How to determine the weight of food without scales. How to easily determine the portion size of food

Most recipes list ingredients in grams, but scales are rare in home cooking. And therefore they are measured mainly with improvised means: a glass, a tablespoon and a teaspoon. But for everything to work out, you need to know what is in different products. The taste, aroma and even the appearance of ready-made dishes often depend on this.

Spoons vary...

However, any hostess, looking at the available spoons in the kitchen, can easily notice that they clearly have different capacities. And how then to measure? After all, this changes in a tablespoon. In fact, everything is easier than it seems. You just need to follow some simple rules.

It is believed that an ordinary tablespoon holds 18 ml of water. Thus, using a beaker or a regular syringe, you need to measure the volume of all the spoons in the house. In this case, water should be poured to the very brim. The one that will fit the specified volume, in the future, and should be used to measure products. Today, you can do it easier and not look for a suitable cutlery at home. In any utensil store, you can easily find a special kitchen set, consisting of a measured dining room, a tea room, and sometimes a convenient one is attached to it.

How to measure correctly

But it is important not only to choose the right spoon, but also to measure the products correctly. The weight of the products in a tablespoon also depends on this. So, all liquids must be poured flush with the edges, or, as they say, vklyany. But thicker products, such as sour cream, honey or jam, should be measured in such a way that they are with a small slide.

You should also measure with a tablespoon and bulk products. At the same time, they do not need to be pre-shaken, tamped, or, conversely, sieved. This can greatly affect their number in a tablespoon. Do not forget that the final weight of the contained product can be affected by its humidity and general condition. So, fermented kefir is always a little thicker than fresh, and wet sugar is heavier than dry.

Table. A measure of weight in a tablespoon

The table shows data on products commonly used in cooking. Of course, it is almost impossible to remember all this. Therefore, you should always keep such a table at hand. For example, you can print and place on the refrigerator or in any other accessible place. Then it will be possible to know exactly what measure of weight in a tablespoon of the desired product.

And a little more about the rules of measurement

Of course, it is important to follow the chosen recipe. However, an error of 2-3 grams cannot affect the taste and quality of the finished dish. In addition, many ingredients (for example, spices) are completely put to your liking, not at all focusing on what is indicated in the recipe. Only with experience can one achieve that even by smell to determine whether certain products are enough.

Those who are not yet confident enough in their abilities can focus on how much food is contained in a tablespoon and measure exactly according to the recipe. It is even better if a kitchen scale is used for measurement. They can be easily purchased in specialized stores. This is especially important when baking bakery products and preparing desserts. But when making soups, main courses and snacks for homemade, it is quite possible to experiment and add spices and products to your liking.

It often happens that at the most necessary moment there is no scale at hand, and it is necessary to measure a certain number of grams of products. In order not to guess, a table was invented to measure the weight and volume of products, which helps to determine the amount of required ingredients without the use of measuring equipment. In order to measure a particular product, you must use a glass, tablespoon or teaspoon. Based on the volume of these cutlery available in each kitchen, you can calculate the weight of the products without using a kitchen scale. Only the so-called culinary standards of measures and weights are involved. This method is very common in cooking.

Table of measures and weights

A measure of the weight of food in grams

When calculating weight, you need to remember some features. So, for example, when measuring bulk products, it should be borne in mind that they tend to compact. This is especially true of flour, which can have a different density. When measuring flour, you should not try to compact it, and, on the contrary, you should not sift the flour before placing it in a glass. Otherwise, in the first case, too much product will fit in a faceted or thin glass, and in the second, the oxygen-enriched flour will become airy and it will fit less than indicated in the table. Also, one of the features of such products is that when scooped, they can create voids. Therefore, they must be poured gradually.

When measuring products with a high viscosity, such as jam, condensed milk or honey, remember that you need to measure them by filling a glass or a spoon with a slide. The same applies equally to bulk products. Also, when measuring liquids, such as milk, it is necessary to fill dishes or cutlery completely, to the very brim. In other words, regardless of the product, you need to try to put on more. Measurements do not have to be made with spoons or glasses. You can use any other dishes, after measuring its volume. However, even when measuring with standard means, before using glasses or spoons, it will not be superfluous to find out their volume in order to make sure that further measurements are correct. The volume taken as a basis is indicated in the table. Measure with water.

