English Weights and Measures
Catherine Boeckmann
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We scoured our sources and came up empty-handed, Melanie. Can you compare the recipes to others that are similar and figure it out that way? Or perhaps try a Greek cooking forum.
I found a recipe that directed me to add 2 thoughts of cajyan pepper....what is a thought.....maybe a dash?
Hi Janel,
We have never heard of a "thought" measurement. Very interesting! You are probably correct, dashes or pinches make sense.
My grandmother always told me it meant to think twice before you add Cayanne pepper in your ingredients
What is a fist full. I have a recipe that calls for a fist full of flour. What is the equivalent?
Older recipes, such as before the late 1800s, often used imprecise measurements. (Fannie Farmer helped to standardize U.S. cooking measurements in the late 1800s.) Many times, a cook would learn a recipe by watching someone else, rather than by reading a cookbook. Experienced cooks knew intuitively how much to add, or found that precise measurements weren't needed in many cases. A pinch, a dash, a fistful or handful, etc., might be common in these recipes. Sometimes cooks today will also use these terms when exact amounts aren't required and it is up to the cook's discretion.
Our best estimate for a fistful of flour is between 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup, depending on the size of your hand.
Hope this helps!
Thank you, I greatly appreciate your clarifying "a fist of sugar" for a Swedish pie recipe I printed off from Pinterest. Thank you again.
Wow, I guess I better be careful on trading bushels as it's not an even swap!
You know I've come across some of these terms here and there, never looked 'em up but always wondered what they were.
Interesting ... thanks!
