Cooking Measurements

Just consider the situation. You go to your relative's home and accidentally happen to peep into the kitchen. You see a weighing balance, a measuring cylinder and all such sort of things near the cooking place. You are muddled, and out of curiosity you enquire about it. To your astonishment you learn that these are the instruments they use for measuring their cooking ingredients. It sounds wacky, doesn't it?

Though accuracy demands the use of all these sort of things, it is sometimes as in cooking that convenience and portability surpass precision in importance. This is exactly why the obvious cooking measurements have prevailed in the kitchen. These obviously are less accurate than if we use some scientific measuring systems. But the slight deviation is not only manageable but sometimes even desirable as the little change caused may improve taste.

Now, let's talk a little more about these cooking measurements? The cooking measurements are generally done in mass, volume or counts. Liquid ingredients are generally measured in volume. Even solid ingredients such as salt, sugar, flour and spices are measured in volume in most kitchens. The unevenness in the size of vegetables generally disables their precise measurements in weight. However chopped meats are generally measured by weight. Meats are also sometimes measured in counts like "two chicken", "four large pieces of beef", etc.

Acquaintance with cooking measurements, though not mandatory, is often very helpful in smooth performance at the cooking table. Delicious concoctions can be horrible dishes if the cooking measurements are deviated beyond a narrow range. Another thing you should learn this for is the sake of knowledge; after all these are always there around you. You should also learn how to substitute a cooking measurement with another when you don't find it. For example if you don't find a tablespoon and need one tablespoon of sugar, just know that you can add three teaspoons.
Here are some of the most widely used cooking measurements(of Volume measurement) :

Cooking Measurements (for Volume)

Cooking Measurements      Abbreviation	  Teaspoons Equivalents

Teaspoon	                Tsp	          1

Tablespoon	                Tbsp	         3

Ounces	                         Oz	           6

Cup	                           C	             48

Pint	                            Pt	              96

Quart	                          Qt	            192

Gallon	                           Gal	             768

Now through the information given above, you can calculate the relation between any two of the above cooking measurements units. If you didn't catch it yet, let me tell you how.
Just take the two quantities that you need to compare and their teaspoon equivalents. Now divide the teaspoons equivalents of both and get the required ratio.

For Example :
If you need to compare Ounces(6 tsp) and Pint(96 tsp), then just divide 96 by 6 to get how many ounces make 1 Pt.
So, 1 Pt = 96/6 = 16 Ozs.

Go on. And next time when your mother asks you to add one ounce of oil, don't get flustered. However all the cooking measurements don't find use in all places. It depends on the size of the meal that is to be prepared. If a meal is meant for two people, the salt and sugar will be added in teaspoons. On the other hand, if the meal prepared is for 20-30 people cups will be used instead. Cooking measurements are all pretty simple if you are a little keen to heed them.