Measurement Conversions

For wholesome recipes from over 100 years ago, head to our blog

I have read a lot of old recipes and come across some odd measurements and oven temperatures.  This page contains some measurement conversions to help you make any of the recipes you find on my blog.

 

Oven Temperatures

Cool Oven: 200 degrees

Very Slow Oven: 250 degrees

Slow Oven: 300 – 325 degrees

Moderately Slow Oven: 325 – 350 degrees

Moderate Oven: 350 – 375 degrees

Moderately Hot Oven: 375 – 400 degrees

Hot Oven: 400 – 450 degrees

Very Hot Oven: 450 – 500 degrees

Fast Oven: 450 – 500 degrees

 

Cups and Spoons

Coffee Cup = 5 ounces or about 2/3 cup

Wineglass = 1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons per 1873 recipe book

A gill = 1/2 cup per 1873 recipe book – other measurements found online say 2/3 cup

Tea Cup = 1/2 cup per 1873 recipe book – other measurements found online say 2/3 cup

Tumbler = 1/2 pint or 1 cup per 1873 recipe book

Mush spoon = 1 tablespoon

Saltspoonful = 1/4 teaspoon

A pinch = 1/8 teaspoon

 

Quarts and Pints

1 quart = 4 cups

1 pint = 2 cups

 

Yeast

Yeast conversions are a little bit more tricky because a lot of recipes refer to a cake of yeast or compressed yeast.  From reading recipes, 1 cake of yeast should work out to be 2 packets of dry yeast or 4 1/2 teaspoons.  When I have made these old recipes, I have generally used dry yeast using the ratios below depending on how many cups of flour the recipe calls for.

4 cups of flour: 2 1/4 teaspoons which is equal to 1 packet of dry yeast

4 – 8 cups of flour: 4 1/2 teaspoons which is equal to 2 packets of dry yeast

8 – 12 cups of flour: 6 3/4 teaspoons which is equal to 3 packets of dry yeast

12 – 16 cups of flour: 9 teaspoons which is equal to 4 packets of dry yeast

 

Butter

Butter the size of an egg = 1/4 cup

Butter the size of a walnut = 2 tablespoons

Butter the size of a nutmeg = 1 1/2 tablespoons

Butter 1 pound = 1 quart per 1873 recipe book

 

Spices

1 whole nutmeg = 2 to 3 teaspoons ground nutmeg