Using these measures of weight measurement in spoons or glasses, it should be understood that this method is approximate and depends on a number of factors, including the composition of the product, humidity and even freshness. Nevertheless, the culinary comparative table of measures and weights is a universal assistant for measuring when it is impossible or unwilling to use technical means.

Experienced housewives rarely use a measuring cup or kitchen scale, because everything is done by eye. However, some complex dishes require perfect proportions, such as pastries and desserts. In this case, you can use an ordinary glass or spoon, as our mothers and grandmothers once did. And, by the way, they made the thinnest lace pancakes, ruddy pies, crumbly cookies and perfectly baked tender biscuits, which were eaten very quickly. Measures for measuring weight at home are simple - a thin and faceted glass, a teaspoon and a tablespoon. Let's talk about how many products fit in these containers.

Measuring food in a glass

The measure of weight in a glass depends on whether you are using a thin or faceted glass, as they are different from each other. The faceted glass has a volume of 200 ml, several edges and a rounded rim. Thin glass - absolutely smooth and designed for 250 ml. Liquids (water, wine, milk, juice, cream) are easy to measure, but bulk products with the same volume have different weights, which greatly complicates the measurement process. This is exactly what a table of measures for the weight of products is needed for - with it you will never make a mistake and measure out exactly as much sugar and flour as is required for a cake or cookie.

Comparing products, we will indicate the amount in a faceted (first digit) and thin glass (second digit). For example, one glass holds 140–175 g of wheat flour, 180–220 g of granulated sugar, 190–230 g of vegetable oil, 185–240 g of melted butter, 250–300 g of condensed milk and 270–330 g of jam. As for cereals, 70–90 g of oatmeal, 170–210 g of buckwheat, 150–200 g of semolina, 190–230 g of rice, peas, beans, millet, pearl barley, barley groats and small pasta can be poured into a glass. This will fit 130-140 g of crushed nuts, 130-160 whole almonds and hazelnuts, 265-325 g of honey, 210-250 g of sour cream, 250-300 g of tomato paste and 100-125 g of ground crackers.

A little about weight measures in a tablespoon and a teaspoon

It is hard to imagine how you can measure five glasses of flour or a liter of milk with spoons, so these cutlery are suitable for measuring a small amount of food. For example, if you need just a little flour to make airy cakes, bechamel sauce, vegetable, meat or fish cutlets, you can use a teaspoon or a tablespoon.

One tablespoon is 18 g of liquid, 25 g of oatmeal, sugar, semolina, buckwheat, barley, millet and rice. You can fully count on the fact that 17 g of vegetable or melted butter, 30 g of flour, salt and ground nuts, 25 g of sour cream and cocoa powder, 20 g of powdered milk, 30 g of starch and honey will fit in a spoon. You will get only 15 g of ground crackers, but you can scoop up 50 g of jam with a tablespoon. With a miniature teaspoon, you can measure out 10 g of sugar, starch and sour cream, 8 g of flour, 9 g of cocoa, 7 g of honey, 5 g of vegetable oil and milk. A teaspoon also holds 10 g of walnut kernels, 17 g of jam, about 5 g of cereals and peas, 2–4 g of cereal flakes.

Accuracy - the politeness of kings

To measure the weight of products without weights, you need to follow some rules that will help you strictly follow the recipe. For the preparation of appetizers, soups, main dishes and side dishes, this is not so critical. However, in some cases, for example when baking bread, the wrong ratio of liquid and flour can lead to a slowdown in fermentation. With a lack of moisture, the dough does not rise well, and the bread has a dry, crumbly texture. If, on the contrary, there is too much moisture, the baking turns out to be heavy, blurry, with a raw and sticky crumb.

We measure products correctly

How to use home weight measures correctly? Liquid products should be filled to the limit, that is, to the very brim. It is more convenient to apply viscous and thick mixtures (honey, jam, sour cream) with a spoon, making sure that the glass is completely filled. Fill containers with loose and viscous products with a slide, and do not scoop flour and starch directly from a bag or bag, but pour it with a spoon so that voids do not form. No need to shake, loosen and tamp the food, and if you need to sift the flour, do it after measuring. The fact is that when sifting, the flour becomes more voluminous, which means that its weight will also change. For comparison, a thin glass contains 160 g of flour when properly filled, 210 g of tamped flour and 125 g of sifted flour. Changing the characteristics of products also affects their weight - for example, an increase in humidity makes salt, sugar and flour heavier, and fermented sour cream is lighter than fresh.

