Is it just me, or have we had A LOT of hot days so far this summer? It’s currently 87 degrees and my house doesn’t have air conditioning…cooking is the last thing I want to think about right now!
So, let’s really get back to basics and talk about measuring ingredients. (In retrospect, I probably should have started with this topic.)
Even I, an experienced cook and food science expert–I’m using that term loosely, by the way–have wondered if it really makes a difference whether I use dry or liquid measuring cups when measuring my ingredients. The short answer is yes, it does.
Using dry measuring cups for dry ingredients and liquid measuring cups for liquid ingredients leads to a more accurate measurement. There is an even more accurate way to measure your food, and I’ll talk about that next.
If you’re tempted to take the shortcut and use a dry measuring cup for a liquid, (And who doesn’t do that from time to time?) don’t. It’s easy to either overfill or spill your liquids. That’s why those clear glass liquid measuring cups are designed with extra room at the top—to prevent spilling. Additionally, using a liquid measuring cup for solids is less accurate, as you can’t ‘level off’ the top of the measuring cup. When using a liquid measuring cup, be sure to get down at eye level to verify you’ve measured correctly.
Speaking of ‘leveling off,’ raise your hand if you were ever taught how to properly measure something like flour. (There is a right way and I’m pretty sure I was a nutrition student in college before anyone showed me how.) First, take your measuring cup and use it to ‘fluff’ the flour a bit, which prevents you from scooping up packed flour. Next, spoon the flour into your measuring cup gently. You want to overfill the measuring cup slightly, and then use a knife or other flat edge to level off the top. This is called the ‘spoon and level’ method.
Want an even more accurate way to measure? Use weight instead of volume, which is what you’re doing with measuring cups (both dry and liquid). Volume is a measurement of how much space something takes up, which is highly variable. Think about carrots—one cup of large chunks will be a very different amount than one cup of shredded carrots. Alternatively, one pound of carrots is one pound of carrots no matter how they are cut up.
An easy way to measure using weight is to use the tare function on your kitchen scale. (If you don’t have one, they really are a worthwhile investment.) Simply weigh the bowl you’re using, then use the ‘tare’ button to subtract the weight of the bowl. Now you’re simply adding ingredients until you reach the amount you need! Remember, it’s easier to add more than take a bit out (especially once you’ve added multiple ingredients like baking soda, baking powder, salt, etc…), so go slowly. Bonus: no tiny measuring spoons to wash!
Lastly, what about those ‘in between’ foods like peanut butter, that aren’t really liquids, but aren’t solids, either? I like to use a dry measuring cup and give it a little spritz of cooking oil before adding the sticky ingredient, which helps it come out a little better. This works especially well with honey and molasses. You can also microwave peanut butter to make it easier to work with.
I’d love to know if you’re Team Scale or Team Measuring Cups!
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