Are measuring cups or spoons important? Perhaps you might know of someone who is a cooking fanatic, and to you it looks like he or she just throws ingredients left and right and ta-da! It results in something simply scrumptious. You wonder if it is magic or not, and that makes you ponder about the importance of accurate measuring during cooking. The answer to the question is surprising: extremely important. If you cannot measure, expect your results to turn out average to terrible. Cooking is science. From mixing batter to stir-frying vegetables, you are creating delicious chemical reactions. An accurate balance of carbohydrates, fats, and liquids results in a masterpiece.
Too much salt or putting in too much baking soda in cookies can destroy the flavor. Muffins will taste bland and tasteless. If you are a beginner, extra attention must be paid to measuring. Your future success and satisfaction depends on the exact replica of the recipe.
When you are comfortable with your skill to cook, you probably will be motivated to try different things out. You might want to drop in a few chocolate chips into a regular peanut butter recipe, or replace cranberries with nuts in oatmeal cookies, or replace pecan with peanuts. All of these methods are innovative and fine, but first you must acquire and perfect the skill of measuring.
First of all, you will need some measuring equipment. An easy start for beginners can be learning how to use measuring spoons. Measuring spoons often comes in a set of four to six spoons, each having a size from a fourth of a teaspoon to one tablespoon. When measuring liquids, fill up the spoon to the brim for an accurate measurement. For dry ingredients such as flour, scoop it up and scrape the brim of the spoon with a knife or flat object until it matches the same level as the brim. Measuring cups comes in two types: graded and glass. Graded measuring cups contain about 4 to 6 cups in a set and are used to measure dry ingredients, such as shortening. Glass measuring cups comes with one, two, or four cups and is used to measure liquids. When using a measuring a thick liquid such as corn syrup, the inside of the cups should be sprayed with cooking greases so it would not stick to the insides and will be easier to remove.
One method to measure dry ingredients is to transfer the ingredients onto a spoon a scoop it into the cup. Afterward, take a utensil with a flat surface n level it off. This will give you an exact measurement of one cup. However, if the recipe tells you to add one heaping cup, you should not level it off and add the ingredient along with the extra mound on top. When measuring a liquid, always be sure to use a glass measuring cup. To read the liquid ingredients accurately, put the cup to a flat surface and read the measurement at eye level.
Source by Z Lee