What to replace

If you do not have a tea and faceted glass, take any container, measure its volume with accurate ones and mark the line where the volume will be 200 or 250 ml. For culinary purposes, you can also use standard plastic cups with a capacity of 200 ml. Usually in recipes, instead of the phrase “tea glass”, they simply write “glass” or “cup”, which means 250 ml. If a faceted glass serves as a measure of weight, then this will certainly be indicated in the recipe.

Culinary arithmetic

There is no need to keep dozens of numbers in your head in order to cook a delicious dish and not go crazy with mathematical calculations. It is enough to have a table of weight measures in spoons and glasses in the kitchen. If you see in the recipe an indication to take half or a quarter of a glass of some product, such as sugar, then, having a table, you can easily convert this amount into other measures. For example, a quarter of a faceted glass contains 45 g of sugar, which is 2 tbsp. l. sugar without a slide or 5.5 tsp. Interestingly, 1 st. l. corresponds to 3 tsp, and a dessert spoon is 2 tsp. One thin glass holds 16 tbsp. l. liquid, thick and bulk products.

Foreign measures of weight

If you like to cook according to foreign cuisine recipes, you may come across unfamiliar weight measures, so this information will come in handy in the kitchen. An American cup is our thin glass, i.e. 250g, and an English cup corresponds to 280g. A pint is 470g, an ounce is 30g, and a quart "weighs" 950g.

It is said that the secret of culinary excellence is inspiration and precision, so the right dosage of ingredients is half the success. If you want to make your life easier and keep complicated arithmetic to a minimum, buy a 500 ml universal measuring cup with divisions for liquid and bulk products. Delight your loved ones with delicious food and enjoy yourself!

To make the dish appetizing and beautiful, you need to follow the recipe. That is, consider the proportions of the products that are used in cooking. It's great when you can cope with the help of scales. Then no hitches appear.

But what if this thing is not there? How to correctly determine the weight of the product without scales?

Determination of weight

You can find out the mass of products without scales.

Here are some simple tools that will help you:

• teaspoon;
• table spoon;
• faceted glass;
• pots.

Before proceeding with the procedure, you need to know some of the nuances:

• the glass should be 250 ml and fill it to the rim;
• liquids must be poured to the edge of a spoon or glass;
• viscous or loose - you need to type so that the glass or spoon is with a "slide";
• there is no need to tamp, on the contrary, an incorrect result will be obtained;
• cereals must be weighed dry;
• meat and fish must be measured unwashed;
• if you eat meat without fat and skin, you only need to weigh the finished piece of meat more closely;
• fruits and vegetables must first be peeled, and then weighed;
• if you are preparing a difficult dish, cut everything first, and then weigh it more closely.

If you are going to weigh flour, then you should know: a teaspoon contains 10 g, a tablespoon contains 25 g. If it is easier to measure with a glass, it contains 180 g. and in the tea room - 9 g.

By the way, sugar or other bulk product can be weighed in a different way:

A little more difficult with viscous substances, say, with honey. In a faceted glass there will be 325 g, in a teaspoon - 12 g, and in a dining room - 35 g. You need to fill it to the brim, cooler than each with a slide.

Liquids should be determined in the same way. If the recipe indicates milliliters, not grams, then you need to use a measuring cup, where there are marks with milliliters.

How to determine the weight of various products?

You can use the information below, and there is also a table for determining the mass. You can find it on the Internet.

In general, a teaspoon fits:

• 5 g of liquid - water, milk;
• 9-10 g of salt or sugar;
• 4 g of cereals;
• 3 g of powdered substances (say, flour).

In a tablespoon:

• 25 g sugar or salt;
• 15 g loose;
• 20 g liquid;
• 20 g of cereals.

In a faceted glass:

• 180 g flour;
• 200 g of cereals;
• 200 ml liquid;
• 250 ml of milk or vegetable oil.

How to determine the weight of the product by eye?

Sometimes it is allowed to know the weight by eye. For example, one medium vegetable (potato, tomato, carrot, cucumber) weighs 100 g. An apple weighs the same. But a quince or a banana weighs 200 g. A large tomato or cucumber will be approximately 350 g. And an apple - 230 g.

