Dry measurements are not typically used in US recipes; dry measurements are used mainly for measuring fresh produce (e.g. berries are sold by the quart, apples by the bushel, or peck).
Dry measure and liquid measure are not the same; Do not confuse the two.
In the United States, liquid measurement is not only used for liquids such as water and milk, it is also used when measuring other ingredients such as flour, sugar, shortening, butter, and spices.
Some recipes need converted, this chart shows some common equivalents.
1 pinch
less than 1/8 teaspoon (dry)
1 dash
3 drops to 1/4 teaspoon (liquid)
1/4 teaspoon or less
3 teaspoons
1 tablespoon
1/2 ounce (liquid and dry)
2 tablespoons
1 ounce (liquid and dry)
4 tablespoons
2 ounces (liquid and dry)
1/4 cup
5 1/3 tablespoons
1/3 cup
8 tablespoons
4 ounces
1/2 cup
1 stick butter
16 tablespoons
8 ounces
1 cup
1/2 pound
16 tablespoons
48 teaspoons
32 [...]
Common abbreviations found in most standard recipe books.
teaspoon
t
tsp
Tablespoon
T
Tbs.
tbsp
ounce
fl
fluid oz
cup
c.
package
pkg
gram (or grams)
g. (or gms.)
square
sq
pint
pt
quart
qt
gallon
gal
pound
lb
dozen
doz.
Celsius Centigrade
° C
Fahrenheit
° F
See Temperatures for more info on ° F and ° C conversions.
Commonly used cooking temperatures and temperature conversions from fahrenheit to celsius:
-10°F
=
-23.3°C (freezer storage)
0°F
=
-17.7°C
32°F
=
0°C (water freezes)
50°F
=
10°C
68°F
=
20°C (room temperature)
100°F
=
37.7°C
150°F
=
65.5°C
205°F
=
96.1°C (water simmers)
212°F
=
100°C (water boils)
300°F
=
148.8°C
325°F
=
162.8°C
350°F
=
177°C (baking)
375°F
=
190.5°C
400°F
=
204.4°C (hot oven)
425°F
=
218.3°C
450°F
=
232°C (very hot oven)
[...]
Sometimes you just don’t have on hand a specific ingredient a recipe may call for. Don’t fret… certain ingredients may be easily substituted and no one will know the wiser. Here’s some common ingredient substitutions.
Ingredient
Amount
Substitutes
Allspice
1 tsp
tsp cinnamon and tsp ground cloves
Apple pie spice
1 tsp
tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/8 tsp cardamom
Arrowroot starch
1 [...]
Use these ingredient equivalents to make your cooking easier.
Quick, 1 pound equivalents of common cooking ingredients:
- 2 cups butter
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 2/3 cups brown sugar
- 3 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 2 cups milk
- 9 medium eggs
- 2 2/3 cups dry oatmeal
- 1 7/8 cups rice
- 2 1/3 [...]
These are commonly used recipe substitutions. For that “just in case” when you thought you had all the ingredients only to find out, you don’t.
4 ounces cheese = 1 cup shredded
1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup yogurt
1 cup milk = 1/2 cup evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water
1 cup sour milk = 1 cup [...]
1/4 cup cream of coconut
1 cup canned peaches, with juice
1/4 cup milk
1 cup ice cubes
Place all ingredients in blender container.
Blend until smooth.
2 servings.
1 c. chopped pineapples, frozen
1 medium banana, cut into 1/2 inch slices, frozen
3/4 c. unsweetened light coconut milk, chilled
3/4 c. orange juice
Place all ingredients in blender container.
Blend until smooth.
2 servings.