How many potatoes is 1-1/2 pounds?
ami...@atl.mindspring.com
In article <DyCB4...@info.uucp>, cfit...@mach1.wlu.ca (catherine
fitzgerald S) wrote:
> Help, when a recipe calls for something like 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes how
> the heck do you know how many that is unless you have a scale in your
> kitchen?
> Catherine Fitzgerald
> Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
>
> --
Catherine,
Without sounding snide, may I suggest that you buy a scale?
That's the only way to find out how much 1 1/2 pounds is.
Alan
idlewild
On Thu, 26 Sep 1996, catherine fitzgerald S wrote:
> Help, when a recipe calls for something like 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes how
> the heck do you know how many that is unless you have a scale in your
> kitchen?
most grocery stores and produce shops have scales which you can use to
weigh your purchases before you head to the checkout lines.
-j.
___
Will cook for food.
Planet
catherine fitzgerald S wrote:
>
> Help, when a recipe calls for something like 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes how
> the heck do you know how many that is unless you have a scale in your
> kitchen?
> Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
>
> --
HI Catherine-
I find that usually 3 medium potatoes equals about a pound, so I
estimate from there. Usually a recipe that calls for potatoes does not
require a precise measurement anyway. If it does, then you have no choice
but to weigh them.
Planet
Neil Tingley
On Fri, 27 Sep 1996 06:04:43 GMT, idlewild
<jos...@midway.uchicago.edu> wrote:
>On Thu, 26 Sep 1996, catherine fitzgerald S wrote:
>
>> Help, when a recipe calls for something like 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes how
>> the heck do you know how many that is unless you have a scale in your
>> kitchen?
>
>most grocery stores and produce shops have scales which you can use to
>weigh your purchases before you head to the checkout lines.
>
The amount you'd serve to 3 people.
Nancy Dooley
In article <DyCB4...@info.uucp> cfit...@mach1.wlu.ca (catherine fitzgerald S) writes:
>From: cfit...@mach1.wlu.ca (catherine fitzgerald S)
>Subject: How many potatoes is 1-1/2 pounds?
>Date: Thu, 26 Sep 1996 12:38:32 GMT
>Help, when a recipe calls for something like 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes how
>the heck do you know how many that is unless you have a scale in your
>kitchen?
>Catherine Fitzgerald
>Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
>--
I just judge by sorta how many are in a 5-lb. bag. Anyway, most recipes
involving "1 1/2 lbs. of potatoes," probably don't need to be that accurate.
Or you can use a bathroom scale.
Nancy Dooley
"Celebrate our State." Iowa's Sesquicentennial year, 1846-1996.
s f
On Sep 26, 1996 12:38:32 in <rec.food.cooking>, 'cfit...@mach1.wlu.ca
(catherine fitzgerald S)' wrote:
>Help, when a recipe calls for something like 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes how
>the heck do you know how many that is unless you have a scale in your
>kitchen?
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
As you know, that's a hard question to answer because potatoes come in all
sizes. Those big ones can be up to half a pound each! If you have an
unopened 5 lb. bag, you could guessimate, but without a scale you won't
know for sure. Potato estimates aren't crucial anyway. They are
approximate. Figure out how many potatoes people will eat with the meal
and do it that way. The 1-1/2 lb. listed in your recipe is just to give
you an idea of how many potatoes to use, it's not a crucial point. 1-1/2
pounds gives you a ballpark idea of what the recipe's author had in mind
for proportions.
If you really want to be exact, the best thing to do is weigh them out at
the store. Remember, the scales provided in the vegetable section give
only approximations of weight, the ACCURATE scales are at the checkstand.
Mary Ash
catherine fitzgerald S wrote:
>
> Help, when a recipe calls for something like 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes how
> the heck do you know how many that is unless you have a scale in your
> kitchen?
> Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
>
> --
There are several ways...the easiest is to take the potatoes out of a
weighed portion, like a 5 lb. bag of potatoes. Figure about 1/4 of the
bag will equal 1 1/4 pounds and half the bag 2 1/2 pounds. The other way
is to weigh your loose potatoes before leaving the store. Portion out
the amount needed.
Or, this handy information from Substituting Ingredients may help:
1 lb. of potatoes equals:
3 medium
2 1/4 cups cooked
1 3/4 cups mashed
Mary
chet
>Help, when a recipe calls for something like 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes how
>the heck do you know how many that is unless you have a scale in your
>kitchen?
>Catherine Fitzgerald
>Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
>
>--
>The average baking potato weighs 8 oz.
