2.

03 O Kitchen Math and

Measuring

=
Sara Jane Strecker, FACS Educator
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 Introduction

✔ Most cooks use recipes. A recipe

is a list of ingredients that gives
you directions for preparing a
specific food. If you know how
to follow recipes, then you will
be successful in the kitchen.
Who knows! You may
become a famous chef!

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 Introduction

✔ Successful cooks know:

• How to read a recipe
• Abbreviations
• Measuring Techniques
• Equivalents
• How to Change a Recipe

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 What’s in a recipe?

✔ A formula!
✔ Read the recipe before you cook.
The parts of the recipe tell you:
• Name
• Ingredients
• Equipment
• Directions
• Yield (number of servings)
• Sometimes - Nutritional Analysis
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 Name
Parts of a Recipe What the
recipe is

✔ A recipe usually includes:

called.

Yield Quesadillas
Number of
servings the (Serves 4 - 2 per person) Ingredient
recipe 8 flour tortillas
makes. s
1 cup grated cheese
Food products
1. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. you need to
Equipme
1. Place a tortilla in the pan. make the recipe.
nt
2. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese on the tortilla.
3. Cover the cheese with another tortilla.
Direction 4. Cook about 1 minute, until brown and crisp. Then turn
the quesadilla over. Cook until the cheese melts.
s
Steps you follow 5. Place on a serving plate. Cut into pie shaped wedges.
to make the 6. Repeat process with remaining ingredients.
recipe.

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 What’s an Abbreviation?

✔ Understanding the language of recipes takes

the guesswork out of cooking.
✔ Abbreviation - The shortened form of a word.
✔ Abbreviations in measuring units:
• Save space on the cookbook page.
• Make recipes easier to read.

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 Name the Abbreviations
✔ The U.S. uses the English system:
• Teaspoon tsp. or t.
• Tablespoon Tbsp. or T.
• Cup c.
• Pint pt.
• Quart qt.
• Gallon gal.
• Ounce/fluid ounce oz./ fl. oz.
• Pound lb.

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 Name the Abbreviations

✔ Most other countries use

the Metric system:
• Milliliter ml
• Liter L
• Grams g
• Kilogram kg

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 Name the Abbreviations
✔ More abbreviations:

• Dozen doz.
• Pound lb.
• Inch in.
• Secondsec.
• Minute min.
• Hour hr.
• Degree °
• Fahrenheit/Celsius F. / C

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 Abbreviations Pop Quiz

✔ What do these stand for?

• lb.
•L
• tsp. or t.
• ° F.
• qt.
• fl. oz.

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 Name That Utensil

✔ Serving spoons & cups vary in size. Only use

these standard measuring utensils…

Can you name them?

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 The Right Measuring Utensil

✔ What are two ingredients that

you’d measure with when using:
• measuring spoons?
• dry/solid measuring cups?
• a liquid measuring cup?

✔ Which measuring utensil would you use to

measure each of these ingredients?
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil

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 Measuring Liquid Ingredients

✔ Liquid ingredients can include:

• Milk, water, oil, juice, vanilla extract, etc.

✔ To measure 1/4 cup or more of a

liquid ingredient, use a clear, liquid
measuring cup.
• Place the cup on level surface and read measurements at eye level.

✔ For smaller amounts use measuring spoons.

• Fill the spoon until a slight dome is visible.

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 Measuring Dry Ingredients

✔ Dry ingredients can include:

• Flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder.

✔ To measure 1/4 cup or more of a dry

ingredient use a measuring cup.
• Measuring cups generally come
in 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, and 1 cup sizes.

✔ To measure less than a 1/4 cup

use a measuring spoon.
• Measuring spoons generally come in
1/4, 1/2, & 1 teaspoon & 1 tablespoon sizes.
• To measure 1/8 tsp. measure 1/4 tsp.
& then remove half.
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 Measuring Dry Ingredients

✔ A standard set of dry/solid measuring cups is

made of four cup sizes.
✔ What amount does each cup measure?

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 Measuring Dry Ingredients

✔ Measuring flour:
• Do not pack the flour into the
measuring cup or spoon because you will
end up with more flour. Instead, scoop flour
into the cup and level with a spatula or knife.
✔ Measuring brown sugar:
• Pack the brown sugar tightly into the measuring cup or spoon.
Once it is packed down, level it with a straight edge or knife.
✔ Measuring granulated sugar:
• Fill the cup with sugar. Level with the back of a spatula or knife
so that sugar is even with top of measuring cup or spoon.

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 Pass the Cup

✔ Dry/solid measure check-up:

• Which of these amounts is greater? Write the amount.
1/2 cup or 3/4 cup
1/4 cup or 1/3 cup
1/4 cup or 2 Tbsp.
1/2 cup or 1/4 cup
1/4 cup or 3 tsp.
1 1/3 cup or 1 1/4 cup
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 Measuring Solid Ingredients
✔ Sticks of butter and margarine
have measurements marked
on the wrapper.
• One stick = 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons
✔ Measure solid fats, such as shortening or
peanut butter, in a dry measuring cup.
• Pack it into the cup and level it with a spatula. Then use a
plastic scraper to remove it from the cup.

