trip to the drugstore can net you a very useful
syringe. Fill it up to the desired volume line
according to the package directions, then
squirt the liquid into the recipe.
 3. MEASURING LIQUIDS

 Avoid sticky situations with cooking oil.

 Some sweeteners, like honey and molasses, are reluctant to

leave the measuring cup once they’re there. (The good news is that
they’re easier to eyeball--they are too thick to have a meniscus.)

To encourage these syrups to slip out more easily, pour them into a
liquid measuring cup that has been sprayed with cooking oil.

To save even more time, in recipes in which you are measuring

both oil and honey or molasses, measure the oil first, pour it into
the recipe, then measure the sweetener.
3. MEASURING LIQUIDS

Measure malleable solids in a solid cup.

 Some ingredients, like shortening and yogurt, are definitely

not as runny as water.

 However, they’re too thick to measure using the dip-and-

sweep method you might use for flour or sugar. In this case,

it’s best to use a solid measuring cup and pack in the

shortening or yogurt, using the back of a spoon to press it

down firmly. Line the cup with plastic wrap to make removal

easier.
3. MEASURING LIQUIDS

Cont….

 Scoop the cup full of the ingredient. Push down on the

ingredient with the back of a spoon, to make sure no air

bubbles remain. Then, level off with a butter knife.

 Lift the ingredient out of the measuring cup with the plastic

wrap, then transfer it to the recipe.

 3. MEASURING LIQUIDS

Use the package guidelines for butter. 

Butter is a solid ingredient that is often melted and used

as a liquid in recipes. Its advantage is that measurements
are often clearly marked onto the stick; just slice along the
guideline to remove the correct amount of solid butter,
then melt if you so desire.

Butter sticks come in a standard size, which makes

measuring large quantities of butter even easier.

A standard stick is ½ cup and ¼ pound, or 113 grams.

 3. MEASURING LIQUIDS

Try a push-up measuring cup. 

Push-style measuring cups have a

plunger you can set to the amount of the
ingredient you want. Once you have
filled them to that level, you can just
push the ingredients out. This works
really well with sticky ingredients like
peanut butter and mayonnaise.
3. MEASURING LIQUIDS

8. Acquire a kitchen scale. 

Many European recipes use weight or mass instead of volume to

measure, especially for baking. Statistically, measuring by mass
produces more accurate results, so especially if you bake a ton, you
may find a kitchen scale useful.

1 cup of water weighs 8 ounces, or 240 grams.

1 teaspoon of water weighs 0.17 ounces or 5 grams, while 1

tablespoon weighs 0.529 ounces or 15 grams.
3. MEASURING LIQUIDS

Set a liquid measuring cup on the scale. 

This will help you more accurately eyeball how much

liquid you need to add. If you don’t have a liquid measuring
cup, any sturdy (and preferably clear) container will do.
Whichever vessel you choose, make sure it’s centered on the
scale.
3. MEASURING LIQUIDS

Set the scale to zero. 

This is called “taring” or “zeroing.” If you’re using a

mechanical scale, twist the knob on the side until the weight
dial reads “0.” If you’re using a digital scale, simply press “0”
or “All Clear (AC).” Either way, this step is crucial, as it takes
out the weight of the container you’re using.
3. MEASURING LIQUIDS

Add the liquid slowly. 

Pour in the liquid to the approximate volume measure that

you’re trying to reach. Pour a thin stream, and make sure to
have one eye on the scale’s reader in order to make sure that
you don’t add too much. If you add too much, you can spoon it
out until it’s at exactly the right weigh
4. PEELING OF RAW TOMATOES AND
POTATOES
Put tomato and potato in boiling water for 10-30seconds
(shorter time for riper fruits).

Remove and rinse in cold water to stop cooking. Peel will lift
off.
5. PEELING FIRM FRUIT AND
VEGETABLES (CARROTS, TURNIPS,
APPLES AND PEARS)
*Hold Fruits or vegetable in one hand and in a floating
blade peeler in the other hand, peel from top to bottom,
turning fruit or vegetable as you progress.

*Trim stem and root with a small paring knife.

5. PEELING FIRM FRUIT AND
VEGETABLES (CARROTS, TURNIPS,
APPLES AND PEARS)

Heavy-skinned fruits and vegetables like

citrus, melons, and hard squashes are all peeled
the same way: cut off enough of the ends to
reveal the fruit or vegetables under the peel,
set it flat, and cut down the sides with a
sharp knife to remove the peel. Large melons
and squashes may be easier to handle if you
cut them in half to quarters first.
5. PEELING FIRM FRUIT AND
VEGETABLES (CARROTS, TURNIPS,
APPLES AND PEARS)

Root vegetables are mostly pretty easy to

peel with a decent, sharp peeler or 
paring knife.

The papery skin on onions is easier

removed if you cut the onion first (peeling
under water helps reduce tears) and nothing
slips off more quickly than the peel of a 
roasted beet.
5. PEELING FIRM FRUIT AND
VEGETABLES (CARROTS, TURNIPS,
APPLES AND PEARS)

Peeling can make some parts of fruits and

vegetables we often throw away perfectly
(and deliciously) edible, like the tough
ends of asparagus or broccoli stems.
5. PEELING FIRM FRUIT AND
VEGETABLES (CARROTS, TURNIPS,
APPLES AND PEARS)

 Plenty of vegetables that we commonly

peel can be eaten with the peel on if
you like. Eggplants and cucumbers, in
particular, have skins that some people
find difficult to digest. While they are
traditionally peeled, they do not have to
be if you don't have trouble with them.
5. CUTTING MEAT OR VEGETABLES
IN JULIENNE STRIPS OR MATCH
STICKS

 Cut into 1/8” slices 3 to 4 slices

together and cut into 1/8” wide strips.
DIFFERENT TYPES AND STYLES OF CUTS IN
FRUITS, VEGETABLE AND SPICES.
5. PEELING FIRM FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
(CARROTS, TURNIPS, APPLES AND PEARS)
For poultry, pork and meat flesh, slice them against the muscle fiber not
towards the muscle fiber.
 End
Thank you for Listening 

…..Now that you know already your ABC in Food

Preparation
Get ready on the tips and techniques on Purchasing Food
items …..