Kenneth Johnson
In article <Pine.GSO.3.95.960927...@ellis.uchicago.edu> idlewild <jos...@midway.uchicago.edu> writes:
>From: idlewild <jos...@midway.uchicago.edu>
>Subject: Re: How many potatoes is 1-1/2 pounds?
>Date: Fri, 27 Sep 1996 06:04:43 GMT
>On Thu, 26 Sep 1996, catherine fitzgerald S wrote:
>> Help, when a recipe calls for something like 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes how
>> the heck do you know how many that is unless you have a scale in your
>> kitchen?
>most grocery stores and produce shops have scales which you can use to
>weigh your purchases before you head to the checkout lines.
>-j.
>___
Yes but you virtually never buy potatoes individually, you buy them in 5-10#
bags. Now you've got them home and you want to know how many would constitute
1-1/2 pounds. 1-1/2 pounds would be slightly less than 1/3 of a 5# bag.
w...@sunlink.net
cfit...@mach1.wlu.ca (catherine fitzgerald S) wrote:
>Help, when a recipe calls for something like 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes how
>the heck do you know how many that is unless you have a scale in your
>kitchen?
>Catherine Fitzgerald
>Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
>--
Catherine,
3 medium sized potatoes are usually equal to 1 lb.
Pamela
(just finished peeling 100 lbs. of potatoes for today's clambake)
John Mcchesney-Young
Back before I got a scale I used butter. No, you don't set the object in
question on it and see how deeply it sinks ;-), you take into account
that butter packagers thoughtfully sell by the pound and divide that
pound into 4 quarters with (for practical purposes) no tare weight. Put
the potatoes in a bag, hold it with one hand, and compare with six
sticks of butter in the other, adding and subtracting or substituting
potatoes until you come close. In the absence of butter, you can use
water: a pint's a pound the world around. Put six cups of water into a
relatively light container (I'd use a half-gallon yogurt container) and
compare the hefts the same way. If this is too difficult, there's a book
called _Juggling for the Complete Klutz_ which may prove useful in such
situations. I would not recommend using margarine as a substitute
because of health and taste concerns. Pound bars of chocolate, on the
other hand, work admirably.:-)
John
Philip F. Wight
John - that solution is too intelligent for most of us around here! :-)
You certainly have shown tht you learned early on how to use your head for
something other than a hatrack.
Cheers,
Phil
----------------
John J. Armstrong
>catherine fitzgerald S wrote:
>>
>> Help, when a recipe calls for something like 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes how
>> the heck do you know how many that is unless you have a scale in your
>> kitchen?
Having read this, and the replies, I assume that scales are not standard
items of equipment in North American kitchens. I find this rather
surprising. Is it a correct assumption? I suppose it explains why all N
American recipes have quantities in "cups."
John Armstrong
Dundee
Scotland
"Indecision is the key to flexibility."
Nancy Dooley
In article <AE759287...@dial2-port45.sol.co.uk> jjarm...@sol.co.uk (John J. Armstrong) writes:
>From: jjarm...@sol.co.uk (John J. Armstrong)
>Subject: Re: How many potatoes is 1-1/2 pounds?
>John Armstrong
>Dundee
Scales are not standard in most American kitchens, and yes, that is why cups,
tsp., T., etc. are measurements in the recipes.
Dan Masi
Nancy Dooley wrote:
>
> >Help, when a recipe calls for something like 1-1/2 pounds of
> > potatoes how the heck do you know how many that is unless you
> > have a scale in your kitchen?
>
Use water. Water weighs about half a pound per fluid cup.
If you need 1.5 pounds of potatoes, you could fill a measuring
cup with 3 cups of water and try to feel how many potatoes would
equal that weight.
You could also just make a gross assumption that potatoes
are roughly as dense as water. Put a medium-sized bowl
into a very large bowl or pot. Fill the inner bowl to the
very brim with water, such that adding another drop would
cause water to spil out. Now put some potatoes in, and
measure the amount of water that is displaced from the bowl.
Or, you could just buy a kitchen scale.... :-)
--
Dan Masi
Mentor Graphics Corp.
dan_...@mentorg.com
Christine
> Help, when a recipe calls for something like 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes how
> the heck do you know how many that is unless you have a scale in your
> kitchen?
> Catherine Fitzgerald
> Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
>
> --
Potatoes come in so many sizes that listing weight is really the only
way to accurately indicate how much potato is to be used. One person's
"Medium" potato may be another's "large". Most produce sections have a
scale (at least they do in the states). You could weigh out 1.5 lbs of
loose potatoes and either buy it, or get a sense of how much it is,
then use an equivalent amount from your stock at home.
Christine
John J. Armstrong
>In article <324EED...@earthlink.net>, br...@earthlink.net wrote:
In the absence of butter, you can use
>> water: a pint's a pound the world around.