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 Measuring Just With Spoons
✔ This chart shows some amounts that you’ll often see in
recipes. And it shows how to measure those amounts
with measuring spoons.

1 Tbsp. 1 tsp. + 1 tsp. + 1 tsp.

3/4 tsp. 1/4 tsp. + 1/4 tsp. + 1/4 tsp.

or 1/2 tsp. + 1/4 tsp.

1/8 tsp. half of 1/4 tsp.

1/8 cup 1 Tbsp. + 1 Tbsp.

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 Basic Equivalents
✔ Equivalents are amounts that are equal to each other.
• They are useful when you must alter or change a recipe
to serve more or less people than the recipe yields.
✔ Dry/Liquid equivalents:
• Pinch or Dash = less than 1/8 teaspoon
• 1 Tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
• 1/4 cup = 4 Tablespoons
• 1/3 cup = 5 Tablespoons & 1 teaspoon
• 1/2 cup = 8 Tablespoons
• 3/4 cup = 12 Tablespoons
• 1 cup = 16 Tablespoons
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 Basic Equivalents
✔ To help you remember:
1 Tablespoon = 3 t e a spoons
There are 3 letters in the word tea and 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon.

1/4 c. = 4 Tbsp.

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 Basic Equivalents
✔ 1 fluid ounce = 2 Tablespoons
✔ 8 ounces = 1 cup
✔ 16 ounces = 1 pound

✔ 1 pint = 2 cups
✔ 1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups
✔ 1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 16 cups
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 Basic Equivalents
✔ To help you
remember:

A formula
2 c. = 1 pt.
2 pt. = 1 qt.
4 qt. = 1 gal.

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 Equivalents at the Store
✔ At the store, many foods are sold by the pint or by
the quart. Many recipes will ask you to measure
those foods by the cup.
✔ Here is a helpful guide:
• 1 cup = 1/2 pint
• 2 cups = 1 pint
• 4 cups = 2 pints
• 4 cups = 1 quart
• 4 quarts = 1 gallon

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 Equivalents at the Store
✔ Answer the following questions with one of these amounts:

1/2 pint 1 pint1 quart

What size container will you buy if. . .

1. A recipe for salad calls for 2 cups of cottage cheese.?

2. A recipe for a fruit dessert calls for 1 cup of whipping cream?
3. You need 4 cups of milk for a pudding?
4. You need 2 cups of sour cream to make a dip?
5. A recipe for fruit salad says to mix 8 ounces of yogurt
with fruit?

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 Equivalents at the Store
✔ Now that you know how many cups make up 1/2 pint,
1 pint, and 1 quart, try to figure out how many ounces
are in these amounts:
• 1 cup = ___ oz.
• 1/2 pint = ___ oz.
• 1 pint = ___ oz.
• 1 quart = ___ oz.
• 1 gallon = ___ oz.

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 Basic Equivalents Pop Quiz

1. 1 pint= ____ cups

2. 1 gallon = ____ quarts
3. 1 quart = ____ cups
4. 1 cup = ____ tablespoons
5. 1 tablespoon = ____ teaspoons

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 Putting Cups Together
✔ Useful amounts to know:
• 2/3 cup = 1/3 cup + 1/3 cup
• 3/4 cup = 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup
• 1/8 cup = half of 1/4 cup
• 1 cup = 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup
• 1 cup = 1/3 cup + 1/3 cup + 1/3 cup
• 1 cup = 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup
✔ How would you measure these amounts?
• 1 1/4 cups
• 2/3 cup
• 3/4 cup

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 How Do You Measure Up?
✔ This recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies yields 3 dozen.
You need to make 6 dozen. Write down the measurements
you would use to double this recipe. Use correct abbreviations.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields 3 dozen.
2 1/4 cup flour 3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt 2 eggs
1 cup margarine 2 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup sugar

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 How Do You Measure Up?
✔ Your Grandma’s recipe for Chocolate Cake makes a
large cake so you want to make only half of a cake.
Write down the new measurements you would need to
make half this recipe. Use correct abbreviations.

Chocolate Cake
2 cups sugar 2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup butter 2 chocolate squares
2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk 2/3 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups cake flour 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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 How Do You Measure Up?
BONUS
✔ What is half of 2/3 cup?
✔ If a recipe calls for one egg and you want to cut
the recipe in half, how might you half an egg?

Answer: 1 large egg = 1/4 cup.

Crack egg into bowl and mix with
fork. Pour out approximately 1/2
or 2 tablespoons of egg.

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 You’re the Expert
✔ Jenny is throwing a surprise birthday party for her best
friend Katie. She has decided to make Katie’s favorite
dish, meat loaf. There will be a total of 40 people at the
party. Answer the following questions:
• The recipe says it serves 8 people. By what number should Jenny
multiply each ingredient to make enough meat loaf for everyone?
• The recipe calls for 1 1/2 lbs. of ground beef. How much ground
beef will Jenny need to make enough meat loaf for everyone?
• Jenny will be serving milk with the meal. She plans on using 8
oz. glasses. How many gallons of milk does she need to make
sure everyone gets one glass of milk?

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