food articles | spoons, cups don't always measure up

Spoons, Cups Don't Always Measure Up!

Are you wondering what I'm talking about here? I read an article not to long ago that said just that. Not all measuring cups and tablespoons are the same. So I decided to give it a test. I got out my plastic, metal and glass measuring cups. Sure enough they are not the same. Each one was different by a tablespoon or more and that depended on which tablespoon I used.

Have I got you completely confused now? The bottom line is, in most things it may not make a difference. If you think it might be affecting a recipe you are using, weight out the ingredients instead. This could be important when dealing with bread, flour and pastries. In a professional kitchen almost everything is done by weight.

A bigger problem may be the habits we have than our tools. Before using flour you should fluff it up. Stick a spoon in it and give it a stir. Use the back of the knife to level off the cup. Almost every recipe I use that calls for brown sugar requires it be packed down in the cup when you measure. You can use the back of a spoon to do this.

And it also may explain the age old question of why that great recipe you got from your best friend just isn't the same when you make it.