Pints and Pounds, Cups, Tablespoons, Teaspoons

“A pint a pound the world around.” <—Mostly.
One pint of  protein is generally estimated to be one pound or 16 oz.
One pint of water is also around 16 oz. A pint of whole milk, however, is closer to 17 oz.

One gallon is 4 quarts.
One quart is 2 pints.
One pint equals to 2 cups or 32 Tablespoons
16 Tablespoons makes 1 cup
4 Tablespoons is equal to 1/4 cup

One Tablespoon is equal to 3 teaspoons

Dry Herbs and spices:

A ratio of 3:1 is used for fresh herbs to dried.
So 3 Tablespoons of fresh herbs is the same as 1 Tablespoon of dried,
and 3 teaspoons of fresh herbs are the same as 1 teaspoon of dried.

One 2-inch cinnamon stick = 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
One 3-inch cinnamon stick = 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 dried vanilla bean = 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 dried ancho chili (minus the stem including the minimal weight of the seeds) weights about 1/3 oz or 10 grams. This is roughly the equivalent to 1 1/2 Tablespoons of loose ground chili by weight.

3 dried guajillo chilies weigh approximately 1/3 of an ounce or 10 grams. This is roughly the equivalent of 1 1/2 Tablespoons of loose ground chili by weight.

Chinese 5 Spice is a mix of equal portions cloves, cinnamon, szechuen peppercorn, star anise, and fennel seed, all ground.

Using Cornstarch/Slurry  or Roux to thicken soups or sauces:

1 Tablespoon cornstarch to one cup of liquid.
If you are using slurry to thicken a soup or sauce you will need 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch for every cup of liquid in the recipe. This can be added with all the other ingredients before you heat your soup/sauce or you can add the amount of cornstarch you need to a small bit of water and get it dissolved really well, then add it to a recipe that is already warm or boiling. Dry cornstarch clumps if added directly to warm liquids.

Roux: 2 Tablespoons of flour, 2 Tablespoons of Oil/Fat per 1 cup of liquid; approximately
I say approximately here because you may want any particular sauce to be thicker or thinner. Remember that the roux, flour whisked into hot oil (or any kind of liquidized fat), needs to be made before you add it to your sauce, then let the combination simmer for a couple minutes and it will thicken. Roux can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
For more detailed information about using roux check out our roux page.

Healthful and Helpful Substitutions in the Kitchen:

• 1 teaspoon baking powder equals 1/2 teaspoon each of cream of tartar and baking soda.
• 1 square of baking chocolate equals 3 Tablespoons cocoa plus 1 Tablespoon butter
  • OR 3 Tablespoons carob plus 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 cup of white sugar equals 3/4 cup of honey
  • OR 1 1/4 cup of molasses
  • OR 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup of white flour equals 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour
  • OR 3/4 cup of graham flour
  • OR 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup of butter equals 1 cup of margarine
  • OR 7/8 of a cup of vegetable oil
• 1 cup of oil can be replaced with 1 cup of apple sauce in baked goods
• 1 cup of buttermilk equals 1 cup of milk plus 1 3/4 Tablespoons cream of tartar
  • OR 1 cup of milk plus 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 eggs equal 1 egg plus 2 egg whites
  • OR 2 Tablespoons oil plus 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup of milk equals 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water
  • OR 3 Tablespoons of powdered milk plus 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of sour cream equals 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and 1 cup of evaporated milk
  • OR 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and 1 cup of plain yogurt
  • OR 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and 1 cup of buttermilk
• 1 cup of whipped cream equals 1 cup of nonfat milk powder whipped with 1 cup ice water
  • OR 1/2 cup heavy cream whipped with 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • OR 1 four ounce package (125 grams) of non-dairy whipped topping
• 1 Tablespoon of Mirin can be replaced with 1 Tablespoon dry white wine or rice vinegar plus 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
  • OR Dry Sherry
  • OR Sweet Marsala
• Crème Fraiche Substitute: 2 Cups Heavy Cream, 2 T Buttermilk; whipped

Working with Citrus Zest and Juice

• 1 lemon or lime juiced is equal to 2 Tablespoons lemon or lime juice
• 1 lemon or lime zested produces 2 teaspoons of zest
• 1 orange on average produces about 4 Tablespoons of juice
• 1 orange usually produces 2-3 Tablespoons of zest
• 1 mandarine orange produces ~3 Tablespoons of minced fresh rind
  • This dries down to 4 teaspoons dried peel

Standard to Metric Conversions

Volume Measurements (dry)

• 1/8 teaspoon = .5 mL
• 1/4 t = 1 mL
• 1/2 t = 2 mL
• 3/4 t = 4 mL
• 1 t = 5 mL
• 1 Tablespoon = 15 mL
• 2 T = 30 mL
• 1/4 cup = 60 mL
• 1/3 cup = 75 mL
• 1/2 cup = 125 mL
• 2/3 cup = 150 mL
• 3/4 cup = 175 mL
• 1 cup = 250 mL
• 2 cup = 1 pint = 500 mL
• 3 cups = 750 mL
• 4 cups = 1 quart = .95 or basically 1 L

Volume Measurements (fluid)

• 1 fluid ounce = 2 Tablespoons = 30 mL
• 4 fl oz = 1/2 cup = 125 mL
• 8 fl oz  = 1 cup = 250 mL
• 12 fl oz = 1 1/2 cup = 375 mL
• 16 fl oz = 2 cups = 500 mL

Weights

• 1/2 ounce = 15 grams
• 1 oz = 30 g
• 3 oz = 90 g
• 4 oz = 120 g
• 8 oz = 225 g
• 10 oz = 285 g
• 12 oz = 360 g
• 16 oz = 1 pound = 450 g

Dimensions

• 1/16 inch = 2 millimeters
• 1/8 in = 3 mm
• 1/4 in = 6 mm
• 1/2 inch = 1.5 centimeters
• 3/4 in = 2 cm
• 1 inch = 2.5 cm

Oven Temperatures

• 250°F = 120°C
• 275°F = 140°C
• 300°F = 150°C
• 325°F = 160°C
• 350°F = 180°C
• 375°F = 190°C
• 400°F = 200°C
• 425°F = 220°C
• 450°F = 230°C
• 500°F = 260°C