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Culinary historians say that perhaps
Americans measure with objects because colonial homes and Conestoga wagons had
plenty of cups and spoons but very few reliable scales. The colonial kitchen was
a fireplace with several ovens of varying temperatures depending on how close
they were to the flames. One would cook by hanging pots over the fire and moving
them around to control the cooking temperature. Each day started from scratch by
milking the cow, gathering eggs, and hauling water from the well. A “cup full”
literally meant all that a cup would
hold.
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1 gill |
= ½ cup |
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1 teacup |
= a scant ¾ cup |
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1 coffee cup |
= 1 scant cup |
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1 tumbler |
= 1 cup |
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1 pint |
= 2 cups |
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1 quart |
= 4 cups |
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1 peck |
= 2 gallons (dry)
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"A pints a pound the world around"
when measuring liquids, shortening,
chopped meat packed down hard,
mashed potatoes, raw tomatoes,
granulated sugar, and salt.
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Butter the size
of a hazelnut |
= 1 teaspoon |
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the size of a
walnut |
= 1 tablespoon |
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the size of an
egg |
= ¼ cup or 2 ounces |
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1 pennyweight |
= 1/20 ounce |
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1 drachm |
= 1/8 ounce |
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1 ounce =
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4½ Tablespoons allspice, cinnamon, curry,
mustard, paprika
4 Tablespoons cloves, made mustard
3½ Tablespoons nutmeg or pepper
3 Tablespoons sage, cream of tartar cornstarch
2 Tablespoons of salt or any liquid |
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1 pound =
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2 cups of liquid
4 cups of flour
8 medium-sized eggs with shells
10 eggs with out shells
2½ cups powered sugar or brown sugar, packed down
4 cup of grated
cabbage,
cranberries, coffee, chopped celery, cheese
3 cups of cornmeal
2 cups of cooked rice
2¾ cups raisins or dried currants |
Last
modified on
May 14, 2008
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Colonial Measurements