Sorry, pints in UK are 20 fluid ounces . So a pint of water weighs 1 1/4
lbs, and a gallon (UK or imperial) of water weighs 10 lbs.
And thanks to those who answered my query on the scaleless kitchen!
Nancy Dooley
In article <AE76E47D...@dial1-port21.sol.co.uk> jjarm...@sol.co.uk (John J. Armstrong) writes:
>From: jjarm...@sol.co.uk (John J. Armstrong)
>John Armstrong
When I answered, I didn't give the alternative possibility - that recipes in
the US don't use weights because there aren't scales in the kitchen. Someone
must have the "which came first" answer...?
Joan Ellis
John Mcchesney-Young <br...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>Back before I got a scale I used butter. No, you don't set the object in
>question on it and see how deeply it sinks ;-), you take into account
>that butter packagers thoughtfully sell by the pound and divide that
>pound into 4 quarters with (for practical purposes) no tare weight. Put
>the potatoes in a bag, hold it with one hand, and compare with six
>sticks of butter in the other, adding and subtracting or substituting
>potatoes until you come close. In the absence of butter, you can use
>water: a pint's a pound the world around. Put six cups of water into a
>relatively light container (I'd use a half-gallon yogurt container) and
>compare the hefts the same way. If this is too difficult, there's a book
>called _Juggling for the Complete Klutz_ which may prove useful in such
>situations. I would not recommend using margarine as a substitute
>because of health and taste concerns. Pound bars of chocolate, on the
>other hand, work admirably.:-)
>John
This is the best idea I've heard all day. I showed it to my husband
and he suggested another method. Sling a rope over a tree branch with
a bucket tied to each end. Put the butter (or whatever) in one side,
and then balance it with potatoes in the other. He thinks that this
would be more accurate.
Joan
idlewild
On Wed, 2 Oct 1996, Joan Ellis wrote:
> This is the best idea I've heard all day. I showed it to my husband
> and he suggested another method. Sling a rope over a tree branch with
> a bucket tied to each end. Put the butter (or whatever) in one side,
> and then balance it with potatoes in the other. He thinks that this
> would be more accurate.
you will, however, need a tree with a /very/ smooth branch, and likewise a
very snag-free rope. maybe a pulley would work better...?
MajicChef
In article <AE76E47D...@dial1-port21.sol.co.uk>,
jjarm...@sol.co.uk (John J. Armstrong) writes:
>In the absence of butter, you can use
>>> water: a pint's a pound the world around.
>
>
>Sorry, pints in UK are 20 fluid ounces .
That's why a pint of ale is better in Europe!
Regards and good eatin'
MajicChef
"HAAAAPPY trails to you....
until we eat again."
rosieperez...@gmail.com
Julie Bove
<rosieperez...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:8932340b-2b8e-4801...@googlegroups.com...
> medium potatoes and was way less than a pound :/
itsjoan...@webtv.net
Jeßus
medium.
Colonel Edmund J. Burke
> How does 3 midium potatoes look like cus I weighed 3 what I thought was medium potatoes and was way less than a pound :/
>
LOL
cshenk
> How does 3 midium potatoes look like cus I weighed 3 what I thought
> was medium potatoes and was way less than a pound :/
version?
The easy way is to get a 3lb bag and use 1/2 of it for 1.5lbs.
--
sockmo...@comcast.net
I'm only sorta kidding.
Denise in NH
Ed Pawlowski
very expensive.
Dave Smith
what is supposed to be a good set of scales with a digital readout and I
can weigh myself three times and get three different weights. Based on
weighing in on my way in to the can and again on my weight out and weigh
more having having rid myself of some stuff.
Taxed and Spent
>
moisture content of the potatoes).
zigm...@msn.com
> In article <DyCB4...@info.uucp>, cfit...@mach1.wlu.ca (catherine
>
> > Help, when a recipe calls for something like 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes how
> > the heck do you know how many that is unless you have a scale in your
> > kitchen?
> > Catherine Fitzgerald
> > Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
> >
> > --
> Without sounding snide, may I suggest that you buy a scale?
> That's the only way to find out how much 1 1/2 pounds is.
> Alan
You sounded snide, Alan.
U.S. Janet B.
I miss Alan.
Janet US
es75...@gmail.com
itsjoan...@webtv.net
>
> draw a diagram to illustrate the problem
>
>
beth.m...@gmail.com
> draw a diagram to illustrate the problem
Dave Smith
Hank Rogers
Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk.
Nancy2
N.
Sqwertz
> Dave, the original post dates to 1996.
>
> N.
-sw