How Do You Measure That?

Nov
15

Post by community member:

I was cooking with one of my daughters the other day, and I wanted her to add something to the batter we were making. “Just throw a smidgen of salt in, dear,” I said. I looked up and found her staring at me with a blank expression. I asked what was wrong. “Mom, I don’t know what a smidgen is.” Oops! I immediately scooped a tiny portion of salt into the palm of my hand and told her that was the right amount. She copied the amount in her hand and I knew I had taught her a new measurement.

While Europe and much of the world measure dry ingredients by weight, those of us in the United States measure these by volume. For example, we use a cup or a teaspoon. That’s the easy part. What gets a bit challenging is informal measurements. I think they should be called folk measurements.

Both of my grandmothers knew this system of getting the right amount. It might mean a certain way of holding your fingers to get a “pinch” of something, or placing the dry ingredient on the palm of your hand to judge if the amount is correct. It must not be an uncommon thing, because around the year 2000, measuring spoons became available with the terms “pinch”, “dash”, or “smidgen” printed next to the traditional volume amount.

Webster’s Dictionary defines a smidgen as a small amount. They define a dash as a small, distinctive addition. Poor smidgen. It’s not distinctive! They’re more specific when they tell us that a pinch is the amount that may be taken between the finger and thumb. Wikipedia tells us that a smidgen is 1/32 teaspoon. A pinch is an 1/8 teaspoon. A dash can be 1/16 teaspoon dry or 1/4 teaspoon liquid.

Sometimes measurements are guessed by experienced cooks. I remember a Public Broadcast Show that was filmed years ago. It featured a man named Justin Wilson who cooked Cajun food. He entertained viewers by placing the amount in his hand and then proved how close he could get by pouring the dry ingredient back into a measuring spoon. He was dead on every time.

I know there are many scientific principles that explain what happens when someone cooks, but I’m convinced that cooking is more of an art than a science.


Patrice blogs at Everyday Ruralty.

Interested in contributing a guest post to the Farm Bell blog? Read information here for Farm Bell blog submissions.

Want to subscribe to the Farm Bell blog? Go here.




Comments

  1. roseh says:

    Love this post Patrice! It made me laugh – because a friend of mine (here in the UK) knows I love to cook, and she bought me a set of measuring spoons for….a dash, a pinch and a smidgen! I have NO idea where she got them from, and to be honest I’ve never used them….I trust my eye instead – much more accurate.

  2. glenda says:

    I have tested my measurements too and got it right on. Years of cooking will do that for you. I doubt that Grandma ever owned a set of ‘measuring’ spoons.
    I remember Justin!

  3. CindyP says:

    My older brother (who has been a bachelor for about 15 years now) has really started learning to cook…well more than his tuna noodle casserole that he learned to cook probably 30 years ago. He called me one night asking what a smidgen was. I told him “a little bit”. Well, he didn’t think it was funny! I had to measure it out. THEN I got him a set of the “new fangled” measuring spoons for Christmas 🙂 He hadn’t come across “a pinch” yet.

  4. kellyb says:

    Love this. My grandmother taught me to measure with the palm of my hand. I can get a teaspoon and 1/2 teaspoon spot on. I noticed my youngest doing the same thing the last time she was home. I guess we can get rid of that set of measuring spoons. Practice makes proficient.

  5. Dede ~ wvhomecanner says:

    Thanks too for the mention of Justin Wilson – I LOVED that man LOL! 32 years ago with a nursing baby, living “out”, I only had a choice of about 3 TV stations. One was PBS and Justin Wilson was my favorite show – and first cooking show that I really watched! Balanced out the hours of Sesame Street with some adult TV 🙂

    Dede

  6. Mrs.Turkey says:

    Patrice…good morning….loved your post. You didn’t mention a “drizzle” or a “dollop” as my mom was fond of using. I also used to watch “Justin Wilson” just so I could hear that accent of his!
    Some of these posts bring back a lot of memories….love it!

