Scales For You

When I first married my cooking skills were limited.  I often called Aunt Bertha and asked how she made certain things like pie crust, dumplings, coconut cream pie, etc.  She had very precise instructions, but her measurements were anything but precise.  For example, she might say, “Use some shortening about 1/2 the size of an egg.”  So I would say to myself, “Does she mean a small egg, a medium egg, or a large egg?”  Somehow, my cooking results only slightly resembled hers.

Precision in recipes means how repeatable a measurement is.   For example, when we measure flour in a measuring cup, we cannot be certain that we have the same amount of flour each time.  It can depend on how tightly packed the flour is, whether it has been sifted, whether we scooped the flour or spooned it, etc.   A digital kitchen scale is precise and accurate if calibrated.  It will tell us when we have 125 grams of flour whether it is packed, sifted, or scooped.  Also, when a cup of flour is weighed on a scale, you can add or take away flour until it is exactly the amount you wanted.  Your granddaughter can now duplicate your favorite recipes and everyone will be happy for years to come.