How to Convert Dry Matter Ingredients

Using the right amount of ingredients is crucial when cooking and baking.

Cooking and baking involve both wet and dry ingredients. Depending on where a recipe originated from or how the ingredients were initially determined, various units of measurement will appear from time to time. If you do not have measuring tools with all units clearly marked, you can convert dry matter ingredients by using simple conversions. Making sure to use the right amount of ingredients helps ensure your recipes turn out as planned. Does this Spark an idea?

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Instructions

- 1
  
  Gather utensils with appropriate markings to note the major dry ingredient measurements. Include measuring cups and spoons with marking for grams, ounces, teaspoons, tablespoons, 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup and 1 cup.
- 2
  
  Convert grams to teaspoons or tablespoons. Use 3 tsp. or 1 tbsp. for every 14.3 grams of dry matter called for in a recipe.
- 3
  
  Convert tablespoons to cups. Use 1/8 cup for two tbsp. or 1/4 cup for 4 ttbsp., 1/2 cup for 8 tbsp. and 1 cup for 16 tbsp. You can use various measuring tools depending on what you have on hand, provided you use the correct conversion ratios.
- 4
  
  Change tablespoon and cup measurements for dry ingredients to ounce measurements to use measuring cups with such markings. Use 4 ounces when a recipe calls for 8 tbsp., which equals 1/2 cup of a dry ingredient. Additional conversions include: 3/4 cup equals 6 ounces, 2 cups equal 16 ounces and 4 cups equal 32 ounces.

Tips & Warnings

Keep a written conversion chart in your kitchen so you can toggle between dry ingredient measurements while cooking.
Always use a well marked measuring utensil when baking, as ingredient amounts need to be accurate for recipe success.