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BRITISH AND AMERICAN
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

IN the United States of America only 16 fluid ounces go to the pint, whilst in Great Britain (by the Act of 1878) 20 fluid ounces make up one pint. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, the Channel Islands, and the Irish Free State, all use the same liquid measures as Great Britain.

In this book in recipes dated after 1878 20 fluid ounces go to the pint unless otherwise stated, but as it has been compiled as much for Americans who love England as for Britons who, along with its Editor, love Americans, when necessary the amount of liquid to be used is stated as so many liquid ounces instead of so many pints or half pints.

It is impossible in this book to include all weights and measures. Those interested will find about nine pages of up-to-date useful information on this subject in the current number of Whitaker’s Almanack.

WHAT IS ‘A CUP’?

This is a question frequently asked. A cup is such a handy measure; everyone does not possess scales; and in America they use the ‘cup’ measure in nearly all their recipes.

The American ‘cup’ measure used in American cookery books contains 8 fluid ounces which are marked off into 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and one cup; and into 1/3 and 2/3 of the cup. I have an aluminium one brought from America in 1924 and it is interesting and useful to know that when filled to the brim this cup holds exactly half a pint (or 10 ounces) English measure; the American half pint being marked on the cup two liquid ounces lower down.

An English ‘cup’ therefore should contain 10 liquid ounces.

An American ‘cup’ therefore should contain 8 liquid ounces.

But as the bulk of dry goods varies considerably, the contents of 1/2 an American pint or one cupful does not always weigh half a pound avoirdupois which is the weight used for many of the ingredients used in cookery.

As a rule the ordinary English weights and measures are used in this book with the necessary explanation, if required, in parentheses.

HOW CAN WE ACQUIRE A MEASURING CUP?

(1) One can be bought easily in America, and now in London.

(2) We can use an ordinary English breakfast cup that holds exactly half a pint (English measure) and keep it for a measuring cup for cookery.

The following tables will help us to find one that will serve our purpose.

1 fluid pint of 20 oz. = 1 lb. or 16 oz. solid measure.

A pinch of pepper = about 1/2 saltspoonful.

1 saltspoonful = 1/2 a teaspoonful or 1/2 a fluid dram or about 30 drops.

1 teaspoonful = 1 fluid dram or about 60 drops.

(A middling-size teaspoon will hold about 1 liquid dram; with this as a guide it should be easy to find how much any cup or glass will hold.)

2 teaspoons = 1 English dessertspoonful.

3 teaspoons = 1 American tablespoonful.

4 teaspoons = 1 English tablespoonful.

2 English dessert spoons = 1 English tablespoonful.

2 English tablespoonfuls = 1 English kitchen cooking spoon or table gravy spoon, and this is frequently the measure used in old English recipes when a spoonful is mentioned.

3 English tablespoonfuls or 12 English teaspoons = 1 sherry wineglass.

1 1/2 sherry wineglass or 18 teaspoons = 1 port wineglass or 1/2 a teacup.

3 sherry wineglasses or 32 teaspoons = 2 port wineglasses or 1 teacup.

2 teacups = 1 breakfast cup or 1 tumbler, or 1/2 English pint of 10 ounces.

2 breakfast cups or two tumblers = 1 pint, or 20 fluid ounces or 1 fluid pound.

1 fluid pound of 20 oz. = 1 lb. of 16 solid ounces.

It is not nearly so easy to measure solids, and I advise the use of weights and measures: but the following may be useful:

(1) A spoonful in England means as much above the bowl of the spoon as there is in it. In this book this is the measure used for an ordinary spoonful; it is equal to 2 level spoonfuls whichever size is used. When only a level spoonful is required a level spoonful of the required size is definitely stated.

(2) A level spoonful means a spoonful the contents of which are level with the bowl of whatever spoon is used.

Glass measures can be bought, on which the following English weights of ordinary solid food are marked:

Bread-crumbs 2 oz. Baking powder 2 oz.

4 oz. of flour, sago, currants, ground rice, peel, sugar, tapioca, chopped suet, ground almonds, sultanas, raisins, rice. From these we get the approximate English weights in a marked cup of 8 or 10 fluid ounces. Roughly speaking if we fill it up to the marked liquid measure of 8 oz. with bread-crumbs, we get a weight of 2 oz. or 4 oz. (1/4 lb.) of bread-crumbs; two ounces only if put in lightly, 4 oz. (or 1/4 lb.) if pressed down.

If we fill any cup up to the marked liquid measure of: —

7 oz. with flour or ground almonds, the flour or almonds will weigh 1/4 lb.

6 1/2 oz. with sago the sago will weigh 4 oz. or 1/4 lb.

6 oz. with currants the currants will weigh 4 oz. or 1/4 lb.

5 oz. with ground rice, this will weigh 4 oz. or 1/4 lb.

4 oz. with chopped peel this will weigh 4 oz. or 1/4 lb.

3 oz. with castor or granulated sugar this will weigh 4 oz. or 1/4 lb.

8 oz. with tapioca this should weigh 4 oz. avoirdupois or solid weight.

7 oz. with chopped suet should weigh 4 oz. avoirdupois or solid weight.

5 1/2 oz. with sultanas should weigh 4 oz. avoirdupois or solid weight.

5 oz. with raisins should weigh 4 oz. avoirdupois or solid weight.

4 1/4 oz. with rice should weigh 4 oz. avoirdupois or solid weight.

2 1/4 oz. with baking powder should weigh 2 oz. avoirdupois or solid weight.

In most American Cookery Books equivalents to their ‘cups’ are given in the solid weights of many things, but the difference in English and American measures given above must be remembered.

For example in that excellent American Cookery Book The Way to a Man’s Heart, The Settlement Cookery Book, we read on page 3 ‘4 level tablespoons of flour = 1 oz.,’ but these are American not English tablespoons; the equivalent in English tablespoons would be 3 level tablespoons not 4, because 12 teaspoons make 4 American tablespoons, but 12 teaspoons make only 3 ordinary English tablespoons.

The teaspoon in both countries holds the same quantity of liquid. It is therefore the basic measure for both America and England.

The juice of one lemon = about 1 tablespoonful or 1/2 a fluid ounce; but syrup, oil and cream weigh a little heavier than water, vinegar and milk; and wine and spirits a little less.

A middling sized teaspoon holds about a drachm or 60 drops.