Measurement volume vs. weight

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Wed Jan 01, 2014 22:48

Most recipes I come across have ingredient measurements in teaspoons, tablespoons and cups. Although I prefer recipes that use weight by grams or ounces because it's more exact. When using the measuring spoon method, are you more apt to use a heaping spoonful, or do you level off each spoon measurement of ingredient?

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Wed Jan 01, 2014 23:48

I level, but with water I use a heaping measure.

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 00:26

Thanks Ross. Some spices like garlic and marjoram I can get sloppy with, as I like those two. Although some spices like allspice and clove require a pretty exact measurement or they over power everything else.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 04:05

Rick,
I hope you are using Stan's "Cure Calculator" at this link: http://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage ... calculator
If you click on the arrow in the lower - right hand box, it will give you grams to tspns. conversion.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Post by **Bob K** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 19:08

And if you are a Baker:

Ounces Grams
Ingredient Cup Tbs Tsp Cup Tbs Tsp

Flour, unsifted (wheat unless indicated)
All Purpose 4.59 0.29 0.10 130 8 3
Barley 5.22 0.33 0.11 148 9 3
Bread 4.94 0.31 0.10 140 9 3
Buckwheat 4.23 0.26 0.09 120 8 3
Cake 4.23 0.26 0.09 120 8 3
Cornmeal 5.61 0.35 0.12 159 10 3
First clear 5.01 0.31 0.10 142 9 3
High-gluten 5.01 0.31 0.10 142 9 3
Pastry 4.41 0.28 0.09 125 8 3
Potato 5.64 0.35 0.12 160 10 3
Rice, white 5.57 0.35 0.12 158 10 3
Rye, dark 3.25 0.20 0.07 92 6 2
Rye, medium 4.50 0.28 0.09 128 8 3
Rye, white 5.00 0.31 0.10 142 9 3
Rye meal, coars 5.50 0.34 0.11 156 10 3
Tapioca 4.13 0.26 0.09 117 7 2

Milk, liquid 8.68 0.54 0.18 246 15 5
Milk, nonfat dr 4.23 0.26 0.09 120 8 3
Water 8.36 0.52 0.17 237 15 5

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 19:51

ssorllih wrote:I level, but with water I use a heaping measure.

You are SO bad sometimes!

RAY

el Ducko · Post by **el Ducko** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 23:09

Chuckwagon wrote:Rick,
I hope you are using Stan's "Cure Calculator" at this link: http://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage ... calculator
If you click on the arrow in the lower - right hand box, it will give you grams to tspns. conversion.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Uh oh! Cure #1 isn't listed in the choices, there. My best advice: use the cure calculator boxes on the top to figure up how many grams you need for your meat weight, at a given ppm concentration. Then, weigh out that much cure.

But if you don't have a fine-enough scale, then what?
(1) Go get one that can resolve to 0.1 grams. I bought mine at a pawn shop for about $20. It's a good investment. You'll use it for EVERY recipe. (The dealer swore that they use 'em to weigh gold. Others may weigh some sort of white powder with theirs. so by a new one by all means.)
(2) Measure out a teaspoon of cure, then weigh it. Better still, weigh out three to five teaspoons, weight the total, then divide by... This gives you something called a "bulk density," in grams per teaspoon. This way, you can estimate how many teaspoons you'll use.
(3) Always weigh, rather than trust volumetric measurements, especially for granular materials.
(4) As a hint, the last time I measured mine, the bulk density of cure #1 from Granzin's Meat Market in New Braunfels, Texas, was 5.9+ grams per teaspoon. Depending on source (and therefore grain size), bulk density may vary, so measure yours.
Good luck. Enjoy!