As for bakery products, a tiny bun will weigh 50 g, and a huge one 200 g. A small piece of bread will be 20 g, a large one will be 50 g, a crust will be approximately 80.

A small slice of sausage each weighs 5 g, and a large one - 40. A chop - about 200 g, and a tiny cutlet - 95. By the way, how to determine the weight of a finished product?

You need to know that the mass increases:

• buckwheat porridge 2.5 times;
• rice porridge - 3 times;
• semolina - 5 times;
• pasta - 2.5 times;
• legumes - 2 times.

This happens due to the fact that the products are saturated with water.

But meat products in finished form decrease in weight:

• from 100 g of raw chicken, 50 g of boiled and 40 g of fried are obtained;
• from 100 g of raw meat - 49 g of boiled and 44 g of stew;
• from 100 g cutlets with bread - 96 g of the finished fried product.

That is, even without various devices it is possible to determine the mass. Choose a particularly acceptable method and use it.

Over time, you will remember many of the readings, and you will not need to look at the table or use the devices.

To make the dish tasty and beautiful, you must follow the recipe. That is, take into account the proportions of the products that are used in cooking. Well, when you can cope with the help of weights. Then no problems arise.

But what if this thing is not there? How to accurately determine the weight of the product without scales?

Determination of weight

You can find out the mass of products without scales.

Here are some simple tools that will help you:

• teaspoon;
• table spoon;
• faceted glass;
• pots.

Before proceeding with the procedure, you need to know some of the nuances:

• the glass should be 250 ml and fill it to the rim;
• liquids must be poured to the edge of a spoon or glass;
• viscous or loose - it is necessary to type so that the glass or spoon is with a "slide";
• no need to tamp, otherwise you will get the wrong result;
• cereals must be weighed dry;
• meat and fish must be measured unwashed;
• if you eat meat without fat and skin, you only need to weigh a ready-made piece of meat;
• fruits and vegetables must first be peeled and then weighed;
• if you are preparing a complex dish, cut everything first, and then weigh it.

If you are going to weigh flour, then you should know: a teaspoon contains 10 g, a tablespoon contains 25 g. If it is easier to measure with a glass, it contains 180 g. and in the tea room - 9 g.

By the way, sugar or other bulk product can be weighed in a different way:

1. take two different pans and a kilogram of sand;
2. pour it into the pan that is smaller in size;
3. put one dish in another (it is necessary that one pan is completely immersed in the second);
4. pour water into a large bowl so that it reaches the edges of a smaller one;
5. note the water level - this is the mass of one kilogram.

A little more difficult with viscous substances, such as honey. In a faceted glass there will be 325 g, in a teaspoon - 12 g, and in a dining room - 35 g. It is necessary to fill to the brim, best of all with a slide.

Liquids must be determined in the same way. If the recipe indicates milliliters, not grams, then you need to use a measuring cup, where there are marks with milliliters.

How to determine the weight of different products?

You can use the information below, and there is also a table for determining the mass. You can find it on the Internet.

In general, a teaspoon fits:

• 5 g of liquid - water, milk;
• 9-10 g of salt or sugar;
• 4 g of cereals;
• 3 g of powdered substances (eg flour).

In a tablespoon:

• 25 g sugar or salt;
• 15 g loose;
• 20 g liquid;
• 20 g of cereals.

In a faceted glass:

• 180 g flour;
• 200 g of cereals;
• 200 ml liquid;
• 250 ml milk or vegetable oil.

How to determine the weight of the product by eye?

Sometimes you can find out the weight by eye. For example, one medium vegetable (potato, tomato, carrot, cucumber) weighs 100 g. An apple weighs the same. But a quince or a banana weighs 200 g. A large tomato or cucumber will be about 350 g. And an apple - 230 g.

As for bakery products, a small bun will weigh 50 g and a large one 200 g. A small slice of bread will be 20 g and a large one will be 50 g, a crust will be about 80.

A small piece of sausage weighs only 5 g, and a large one - 40. A chop - about 200 g, and a small cutlet - 95. By the way, how to determine the weight of a finished product?

You need to know that the mass increases:

• buckwheat porridge 2.5 times;
• rice porridge - 3 times;
• semolina - 5 times;
• pasta - 2.5 times;
• legumes - 2 times.

This happens due to the fact that the products are saturated with water.