Omaha daily bee., 1917-04-27
Measuring That
Makes for Success

domestic science, Wnere COOKING 10
taught. there will be found system
OF accurate, level measurements.
Years ago a person had TO be born
cook" to produce good results. but
now the art OF cooking may be ac-
CURED by anyone who wants to learn
il, and the reason lies in this very
system OF level measuring, and in
having accurate, standardized recipes
from which to work. Twenty-Five
years ago children in cooking schools
were told to round the butter on top
as much as the spoon ,hollows.' One
little girl packed her spoon firmly
with butter and scraped it off even
with the top edge of the spoon. why
do you do that?" asked her mother.
INV teacher said there must be just
as much on top as there is in the
spoon. II / take just what the spoon
holds and take it twice, | will get 1t
exactly right" -.
The childs mother told Miss
Farmer the story, who saw the tire.
mendous value OF the act, and out OF
this incident grew the helpful method
OF measuring. Level measurements
are possible everywhere because
manufacturers have standard sizes
for cups and spoons. A measuring
cup holds one-half pint; four OF these
cups should hold one quart. They
are made OF tin, aluminium, agate or
glass, and marked by indented lines
running around the cup to divide 1t
into thirds and quarters. In some
the lines are one-third and two-thirds
OF the distance from bottom to top,
in others e-fourth, one-half and
three-fourths Of the distance from
bottom to top. A cup holding liquid
coming exactly to the first line
marked on a cup divided by three
lines into four parts, will be holding
one fourth cup. By counting spaces
| between the lines the matter OF trac,,
lions Of a cupful will be found
simple. -.
TO measure a whole cupiul OF
LIQUID, first set the cup down remem..
Der. do not hold it in the hand) and
| pour in the liquid until it comes to
The brim and can hold no more with
out running over. For part OF a
cupful, take a third, for instance, pour
in the LIQUID until it reaches the center
of the line running around the cup
one-third of the distance from the
bottom up. There is glass measur-
ing cup, made with lip for pouring,
which holds more than cupful. and
;s convenient to use with liquids to
avoid danger from Overlooking when
measuring full cup, but notice must
be taken that it be filled only to the
half-pint measuring line. =. :,
To measure a spoonful OF liquid,
hold the spoon level and steady III
the left hand and pour into it, from
The receptacle in the right hand, as
much liquid as the spoon can hold
| without running over. Use a stand
ard size tablespoon, which holds one
sixteenth of a cupful. This means
that sixteen evenly filled tablespoons
| will fiji one cup, and four evenly
filled tablespoons will equal one
fourth cup. Three evenly filled tea
| spoons equal one tablespoon, Many
times, when a recipe calls for guar
ter OF cupful OF material it wi, be
found more convenient and less
wasteful to measure out tour, taple-
spoonfuls. To learn how much nan a
teaspoon or tablespoon OF liquid Is,
take two spoons, standard SIZE. III
one full of LIQUID, then pour part into
The other spoon until each contains
a. .oual amount, By using another
spoon and dividing one-halt equally
between two spoons an exact quarter
OF tablespoon or teaspoon may, pc
secured; thirds may be determined by
using three spoons. Measuring spoons
p,ay be used. -., g.,
Dry materials when measured by
cupfrls (such as -four and sugar.
sbould be put in with a spoon. or
scoop. filling the cup to overhowins,
then with a case knife the -four must
be pushed off from the top OF the cup,
Almost everyone will instinctively dip
a cup into the, flour, give it a little
shake and dip it in second time.
This should not be done, because the
-four gets packed into the cup solidiy,
lie little shake settles it and makes 1t
possible to get in another tablespoon
.r two. and, consequently, too much
-four gets into the cake or whatever
is being made, more -four than the
recipe calls for, and the finished prod
uct is not perfect. Fractions. OF a
cupful are to be filled lightly from. a
spoon lust to or slightly above the
dividing line wanted, and any surplus
| lifted out by running the spoon
round the cup with its point on the
dividing line, holding it at a slight
angle so that it will take up any sur
plus material. Any tendency to pack
the -four down into the cup is to be
carefully avoided. ,
To measure a cupful or spoonful OF
butter or shortening, the process IS
quite the reverse OF measuring Hour
| or sugar, for with the butter the cup
| or spoon is to be packed as solidly
as possible. When packed it is to be
made level by scraping with a straight
knife resting on the edges OF the
SPOON. To measure half spoonful OF
| any ingredient FIRST get whole
spoonful then divide lengthwise OF
| the spoon. exactly through the mid
die; to get the quarters, divide hrst
lcngthwise and then crosswise, max
ing the crosswise line slightly nearer
the back Of the bowl to allow for the
pointed shape of the tip Of the spoon.
Thirds are made with the lines cross
wise of the spoon, making the middle
section narrower because it is deeper.
With measurements thoroughly un-
derstood, there is one more exceed
ingly important thing to learn. Oc-
casionally someone will say, Il tried
your recipe the other day, but it did
not come out at all well. 1t seemed
70 call for a great deal of -four, so |
put in only half of it. What is the
matter with the recipe" There was
nothing wrong with the recipe, the
mistake lay in not following it.
| If accurate results are desired, take