Modern and Vintage Weights & Measures
Some of our most treasured recipes are vintage - handed down on spattered, felty cards, or found in boxes of old cookbooks in the attic. The measurements seem impossibly casual, but believe it or not, there was a standard for a wineglass full of this, or a tumbler full of that. But what the heck is a gill or a noggin?
Not so long ago, ovens were fast or slow, and heat was high or low. Bread dough was set to 'rise at light' and then baked over the day's worth of embers 'in the cupboard (metal box set on the top side of a woodstove) overnight'.
Adding 'liquid', meant adding a common tumbler full of water (predecessor to 8-oz measuring cup), and butter was measured in 'knobs' about the size of chicken eggs.
Liquid Conversions and Equivalents
| Base Unit |
Fluid Ounces | Millilitres | Tablespoons | Teaspoons | Other |
| 1 cup | 8 | 237 | 16 | 48 | 2 gills |
| 3/4 cup | 6 | 178 | 12 | 36 | |
| 2/3 cup | 5.3 | 158 | 10.7 | 32 | |
| 1/2 cup | 4 | 118.5 | 8 | 24 | 1 gill |
| 1/3 cup | 2.7 | 79 | 5.3 | 16 | |
| 1/4 cup | 2 | 59 | 4 | 12 | 1/2 gill |
| 1/8 cup | 1 | 30 | 2 | 6 | 1/4 gill |
| 1/16 cup | .5 | 15 | 1 | 3 | |
| 1 pint | 16 | 474 | 32 | 96 | 1 pound |
| 1 gill | 4 | 118.5 | 10.7 | 32 | 1/2 cup |
| 1/2 gill | 2 | 59 | 4 | 12 | 1/4 cup |
| 1 noggin | 8 | 237 | 21.4 | 64 | 1 cup |
| 1 tumbler/glass | 8 | 237 | 16 | 48 | 2 gills |
| 1 wineglass | 4 | 118.5 | 10.7 | 32 | 1 gill |
| dash | .5 | 1.5 | 3 shakes | ||
| 1 ounce | 1 | 30 | 2 | 6 | 1/8 cup |
| 1 tablespoon | .5 | 15 | 3 | 1/16 cup | |
| 1 teaspoon | 5 | 1/3 | 1 | 60 drops | |
| glug | .5 | 1 | 3 | 180 drops | |
| 1 US gallon | 160 | 3785 | 320 | 960 | 4 quarts |
| 1 US quart | 40 | 946 | 80 | 240 | 2 pints |
| 1 US pint | 20 | 473 | 40 | 120 | 1/2 quart |
| 1 litre | 34 | 1000 | 68 | 204 | ⋍ 1 quart |
Oven Temperature and Speed Equivalents
| Vintage reference |
Farenheit | Celcius |
| scorching or extremely hot oven | 500+ | 260+ |
| very hot oven | 450-475 | 233-260 |
| hot oven or high heat | 400-425 | 205-220 |
| quick oven | 375-400 | 190-205 |
| moderate hot oven or medium heat | 350-375 | 175-190 |
| slow moderate oven | 325 | 163 |
| slow oven or cupboard | 300 | 150 |
| very slow oven or cupboard | 275-300 | 135-150 |
| cool oven or cupboard or cupboard | 275 | 135 |
| very cool oven or cupboard | 250 | 120 |
| rising oven or cupboard | draftless 70+ | 21+ |
Dry Conversions and Equivalents
| Base Unit | Ounces | Grams | Other |
| 1 pound butter | 16 | 454 | 2 cups |
| 1 stick butter | 4 | 113.5 | 1/2 cup |
| 1 pound flour | 16 | 454 | 4 cups |
| 1 quart flour | 16 | 454 | 4 cups |
| 1 pound cornmeal | 16 | 454 | 3 cups |
| 1 pint sugar | 16 | 454 | 2 cups |
| 1 pound icing sugar | 16 | 454 | 2.5 cups |
| 1 tablespoon flour | .5 | 14 | |
| sugar or salt | 1 | 28 |
Weight & Miscellaneous Equivalents
| Base Unit | Equals | Equals |
| 1 pound | 454 grams | 16 ounces |
| 1 kilogram | 1000 grams | 35.3 ounces |
| 1 stone | 14 pounds | 6.35 kilos |
| thumb or knob of ginger | 1 tablespoon, minced | 3 teaspoons, minced |
| 1 large egg | 2 tablespoons egg white | 1 tablespoon egg yolk |
| 1 large egg white | 1 ounce | 2 tablespoons |
| 2 large egg whites | 1/4 cup | 2 ounces |
| dozen medium eggs | 545 grams | 1.2 pounds |
| hickory nut of lard | .5 ounce | tablespoon |
| walnut of lard | 1 ounce | 2 tablespoons |
| egg knob of butter | 2 ounces | 1/3 cup |
| serving dry yeast | 8 grams | 2 teaspoons |
Volume Conversions and Equivalents
| Base Unit | Equals | Equals |
| 1 peck | 8 quarts | 2 gallons |
| 1 gallon | 4 quarts | 1/2 peck |
| 1 bushel | 4 pecks | 8 gallons |
| 1 pottle | 2 quarts | 4 pounds |
| 1 pint lard or butter | 1 pound | 2 cups |
Note: Vintage measurements are notoriously innacurate. Equivalents are based on research and vary somewhat from country to country, and even from town to town.
Innovations
All Wrapped Up in Pantry Staples
Count on organic quinoa, chicken broth and olive oil to help turn leftovers into super-delicious, uber-nutritious lunch wraps
Read on ...