Kitchen Math Made Easy

Since we are heading into the prime cooking season with the arrival of Autumn and soon...the holidays, I've prepared an easy to follow list of many kitchen measures and exchanges. Sometimes, our brain can't quite figure out the amounts of dried beans vs. cooked beans or teaspoons in equivalent to tablespoons. Many recipes ask for measurements that are hard to figure out, so I hope this information helps the novice as well as the seasoned family chef.

SAFETY FIRST

• Before any cooking, scrub hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds. Rinse well. dry with a paper towel and use a kitchen towel to turn off faucet.
• Wash hands, utensils, and surfaces in hot soapy water after handling uncooked fish, poultry, meat, or raw eggs.
• Refrigerate food within 2 hours of cooking, on hot days...1 hour.
• Don't overload the refrigerator...it needs room for air to evenly circulate.
• Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator...never on a counter top.

EASY EXCHANGES

1/8 teaspoon or less = a pinch                                        2 cups = 1 pint

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon                                            4 cups = 1 quart
4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup                                                 2 pints = 1 quart
5 1/3 tablespoons = 1/3 cup                                           4 quarts = 1 gallon
8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup                                              
10 2/3 tablespoons = 2/3 cup
16 tablespoons = 1 cup

FOOD MEASURES

Butter                                                                           
1/2 stick = 1/4 cup or 4 Tablespoons                            
1 stick = 1/2 cup or 8 Tablespoons                               
1 pound = 2 cups or 4 sticks
                                      
Cheese
8 ounces cream cheese = 1 cup
8 ounces cottage cheese = 1 cup
4 ounces Parmesan = 1 1/4 cups grated
Chocolate Chips
one - 12 ounce package = 2 cups

Cookies
1 cup crumbs = 19 chocolate wafers, 22 vanilla wafers, or 14 graham cracker squares

Cream
1 cup heavy cream = 2 cups whipped

Dried Beans and Peas
1 cup = 2 1/4 cup cooked

Herbs
1 Tablespoon fresh = 1 teaspoon dried

Pasta
8 ounces elbow macaroni = 4 cups cooked
8 ounces fettuccine = 3 3/4 cups cooked
8 ounces angel hair = 5 1/2 cups cooked
8 ounces spaghetti = 4 cups cooked

Rice
1 cup white = 3 cups cooked
1 cup instant = 1 1/2 cups cooked
1 cup brown = 3 to 4 cups cooked

Sugar
1 pound granulated = 2 cups
1 pound brown, packed = 2 1/4 cups
1 pound confectioners = 4 1/2 cups

WHEN A RECIPE CALLS FOR:

4 cups shredded cabbage = 1 small cabbage
1 cup grated raw carrot = 1 large carrot
2 1/2 cups sliced carrots = 1 pound raw carrots
4 cups cooked fresh green beans = 1 pound green beans
1 cup chopped onion = 1 large onion
4 cups sliced raw potatoes = 4 medium-sized potatoes
1 cup chopped sweet pepper = 1 large pepper
1 cup chopped tomato = 1 large tomato
1 cup diced canned tomatoes = 14 1/2-ounce can, drained
4 cups sliced apples = 4 medium-sized apples
1 cup mashed banana = 3 medium-sized bananas
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest = 1 medium-sized lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice = 1 medium-sized lemon
4 teaspoons grated orange rind = 1 medium-sized orange
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice = 3 medium-sized oranges
4 cups sliced peaches = 8 medium-sized peaches
2 cups sliced strawberries = 1 pint of strawberries
1 cup soft bread crumbs = 2 slices of fresh bread
1 cup bread cubes = 2 slices of fresh bread
2 cups shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese = 8 ounces of cheese
1 cup of egg whites = 6 or 7 large eggs

I hope all of this information will help you
prepare glorious dishes for your family!