    Mrs. Turkey

  7. VaGirl2 says:

    I’m fond of saying “just a schmere” of butter or cream cheese…

  8. ML Cauley says:

    How funny! I know exactly what y’all are talking about! How about “sprinkle”? I only have boys, so one day I said to my oldest,”Oh, just sprinkle that in there.” He raises his eyebrow and a ,”Huh?”. LOL!!!

  9. Michelle C says:

    You can actually buy measuring spoons that read pinch, dash and smidgen….amazon.com has them among other places.

  10. whaledancer says:

    I taught myself how to measure in my palm by using a measuring spoon and then dumping it into my hand. I seldom use a measuring spoon anymore, but occasionally I test myself by pouring a teaspoon (or whatever measure) into my hand and then checking it with a measuring spoon. I’m usually spot on, never off by more than a smidgen. 😉

Add Your Thoughts



Search Farm Bell Recipes

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Filter by Categories
All Recipes
Appetizers & Snacks
Bagels
Bean Soups
Beans
Beans, Grains & Rice
Beef
Beverages
Biscuits
Blog
Boiling Water Bath
Bread Machine
Breads
Breakfast
Brownies
Budget
BWB Condiments
BWB Fruits
BWB Jams, Jellies, Butters & Preserves
BWB Marmalades & Conserves
BWB Other
BWB Pickles & Pickled Stuff
BWB Salsas
BWB Sauces
BWB Tomatoes & Combos
BWB Vegetables
Cakes
Candy
Canning
Casserole
Casserole
Casserole
Cereals
Cheese
Cheesecakes
Chilis
Chowders
Cobblers
Coffee Cake
Cold Remedies
Condiments
Cookery 101
Cookies & Bars
Cream Soups
Crisps
Crock Pot
Crowd-Size
Crusts
Cupcakes
Cure & Smoke
Dairy
Dehydrating
Desserts
Diabetic
Dips
Doughnuts
Dressings
Egg Dishes
Eggs
Entertaining
Fat-Free
Featured
Fermenting
Fillings
Fish
Food Photography
Freezing
Frostings & Icings
Frozen
Fruit Breads
Fruit Cakes
Fruit Salads
Fruits
Gift Basket Goodies
Giveaways
Gluten-Free
Goat Cheeses
Gourmet
Gravies
Griddles
Grill-Outdoor Cooking
Hard Cheeses
Herbs & Spices
Holiday
Homemade Cheese
How To
Ice Creams
Ingredients
Ingredients & Mixes
Jell-O
Jell-O Salads
Kid-Friendly
Kitchen Gadgets
Kosher
Lactose-Free
Lamb
Leftovers
Lettuce & Greens
Low-Carb
Low-Fat
Low-Sodium
Main Dish
Marinades
Meat Salads
Meet the Cook
Muffins
Non-Dairy
Old-Fashioned
One Dish Meal
Other Breads
Other Breakfast
Other Condiments
Other Dairy
Other Desserts
Other Main Dish
Other Salads
Other Side Dishes
Other Soups & Stews
Other Special Diets
Pasta
Pasta
Pasta Salads
Pastries
PC Beef
PC Chicken
PC Meats
PC Other
PC Poultry
PC Soups & Stews
PC Veggies
Pets
Pickling
Pies
Pizza
Pizza Crusts
Pork
Potato Salads
Potatoes
Potluck
Poultry
Presentation
Preserving
Pressure Canning
Pressure Cooker
Puddings & Custards
Recipe Requests
Relishes & Chutneys
Rolls
Rubs
Salads
Salads
Salsas
Sandwiches
Sauces
Scones
Seafood
Side Dishes
Soft Cheeses
Soups & Stews
Sourdough
Special Diets
Special Occasions
Steam Juicer
Stocks
Stuffings
Substitutions
Syrups
Tarts
Tips & Tricks
Tortillas & Pitas
Using FBR
Vegan
Vegetable Breads
Vegetable Salads
Vegetables
Vegetarian
Wild Game
Yeast Breads


If you would like to help support the overhead costs of this website, you may donate. Thank you!





Thanks for being part of our community!